Up until now, very little has been known about how educators are using social networks and other collaborative technologies, and whether or not they see a value for education. A joint research study conducted by edWeb.net, MMS Education, and MCH investigated how K-12 teachers, principals, and librarians are using social networks. During the November 4th webinar, marketers gained important insights about the different way educators are using social media and how those differences impact marketing strategies. If you didn't have an opportunity to attend the webinar, please click on the links below to learn about this emerging market.

Click here to listen to the webinar.

Click here to download the final results of the survey.

Amy Rambo, MCH IT & Response Lab Director

The USPS will begin enforcing compliance with Move Update requirements on January 4, 2010. To meet the requirements, mailers must be using addresses on mailpieces that have been updated using an approved method within 95 days prior to the mailing date. The threshold that becomes effective in 2010 includes the following:

• There must be more than five pieces with a Change of Address that were not updated.
• A passing score requires updating 70% or more of the COAs.
• First-Class mail and Standard Mail will be assessed at 7 cents for each piece that isn't compliant. 
• Additional postage will only be assessed against the portion of the mail that is below the threshold.
  

The USPS presented a Move Update Technical webinar in August 2009. The 81-page presentation contains information about acceptable methods of processing addresses prior to a mailing, the appeal process, and interpreting Move Update worksheets and reports.

Click here to review the USPS presentation.

Winter Postal Sale – Still Pending
Discussion continues regarding the proposed USPS winter sale. At this time, no proposal has been submitted to the Postal Regulatory Commission. The DMA is anticipating that the sale will run over a three-month period from January through March but goes on to say "The Postal Service has not made a final determination on either the scope of eligibility or the size of the discount for new volume." We'll continue to monitor industry publications for the latest news regarding the sale.

DMA Action
The DMA has launched a full-service website to provide information on key government issues that impact direct marketers. The website is intended to help members learn about issues that impact their bottom line and provide resources and tools that will enable marketers to contact elected officials about pending legislation. Click here to view the site.

The MCH broker team now has a dedicated fax number: 660-335-6376. Please update your contact information for the team.

MCH is having its best year-to-date profits in recent memory and the company has avoided layoffs. While there are many reasons for the success, Peter Long is most proud of the fact that MCH was in a position to help other companies survive a terrible economic crisis.

Click here to read the full story.

If you are marketing to religious institutions, now is the time you need to have your offers in the hands of decision makers. The holiday season is always a peak member donation time for churches. This year, it is very important to capitalize on the holiday cash flow increase at religious institutions since the economic situation has impacted charitable giving. Contact your MCH Sales Representative today to find out how denomination, church size and wealth scores can be used to improve the results of your direct marketing campaign.

Click here to see datacards for religious institutions.

Institutions, like businesses, try to do more with less. It is common knowledge that it is often less expensive to provide additional training to existing employees than it is to hire additional staff. In fact, in some institutions, continuing education is a professional requirement. Teachers, medical professionals, and many other institutional employees must complete a specified number of continuing education hours in order to maintain their eligibility and/or license. Make sure you aren't missing an opportunity to extend your reach in the continuing education market.

Click here to review datacards that are suitable for marketers of continuing education products and services and then call your MCH sales representative to get a count on those "why didn't I think of that?" institutions you may have missed.

November: Peter Long will be a panelist at the November 10th KCDMA meeting. The topic is "Managing Through Tough Times for Success."

December: MCH will be featured in the Kansas City Business Journal.

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