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Canada Post still allows free political direct mail
Canada's decision to cut individual home delivery of mail in favor of utilizing community mailboxes has been met with lots of opposition in the country. A recent report from Canadian outlet CTV News revealed that Canada Post, over the next five years, will reduce staff while raising mailing rates in the process. However, companies that use direct mail software to send materials to consumers may be able to avoid the negative effects of the changes as CTV News states that Canada Post will still allow political mailing materials to be sent for free.
The practice is referred to as franking, and part of the Canada Post Corporation Act states that communications known as unaddressed admail sent through the mail in the form of flyers by members of Parliament to their constituents, can be done four times per year at no charge. Additionally, if more materials of this kind need to be sent, parliamentary officials receive generous postal discounts from the mail organization.
Last year, there were 132 million pieces of unaddressed admail and 6 million franking letters sent for free through Canada Post. This is good news for direct mail companies producing these politically based materials as they stand to gain significantly if this policy doesn't change.
Community mailbox conversion coming soon
Many Canadian provinces are preparing for Canada Post's new community mailbox conversion plan. This move could create a major shift in how organizations using address validation software will do business.
However, Canada Post is simplifying this process through the use of its Precision Targeter program that helps marketers select routes and delivery areas they'd like to target as opposed to individual addresses. This service is something that direct mail companies should take advantage of.
