MTAC Workgroup 116 – Great Addressing to Improve the Value of Mail
Focus Group 1 – Value of Mail and FAQ
December 10, 2007
Teleconference
Attendees:
Jody Berenblatt
Chris Lien
Deborah Sanders
Roger Brown
Chuck Kettler
David Dufford
Steve Collela
David Robinson
Adam Collinson
Opening Statements:
In an effort to continue the momentum generated during the November meeting, the co-chairs have agreed to split the report development into three focus areas, which will meet on the following scheduled dates.
Mondays – Dec 10 & 17 and Jan 7 & 14: Understanding the Value of Mail and Setting the Record Straight
Wednesdays – Dec 12 & 19 and Jan 9 & 16: Definitions and List Suppression sources, ROI, and usage (new area to be built out in the document)
Thursdays – Dec 13 & 20 and Jan 10 & 17: Data Mining and Leveraging Address Quality Tools
The week of January 21 would be spent consolidating the report, finalizing the recommendations and last edits. Presentation of the report will be done the following week in conjunction with MTAC and may include a last face-to-face meeting TBD.
This schedule should hopefully provide ample time for the workgroup to finalize the report and produce a quality product. A regular teleconference number will be established, hopefully by the time of the next focus meeting.
Comments on the report sections thus far
Wherever possible, the report should clearly cite the sources for data presented. The data should also be annotated with when a particular study was done.
It was also suggested that the audience would likely be a lawmaker or representative rather than the general public.
New Suggested Sections
Overview of Mail
There should be some new areas added to the report. This includes an opening section that assists the reader in understanding mail overall. This should include information about the various classes of mail and explain some of the legal requirements of the USPS such as universal delivery and no cross-class subsidization is allowed. This section could also include some historical information about the USPS, its relationship with industry stakeholders, and overall trends in mail volume and usage.
Move Update
This section would expand on the criticality of change-of-address data and processing. It should include data about trends in COA processing with the USPS as well as factual information about address changes not being captured by the USPS.
It was mentioned that an industry solution is forthcoming that could be a great addition to this section. This section should also note reasons why someone may not wish to file a COA with the USPS.
Nonprofit Mailing
This section would be a build out of information about the use of mail for nonprofit organizations. It was suggested that the US has a very unique tie between nonprofit organizations and the use of the USPS. Information should be provided sourced from the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers and the DMA.
Environmental Information
The data in the environmental section should be carefully reviewed with appropriate sources cited. It should also be shared with Mike Fanning at the USPS for any suggested changes or additions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Setting the Record Straight section should include the FAQ prepared by Postcom. The workgroup agreed that, with Postcom permission, the FAQ they have on their web page should be pasted into the report with proper credit applied.
It was also suggested that Valassis and Printing Industries of America would be excellent sources for factual data to illustrate the value of mail.
Additional Sources
Two additional sources of information were suggested for illustrating the value of mail. The first is the USA Today article from their November 14 issue. This article dealt with the UAA problem related to IRS checks. (
The second source is Robert Coen,senior vice president, director of forecasting with Universal McCann, and the statistical data presented related to advertising mail.
Next Steps
Nonprofit section: Jody Berenblatt and Steve Collela agreed to gather information for this section.
Move Update: Chuck Kettler and David Robinson agreed to provide information related to this new section.
USPS Overview: Deborah Sanders agreed to contact Jim Wilson and Charles Hunt and work to gather USPS data for this section.
Contacting Postcom for the FAQ: Chris Lien and Jody Berenblatt
Gathering data from Valassis, PIA, Robert Coen, and USA Today: Chris Lien and Adam Collinson
Other workgroup members are urged to participate in providing data and editing these areas as the document continues to evolve.