Archive for the ‘Charities’ Category

20gms of CO2 are generated by a piece of direct mail

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

‘Junk’ Mail aka Direct Mail

There is a more effective way of dealing with these items, put them back in the letter box marked RETURN TO SENDER. For 16 years we, (www.veri-data.co.uk ) have been processing returned and undelivered mail for financial services and others. For each company we open and scan the relevant information required and return it to them on a weekly basis so that they can supress their databases, so they do not mail that person/address again.

We then recycle all the waste paper, for 80% of the carbon footprint of a direct mail piece is in the end of life solution. Our service also helps to reduce the opportunity for identity fraud and protects the brand image by not ‘irritating’ people by sending them material they do not want. Sadly not all mailers use a service like ours and in many large companies and charities there is a reluctance to engage with this matter. Nobody wants responsibility for what is perceived as irksome problem, notwithstanding it can save them money and cut their carbon footprint. (20gms of CO2 are generated by a piece of direct mail)

Like it or not Direct Mail works and a great many people are stimulated to buy, even if it only drives them to a web site. I also wonder how many people who complain about this issue would actually miss it.  For as Auden noted, ‘And none will hear the postman’s knock Without a quickening of the heart. For who can bear to feel himself forgot.’ or am I the only one who feels slightly miffed when the postman passes by and there is no mail?

NB Companies that dropped direct mail in 2009 are going back because they saw a drop in orders of up to 25% Wall Street Journal article 2011

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, 'gone aways', Carbon Footprint, Catalogues, Charities, Direct Mail, Identity Fraud, Postal returns, Recycling paper, Sustainable Mail, Totalpost PLC | No Comments »

Royal Mail could put up postage on direct mail by up to 19%

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

This is not good news as the non-transactional direct mail sector is already struggling and it will probably mean that the private courier sector will follow suite and hike their prices. However there are ways to reduce the costs of direct mail.

We include catalogues in this context.

Most direct marketers would agree that embracing best environmental practice is a sensible idea. There are rewards for doing so but whether you agree that PAS2020 an onerous standard or a good discipline, the potential for reduced costs, reduced waste and increased campaign performance makes good business sense.

There also the benefit of Royal Mail’s ‘Sustainable Mail’, which offers postal services at a discounted rate if a company is proved to be compliant with PAS 2020. This can save mailers up to 4.7 percent off the standard mail tariff.

As a company dedicated to processing returned and gone way mail since 1996 we have to declare an interest in hoping that volumes of direct mail do not decline too quickly. In our part we have reduced the returns/’gone aways’ of one our larger customers (at their peak mailing 140 million pieces a year) from over 6% to under 2% saving them thousands of pounds.

Our aim is to minimise waste and thereby cut cost, by removing unnecessary volume, and by ensuring the ‘end of life’ solution where 80% of the carbon footprint occurs is addressed responsibly. We recycle all waste paper. It can also provide brand protection and reduce the opportunity for fraud – overlaying information from returns can identify hot spots/addresses and help to mitigate identity theft.

Taking care of your returns also offers a safety net from consumer backlash, because despite the economic times, consumers and the media are still being tough on brands that do business while ignoring the environmental impact.

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, 'gone aways', Carbon Footprint, Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme, Catalogues, Charities, DMA, Direct Mail, PAS2020, Postal returns, Recycling paper, Royal Mail, Sustainable Mail, TNT Post | No Comments »

Bringing down the cost of gone away mail

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Save up to 50% on your returned and ‘gone way’ mail/catalogues

In partnership with Arbutus Ridge we process their CodEffect 2d barcode, a powerful method of encoding large amounts of data. Successfully used by many organisations including HMRC and Tesco, the latter in the first six months that they have been using it have seen a 50% reduction in its operational costs for returned mail.

It attracts a lower charge rate to capture than standard alpha/numeric data and we can return the data files on a daily basis if required.

Veridata now offers this encrypted 2d bar-coding system which means that capture of name & address, campaign codes etc. is considerably cheaper and enables us to offer our customers great savings for processing their returned mail.

CodEffect capture solution offer a fixed charge, regardless of the amount of data captured. There is no charge for the software or the creation of the barcode.

The CodEffect service has two distinct elements – simple data capture from returns and

data verification & enhancement. If required it can explain the reason for returns by

running them against a number of industry wide data sets.

The discreet two-dimensional barcode can be set in various places in or outside the envelope

Also included in the cost is the destruction and responsible disposal of all waste paper, which is recycled locally; this helps reduce your carbon footprint. Our service also helps you to comply with EU Directives on Landfill PAS2020 and Royal Mail’s Sustainable Mail.

Technical Requirements

Veridata in partnership with Arbutus Ridge will provide all software required to manage the printing of the CodEffect 2d barcodes free of charge and will work alongside the Client and chosen print company to install and test the process. Full technical requirements will be produced on agreement of contract.

Supplied as Windows DLL’s, which you can integrate using Visual Basic

For further information please contact

Tim Craig Business Development Director

Tel:01925 242360 email: tim.craig@veri-data.co.uk

PS As part o our service we destroy and recycle all paper helping to lower your carbon footprint

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, Carbon Footprint, Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme, Catalogues, Charities, CodEffect 2d bar code, DMA, Direct Mail, Environmental responsibility, PAS2020, Recycling paper, Sustainable Mail, Totalpost PLC | No Comments »

Every tonne of recycled paper saves approximately 17 trees and 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

At Veridata as part of our service we recycle all the waste paper generated by the returns from the mail/catalogues that we process. Our service  minimizes waste and therefore cost, protects brand image, mitigates fraud and cuts carbon footprint. We process returned mail from anywhere in the UK or Europe.

With 5.4 billion items of direct mail sent out yearly direct marketers have an ideal opportunity to make a major impact because every tonne of recycled paper saves approximately 17 trees and 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space. The public’s perception is important and organisations such as charities, and companies sending out large amounts of Direct Mail and/or catalogues i.e. the mail order sector should take note that consumers and the media do not like brands that do business while ignoring the environmental impact.

Adopting PAS 2020 best practices makes environmental and economic sense.  Furthermore, cost savings can be made through Royal Mail as they offer postal services at a discounted rate to companies that can prove that they are compliant with PAS 2020, this can save up to 4.7 per cent off the standard mail tariff.

Veridata  helps to meet  corporate social responsibility by processing returned, undelivered and goneway mail, which saves companies considerable amounts of  money. Additional huge savings on returned mail handling can be made by using CodEffect 2d barcode call us to find out more on 44 (0)1925 242360

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, 'gone aways', Carbon Footprint, Charities, CodEffect 2d bar code, DMA, Direct Mail, Environmental responsibility, Identity Fraud, PAS2020, Postal returns, Recycling paper, Returned and Undelivered Mail, Royal Mail | No Comments »

TNT survey reveals a third of donors give after receiving direct mail

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

By Sophie Hudson, Third Sector, 31 August 2010

TNT survey reveals a third of donors give after receiving direct mail

Cathy Pharoah, director of the Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy, says direct mail remains “hugely important”

One-third of people who make donations to charity are prompted to do so by receiving direct mail from the organisation in the post, according to a survey by delivery company TNT.

The poll of 2,000 British adults found that 57 per cent of those who respond to mail appeals do so by post.

It also found that 10 per cent of respondents would use information sent through the post to find out more about a charity, but 87 per cent of people would go online.

Cathy Pharoah, director of the Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy, said it was important for charities to develop an integrated multimedia approach to fundraising.

This should include online avenues, mobile phones and texts, as well as more traditional methods such as post, she said.

“Direct mail may not always be the most cost-effective way for charities to fundraise, but it is still a hugely important way for charities to get their message out. It is particularly important for the many donors who still prefer to give through cheques sent in the post,” she said.

Nick Wells, chief executive of TNT Post, said: “This survey shows that direct mail or door-drops, both on their own or part of a multimedia strategy, continue to deliver results.”

Charities sending out large amounts of direct mail should be aware that Returned, unwanted and undelivered mail produces vast amounts of waste paper and 80% of the carbon footprint for direct mail pieces lies in the ‘end of life’ solution.  Veridata recycles all waste paper.It also wastes money.

Posted in 'Gone away' mail, 'gone aways', Carbon Footprint, Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme, Charities, Direct Mail, PAS2020, Recycling paper, Returned and Undelivered Mail, TNT Post | No Comments »