Join J.Schmid President & CCO Brent Niemuth as he hosts a hands-on creative workshop at the Spring NEMOA conference April 4, 2023. If you're not already familiar with NEMOA, here's what you need to know: • It's the only summit for true omnichannel marketers, helping brands harness the power of print in the marketing mix. • The thought-provoking discussions and enriching sessions are 100% guaranteed to drive actionable insights. • This is the last week to get the very best prices on hotel rooms. • And one more thing...we can offer you a 15% discount with code BRD15! That's right, it's a perk we get as a board member. So if you're interested in going, register now! Register at: https://web.cvent.com/event/9a4bcadf-2109-4eb0-8ea6-305c5c036d05/regProcessStep1?_ga=2.221219032.1124295288.1677590315-614130158.1677590315

If you’re at the National Postal Forum this week, there may not be a better time to be a part of the industry’s top event. Be sure to say hello to Midland's Postal Affairs Director--Matt Jensen! I often think about the history of the postal system, about how change, both good and bad, seems to be happening faster now than our ability to respond to it. We’re coming to the end of the 250th year of the post office, just days after the country marks the same anniversary of independence. It’s no coincidence. Postal history is intertwined with American history. Thanks to the dedication, vision, and hard work of countless people in dozens of professions, the post office has helped bind America together and help it grow in so many ways over the centuries.

There are many times when customers reach out to us to help them increase their response rates. When that happens, the first question is “What was the response rate on your last mailing?” Now you would think after 32 years in the business that the standard response to this question would no longer shock me, however that is not the case. When I hear “I am not sure”, I cringe. In 2024, how can they not know what the response rate was? They need to know this information. So, let’s take a look at what the 2024 Lob State of Direct Mail found: > 84% of marketers agree direct mail provides the highest ROI of any channel they use. > 82% of respondents are increasing direct mail spend in 2024. > Personalized URLs are the most popular way to measure conversions from direct mail campaigns. > Letters and postcards are the most popular direct mail format sent by respondents followed closely by brochures, catalogs, and self-mailers. One key takeaway is that direct mail response rates are higher than all digital media in the study. Direct mail can benefit the marketing mix, but you need to know their numbers so that you can keep doing what works and fix what is not working.