Petition Hits USPS Unaddressed Mail Program

The U.S. Postal Service can't win for losing. Now leaders with Catalog Choice, a nonprofit mail preference service, have started an online petition to allow consumers to opt out of the USPS "Every Door Direct Mail Program." The one-year-old program is a Web-based service aimed at helping small businesses advertise without knowing specific names or addresses. Revenue-hungry USPS officials are quick to defend the unaddressed advertising mail, which has generated $153 million in revenues between its launch in April 2011 and December 2011. For a detailed discussion, see
http://nooga.com/154848/usps-program-allows-business-owners-to-target-potential-customers-without-knowing-name-address/

More 2012 Growth Forecast for Targeted Media

Here's some good news for direct and digital marketers: VSS has increased its spending outlook for "Targeted Media" in 2012. Targeted media includes direct marketing, branded entertainment, outsourced custom content, pure-play consumer Internet and mobile services, and B-to-B media. The business forecasting outfit boosted anticipated growth from 7.7% in its annual report to 8.1% in its mid-term report. The upward revision was driven by strong performances in all segments except branded entertainment and outsourced custom publishing, VSS said.  The report foresaw increased spending for the U.S. communications industry as a whole, led by an improving economy and strong digital media growth. John Suhler, co-founder and president of VSS, summed up: "Bottom line: This is the best news for the industry in several years." For the complete market forecast, see http://chiefmarketer.com/promotional-marketing/spending-marketing-targetedtraditional-media-rise-2012-vss-forecast