The Royal Mail MarketReach Covid-19 Open For Business Incentive is a major long term boost for businesses and for the direct mail channel.
As lockdown eases, the government is switching some of it’s attention to re-starting the UK economy. And Royal Mail MarketReach is looking to help organisations recover, with the launch of a scheme designed to re-ignite direct mail and support those brands and sectors hardest hit by the outbreak.
Available through online application, the incentive scheme was launched this month. It covers mailings that run from May 20 to December 31 this year across the three core Royal Mail Wholesale products:
- Advertising Mail,
- Responsible Mail
- Partially Addressed Mail.
Deadline for applications is 11 December 2020. And rather than discounted rates, it provides companies with “postage credits” that give brands money off future campaigns. They’ll have 12 months to redeem the credits.
Royal Mail MarketReach says the scheme is
“designed to assist businesses with directly engaging with customers and prospects and to provide a much needed boost to their trading and advertising activity.”
Eligible businesses
Amongst the types of businesses which have been directly affected by Covid-19 and therefore meet the eligibility criteria are:
- Retailers forced to close their doors and wishing to encourage website visits or promote home delivery;
- Charities with a primary request for donations;
- Brands which have been unable to use pre-booked channels like cinema and out of home;
- Travel and tourism brands promoting their products;
- Those planning mailings to vulnerable customers to support physical or mental well-being;
- Magazine publishers promoting subscriptions.
- Any new mailing from a brand to thank / re-assure customers or consumers in light of the impact of Covid19
Full details can be found here
Criteria
There are mandatory requirements to qualify for the incentive and we’ve picked out some of the key ones for you:
- For Mailmark Advertising Mail, Responsible Mail and Partially Addressed Letters and Large Letters up to 250g (or an Access 1400 service if the items are unwrapped / polywrapped)
- Letters and Large Letters must be submitted in trays to ensure sorting is quick and easy.
- You need to post between 20,000 and 1 million items during the incentive timeframe to qualify.
- Postage credits from the incentive will be paid as a credit voucher.
- As per the guidance, Postcards don’t qualify for the incentive.
You can find full details of the Royal Mail MarketReach Covid19 Open For Business Incentive here
Helping you benefit
With substantially more people than previously still working from home due to Covid-19, and having more time to read what lands through their letterbox, direct mail is once more gaining importance as a key channel to reach target audiences.
The MarketReach Covid-19 Open For Business Incentive is a great opportunity to help you kick start your business by contacting existing and reaching new customers.
If you want to find out if you’re eligible, talk about planning campaigns to take advantage of the incentive, or creating the right kind of DM to meet the eligibility criteria, give us a shout. We can talk you through the process and help you get things moving.
