Postal Rx: Press Your Printer for Answers to Co-mailing Questions

By Paul Miller

During a session at last week’s NEMOA conference in Portland, Maine, Joe Schick, director of postal affairs for printer Quad/Graphics, offered up 20 key questions catalogers should ask their printers about co-mailing.

For the first question — a two-parter, how will I know if co-mailing is beneficial for me? And is there an up-front analysis to determine this? — he laid out a chart to determine how a cataloger’s file can perform on its own. This, he said, is the first step in estimating co-mailing savings.

The chart includes: title name, in-home start, page count, estimated piece weight, carrier route percentage, estimated postage and drop-shipping discount (the last three all if mailing on its own). Then, determine the freight rate for each drop. He then turned to the other 19 questions for catalogers to ask their printers.

2. What type of co-mailing services do you offer?

3. How many years of experience do you have in the co-mailing arena?

4. What is the overall breadth of your co-mailing program?

5. How many books did your company co-mail in a mixed client environment in 2005 and 2006?

6. What are the most popular trim sizes for your in-line co-mailing program?

7. Who’s responsible for arranging co-mailing events and coordinating mailing lists?

8. How many mixed client partners typically bind and co-mail together?

9. Will I know who I’m co-mailing with before an event?

10. How many stitchers does your company operate with 20 or more pockets?

11. How many versions/pockets can I have in a co-mail event?

12. What are your ink-jet plane preferences?

13. Can you perform inside ink-jet in your co-mail program?