Integrating a strategic technology-driven extension is more than just a trend in direct marketing. It can be a game-changer. Applications such as Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Virtual Reality, Voice Assistant, Near Field Communication, or Video enable your mail to captivate your audience for a longer period, making for a more memorable brand experience that can expand the campaign’s reach. Most important, it can drive greater response. Augmented Reality (AR) adds digital elements to a live view often by using the camera on a smartphone. AR is more than QR codes. AR both heightens engagement with a mail piece and links it directly to the online channel to extend the sales process. Now, the USPS has made this even more enticing with the Emerging Technology and Mobile Shopping postal discount incentive which runs between May 1st — November 30th. This promotion provides a 3-4% discount depending on the complexity of the technology.

In a defeat for Meta Platforms, a federal appellate court late last week left in place a recent decision allowing Facebook and Instagram advertisers to proceed with a class-action fraud lawsuit over inflated metrics. Unless the Supreme Court intervenes, Meta must now face a class-action on behalf of all U.S. advertisers who used Facebook's Ad Manager or Power Editor to purchase ads on Facebook or Instagram after August 15, 2014. Meta hasn't yet said whether it will ask the Supreme Court to hear an appeal. The battle between Meta and the advertisers dates to 2018, when business owner Danielle Singer alleged in a class-action complaint that Facebook induced advertisers to purchase more ads, and pay more for them, by overstating the number of users who might see the ads.

It all started with the love of an island. After decades of running a successful diving business on St. John in the US Virgin Islands, the business owners could feel that there was just more that they could offer. They saw an opportunity to tap into the island lifestyle and offer more: leisure wear, swim, and diving gear, even home décor; to build a lifestyle around the island life. But with limited existing product, and no existing tangible brand beyond the diving business to speak of, where does one start? That’s where J.Schmid came in. We started with research to understand the unique connection that people have to the island; then we used that learning to craft a brand story, and bring it to life in words and pictures. Read the case study at: https://www.jschmid.com/blog/portfolio/low-key-branding-case-study/