Listen Up! New Informed Delivery® Requirements Accompany ID Promotion
May 21, 2019   Dave Lewis

Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, postal bureaucrats gotta make more rules.  Clarity is optional. We’re seeing a lot of new rules appearing, dictating how the Postal Service wants to execute ID.  (Interpret my use of the word “execute” as you wish.)  These changes are generally about the promotion for now, but will probably evolve into regulations that direct Informed Delivery.  Here are the highlights: Representative Images Turns out the Postal Service doesn’t really like Representative Images, at least not on letter size mail.  It seems that some of their stats have shown pieces with a gray scale image (no representative image) and a ride-along ad got a slightly higher click-through rate, so that’s that – gray scale good, representative image bad.  We don’t entirely agree that there is a definitive optimum yet, but we can go along.  So they haven’t actually banned representative images to participate in the promotion, but they are discouraging them. You can still use representative images, but some things to think about:

• Representative images must “closely resemble” an outside panel of the mail piece. This can be the address side or reverse of the piece.  “Closely resemble” is a bit vague, and the Postal Service doesn’t seem anxious to clarify what it means.  To be eligible for the Informed Delivery promotion, representative images will need to be approved in advance of the mailing.  You won’t need an indicia in the image, and you can add some graphics that say “click below to act now,” or words to that effect.  We hope for a lot more clarity before the promotion starts.  Again, this is only to participate in the promotion – there have been no changes to general ID rules - yet.
• Of course, for flats a representative image is required in order to participate in ID, but the same rule applies – it must “closely resemble” an outside panel of the mail piece. One thing they will be looking at is relative aspect ratio.  If the piece is a catalog printed in a portrait orientation, the representative image should reflect this.  You should be able to use the back of the piece as the representative image as well.  This is fun for publications that may have an ad on the back.  Can you charge extra for this even-more prime position?  They’re going to get extra impressions.  We see no rules against it.

We understand the Postal Service’s desire to keep the ID email from looking like a string of banner ads, which is what motivates these changes.  We are just hoping they provide better clarity about what variations from the original mail piece and the representative image will be allowed. Ride-Along Ads The ride-along ad is the clickable image that lives underneath the mail piece image or representative image.  In order to participate in the promotion, mailers will be required to have a ride-along ad that contains a clear call-to-action.  Simply a logo will not do the trick, unless, I guess, your company is called “Click Here.”  So, what constitutes a clear call to action?  The Postal Service has declined to define it, but they will know it when they see it, or don’t see it.  We think you’re pretty safe with:  “Click Here,” “Donate Now,” “Click Here to Donate,”, and other variants.  Fundamentally, there needs to be a verb, and it has to be obvious that clicking the ride-along will satisfy what the verb is ordering you to do. Unless… Your pushy little call-to-action cannot encourage prospects to eschew the mail.  Thus “Click here to go paperless” is a no-no.  Similarly, if the landing page your ride-along leads to encourages not using the mail, you may have your discount clawed back.  Again, we are assured that it has to be pretty specific to be verboten.  We were assured that “Donate Now” will be acceptable.  “Click here to donate online” um, not so much. It’s not over ‘til it’s over These requirements and their clarification are still being hammered out.  As of now, they will only apply to the promotion, but we kind of expect to see them become part of the overall Informed Delivery requirements.  There are a million other fine points being added for the promotion, too.  Thank goodness you have a partner in SnailWorks to navigate your campaign through the process.

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