Plan ahead for the political mail season

Political campaign years are busy times for printers, lettershops and the U.S. Postal Service. They can put a strain on the direct mail marketing industry during the busy 4th quarter of a political year. Candidates, campaign organizers and direct marketers should do some advance planning. Allowing extra lead-time will reduce the risk of a late in home delivery.

The USPS delivery service area has grown to over 144 million homes and businesses nationwide. The postal system has automated their processing to keep up with growth and to keep costs down. They have also reduced personnel. Normal delivery times are never guaranteed. During busy months, slower delivery should be assumed.

Envelope converters, printers and lettershops all have maximum production capacities for any given day or week. Creating a timeline and scheduling work with vendors in advance will help keep your project on track.

Here are some planning recommendations for political mailers and direct marketers.

• Verify the status of your mailing permit or nonprofit authorization.
• Get mailpiece design advice from a mailing professional before printing.
• Clean up mailing lists through NCOA, CASS Certification and deduping.
• Research and obtain mailing lists for prospecting to voters or new customers.*
• Obtain quotes for printing, mail production and postage.
• Prepare a timeline working backwards from your in-home delivery date.

Political candidates and campaign committees can request political tagging. Your lettershop can attach Red Tag 57 to a political campaign mailing. The post office will give these mailings special handling. Planning ahead and allowing extra time will help get your mailing delivered on time.

*A.M. Mailing maintains a current voter file for the State of Wisconsin and provides databases for resident, consumer and business lists. Call 608-884-3452 for list counts.