Nearly one third of all Standard Mail in the past two months contained a QR code, thanks to a U.S. Postal Service summer promotion that ends today, according to Tom Foti, the agency’s manager of marketing mail.
Foti says the USPS is “very pleased” with the results of the two-month promotion, which he said beat expectations. The QR code promotion offered commercial mailers an upfront 3% discount on the prices for First-Class Mail and Standard Mail letters and flats, which included a QR code inside or on the mailpieces.
Did the promotion increase mail volume? Foti says initial indications are positive, but that the USPS needs to dig deeper into analytics.
The most important metric will be the longer-term value that these customers get from using mail in ways that is more relevant and effective, Foti says.
Foti says. “We are analyzing results and impacts of the current mobile barcode promotion.
Currently, there are no firm plans for another QR code promotion, but Foti says USPS hopes to have another one in 2012, and that specifics of a sequel have not been determined.
By offering the QR code promotion, Foti says the USPS hoped to increase awareness of effective ways to increase the value of mail.
“I believe we not only increased awareness, but have truly accelerated the integration of mobile technology with mail,” Foti says. “This technology integration is making mail more engaging, interactive, and relevant which is helping to drive response rates higher.”
Foti says the USPS wants to build on past initiatives such as the Summer Sales of 2009 and 2010, Saturation Mail incentive, First Class Mail Incentive and the most-recent QR code promo because they have shown “if we are willing to invest in our products, customers will respond positively. We will continue to look for those attributes that improve the long-term value mail and invest in them in ways that encourage customer adoption.”
Foti believes most USPS customers were aware of the QR code promotion because printers and other mail service providers did a good job of communicating to clients the benefits of integrating mobile barcodes in to marketing campaigns and facilitating client implementation.