The U.S. Postal Service announced on March 4th that it would reward customer loyalty by launching a summer sale again this year. The sale will run from July 1st through September 30th. To be eligible, a company must have mailed 350,000 or more Standard Mail letters and flats during the same time period in 2009. The USPS anticipates that 3,500 customers will meet the eligibility requirements. The 2009 Summer Sale produced a net revenue contribution of $24 million. The summer sale still needs to be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Click here to read the USPS Press Release. 

According to a new analysis of state budget conditions from MCH, nine states face increased budget pressure compared to the prior BudgetAware™ Bulletin analysis. In the same time period, the budget outlook has improved for five states.

“The budget issues for states are the most severe since we began tracking them in 2002,” MCH President John F. Hood said. “While the overall economic outlook turned the corner during the second half of 2009, funding trends for state and local agencies lag behind the general economy.”

The BudgetAware™ Bulletin report is available for download from MCH's website. The 57-page document includes an overview of the economic conditions, marketing recommendations based on state conditions, and a state-by-state report that shows remaining stimulus funds available. 

MCH has just released the new edition of your essential guide to the business-to-institution market. The new 112-page Beyond B2B catalog describes the institutional segment in detail, providing counts of the various institutions, attributes, and decision makers. The book covers the vertical markets of education, government, healthcare, and religion. Plus, each section provides detailed “Tips and Traps” based on MCH’s 82 years of experience in institutional marketing.

Click here to download a PDF of the MCH Beyond B2B catalog.

Click here to request a printed copy of the MCH Beyond B2B catalog. 

Race to the Top's Sweet Sixteen
Finalists in the Phase 1 application process for Race to the Top funds were named on March 4th. The list of 40 applicants was trimmed to a finalist list that includes 15 states plus the District of Columbia. According to the Department of Education's website, the agency anticipates that no more than half of the available funding will be awarded in Phase 1 to "ensure robust competition in Phase 2."

Finalists have been invited to Washington, D.C. to make presentations before the panel that reviewed and scored their initial applications. The five-member teams will give a 30-minute presentation followed by a 60-minute question and answer session. Reviewers are charged with ensuring that the state has the "understanding, knowledge, capacity, and the will to truly deliver on what is proposed." Winners will be announced in April. The Department of Education has indicated that the presentations will be videotaped and placed on the agency's website at the conclusion of Phase I. Phase 2 applications are due June 1, 2010.

As background information, the Race to the Top initiative focuses on advancing reforms around four specific areas:

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy; 
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction; 
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and 
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

Phase 1 finalists include: Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Click here to learn more about Race to the Top.

Educators and Social Media: Online Interview
Glen McCandless of SellingtoSchools.com presents an online audio interview with Lisa Schmucki, founder of edWeb.net. A recent study of educator's use of social media and social networks reveals trends that are impacting education marketing plans. The use of social media to generate leads, to build a loyal customer base and to support successful implementations of your products in K-12 schools has enormous potential. What does this mean for companies that sell to schools? Listen to the interview here. 

One of great misconceptions about 2009’s ARRA stimulus funding was that most of the spending would be controlled at the federal or state level. While the funding came from the Federal government and passed through state funding channels, the actual control and decisions about how to spend the revenue occurs at the local level. City and county governments are major recipients of stimulus funds. While they must spend the money for various targeted programs, local officials largely control the selection of goods, services, and vendors.

MCH compiles the most comprehensive database of city and county officials available. How can marketers reach those decision makers most effectively?

Continue for tips and traps related to marketing to city and county government offices.

America’s institutions feed more than 10 million people every day. Hospital patients, school children, correctional facility inmates, and nursing home residents, are just some of the people who rely on the food service industry for healthy, satisfying meals.

Companies that provide food, equipment, supplies, and other commercial kitchen necessities must target the institutional market with a specialized strategy and high-quality marketing data.

Continue for marketing tips and recommendations for food service marketers.

MCH added new staff members to support our clients. Lisa Bell has joined our team as Customer Service Manager, Jeff Kranz now serves as MCH’s Product Manager, Sindy Phillips is the newest member of our team of Sales Coordinators, and Rochelle Hockett is now our Email Marketing Services Specialist.

Continue to learn more about our new team members.

Click here to request a quote for any of MCH's institutional databases and services.

Follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/MCH4B2i) for the latest updates on business-to-institution marketing.