One of the greatest tools available to our customers is our mapping technology. Through the years Compact has been hard at work bringing advances to our mapping technology such as county, zip and carrier route polygons, and advanced radii functions which allow customers to better visualize their mailing areas and better target the best clients to advance the growth of their businesses. In addition to programming websites and applications, we have a team of data experts that continuously monitor our databases to ensure we have the most accurate and targeted resident, consumer and business lists on the market today.

It you haven’t connected with Compact Information Systems head over to www.CompactLists.com today. You will find the experience second to none and our data is the best in the business.

Randy Kienzle

The simplest way to think about seasonal addresses is as “non-permanent”. There are approximately 900,000 addresses coded as “seasonal” by the USPS. Rather than widespread and spotty, these addresses are pockets of the country where in general the population increases significantly – but not permanently – on a seasonal basis… typically the winter or summer months.

No matter the time of year or geographic location, seasonals are addresses where the resident does not permanently reside. Most of us are familiar with the “snowbirds” who winter down in the sunny southern parts of the country like Florida, however seasonals crop up in many parts of the country at different times of the year, such as summer vacationers in Nantucket, winter skiers in Aspen and so on.

The challenge in working with seasonal addresses usually comes down to timing. For these traveling households the permanent address is never coded as seasonal and the corresponding seasonal address is never coded as vacant. That is why for affected areas it is critical to consider the impact including seasonal addresses may have on your mailing list deliverability. For instance, a mailing to apartments on the Jersey Shore in the middle of winter could greatly increase the amount of undeliverables if seasonal addresses are not excluded! Mailers really need to remember that “seasonals” are an address type that will not be coded as “vacant” when not occupied.

Compact’s Resident List site allows you to review seasonal counts and include or exclude seasonal addresses in any list order. For zips that include seasonal addresses we also provide you with the months they are typically occupied as well – in short, our online tools allow you to make the most informed decision possible regarding these addresses. For further discussion on “seasonals” and the impact they might have on your mailing, give us a call!

Mary McCarty
List Services Manager

In the infinite wisdom of the USPS – they make route changes and send those out to the CDS holders weekly. They will add a few addresses to this route- take a few from that one, and re-configure route boundaries in an effort to become more efficient at delivering our mail.

The result of all of this USPS activity is that Compact’s weekly change file for the country is around 40-50 million addresses. If one address in the route changes- then the entire route has to be updated. You will find all of these changes listed by ZIP Code and route on the Compact Resident List site under Route Query. The date of the change is also listed. This is the same place you go when your client calls and says- “I had 358 people in CR003- where did they go?”

When you run a radius- it will incorporate all of the routes within the given Geo.

When you copy and paste old Geography into a fresh count- you may begin receiving 0 counts in some of your routes due to the movement of addresses or the deletion of a Route in its entirety. A zero should be an indicator that some kind of change has taken place. Depending on the size of the radius in question you could be missing significant market areas.

It’s really easy to re-run your radii – the starting address is still in the original count. So, instead of starting a new count and then copying and pasting – (clone the old order if you have to have the old original count) all you have to do is click a tab on the pop up window.

The job you are wanting to update (T000857004) is a radius job. Do you want to:
( ) Keep the existing geography
(X) Re-run the radius (any routes added manually will be lost)

By clicking the re-run the radius button you will automatically get the new Geo.

Should you and your customer email Geo files back and forth- it’s a good practice to run radii from their origination point quarterly and create new Geo files.

So rather than thinking starting over is a bad thing- keep your customers happy and sales on track- and re-run your radii!

Chris Slauter
Compact Information Systems

You can follow the storyline at the Huffington Post.

In response to Mr. Paglia’s assertions I sent the following comments to his article. The unintended consequences of such an initiative could be dramatic, it is incumbent upon all of us in the Direct Marketing Industry to do our part in trying to help educate everyone in how we perform our business and the value it has to the economy, as well as the real impact on the environment. I have been a green advocate for quite some time, I care deeply about this planet, the future of my children, the air that we breathe and the water that we drink – I also love hiking in the woods and would aggressively advocate for the protection of all old growth. But my environmental position is balanced with a realism and a pragmatism that serves to keep me focused on all aspects of the debate, not just the ones that serve my own personal viewpoint.

Anyway, here’s my short blog back to Todd, and his co-worker at Forest Ethics, Marika.

Todd/Marika.

Some points I’d like you to consider:

· Direct Mail drives the cost of all postage down. The industry is incredibly efficient, and helps enable the USPS to subsidize postage for citizens, not the other way around

· Direct Mail is so efficient because the USPS requires the industry to provide mail pieces in “walk sequence” – literally in the very sequence the postal carrier will use when she drives or walks the mail route

· Many local small businesses use Direct Mail to attract customers within their neighborhood to their store. A pizza parlor will mail every neighbor within 2 miles with a coupon for a pepperoni pizza. Take away Direct Mail from this local store owner and you will hand that pizza order to the multi-national chain who can afford TV advertising

· Should your initiative be successful and across the US the Direct Mail industry is dealt a mortal blow, what do you intend to happen to the people directly affected by the collapse of this industry? It is estimated to be approximately 40,000 people in Washington alone?

Finally, there are over 3 billion Christmas cards sent by citizens around Christmas. These are printed on board stock and mailed, typically inside envelopes that have hand written addresses. The USPS does an incredible job of delivering those Holiday wishes of our citizenry – - but the environmental impact cannot be ignored. Do you intend to sponsor a bill to eradicate the Christmas card too?

Rich Lancaster

CEO

Compact Information Systems

Making your message stand out has always been a priority with Compact. We’re experts at listening to you- then working with you to find the best audience for your message. Not only getting your message out- but getting it to the right audience with the most deliverable addresses- PERIOD! It doesn’t matter how great your graphics are- how good your offer is- if it doesn’t get delivered- you and your customer are wasting money.

Recently we had a customer ask why we didn’t have several ZIP codes on a database they wanted to mail. Other compilers showed this to be a valid ZIP code and it even showed up on USPS.com. Compact is not a company that leaves well enough alone- we delved deeper and made a few calls. (Our tech group is absolutely amazing!). The ZIP codes in question were coded as Vacant and another is not currently active within the Address Management System. That means that our clients client had been mailing invalid addresses and wasting hundreds of dollars in postage and printing every month.

Get your message to the right place- the first time. Direct Mail works and Compact works for you.

Chris Slauter
Compact Information Systems

Randy Kienzle, VP Tech

Technically there is no way for us to provide you with a “duplicate” address. Each address record we output has been designated as a separate USPS delivery in walk sequence by the postal carrier. These are delivery points or receptacles that service multiple families or businesses. Although the address field is the same, each address will have its own unique walk sequence number in the file.

Sometimes referred to as “Drops” or “Drop Stops”, duplicated addresses can be found in several different scenarios, for example:

Duplex
Fourplex
Boarding House / Fraternity
SFDU with a rental unit attached
Apartment Buildings / Lobby Drops
Gated Communities
Simplified Routes

Some data processes performed on the data after it leaves Compact may flag these records as “bad” or even remove them from the list output. It is important to remember that doing so will invalidate the USPS Qualification paperwork we have provided with our data as well as affect the saturation level attained in each route. The individual addresses included in the piece count that determines whether a route is “Saturated” does indeed include all multiple deliveries present on a given route. So, in certain circumstances removing these addresses could drop the saturation level of a route down to high density or basic rate.

The bottom line is, every address we provide is deliverable as is! In most cases your mail preparer should not be doing anything to alter the enhanced carrier route walk sequence files. Multiple drops do not mean the data is bad or inaccurate, in fact just the opposite: we would not be providing you with a complete route listing if we did not include the drops. For more information about the workings of the Walk Sequence Saturation data, please give us a call!

Thanks,
Mary McCarty
List Services Manager

May 2010 be a banner year for us all.

Randy Kienzle
VP of Technology

At Compact we’re seeing significant increases in requests for data, along with new ideas on how to deliver successful campaigns.  Many customers are exploring email marketing and looking for clearer messaging and brand identity. Creating a multichannel market message is tops on many companies Holiday lists and plans for the coming New Year.

We’ve been busy seeking out the best sources for your data needs and have many exciting new opportunities for you. Email marketing is here to stay and providing accurate information as well as easy access to Business or Consumer email addresses was one challenge we all faced. We’ve done our testing and homework and think we have found some great solutions for you. Our new sources will not only send out your message and give you the tools to check on your progress but they also have postal addresses so that you can truly become the multi-channel marketer you always wanted to be. If your Customer file is in need of repair, we have solutions for that too. Don’t forget to append those email addresses to your customer file so you can stay in touch on a regular basis.

So sharpen up your Elf Bowling skills, enjoy this time with friends and family, and travel safely. We thank you for the opportunity to have been one of your business partners this year.

Chris Slauter
Compact Information Systems

Automation-Compatible Mail
Mail that meets postal specifications concerning design, size, machine readability, and characteristics so that it can be scanned and processed by automated mail processing equipment.

Address Correction Service
If mail cannot be delivered as addressed, this service allows the sender on request, using the appropriate ancillary service endorsement, to obtain the addressee’s new (forwarding) address (if a change-of-address order was filed), or the reason the mail cannot be delivered as addressed.

Automation Discount
A postage reduction offered to mailers who barcode their letters and flats and meet addressing, readability, and other requirements for processing on automated equipment.

Bulk Mail
Mail that is generally rated for postage partly by weight and partly by the number of pieces in the mailing. A rate discount is given based on the mail preparation work done by the mailer and the place of mail deposit. To qualify as bulk mail, there must be at least 200 pieces or 50 lbs. of mail. While first class postage increases with every ounce, standard mail gives you the same low rate of postage up to 3.3087 ounces. Delivery is slower.

CDS (Computerized Delivery Sequence)
A postal product that contains all addresses. A customer of the USPS may participate in this product if they have at least 90% of the addresses in a particular ZIP code. Once certified, the USPS uses the CDS product to maintain the customer’s data.

Carrier Routes
A group of addresses to which the USPS assigns the same code to aid in mail delivery. These codes are 9 digits – 5 numbers for the ZIP code, one letter for the carrier route type and 3 numbers for the carrier route code. For example “98001C001”.

Carrier Route Sortation
The practice of sorting mail by carrier route to qualify for reduced postage rates. The term is a general descriptor of the available rates for this type of preparation, which include Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail, automation carrier route First-Class Mail, carrier route Periodicals, and carrier route Bound Printed Matter

CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System)
A USPS approved process which improves address deliverability and standardization.

Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) Rate
A rate available for Periodicals, Standard Mail, Parcel Post, and Bound Printed Matter that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the postal facility that serves the delivery address on the mail.

Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
Postal Service manual that contains the basic standards and rates for domestic mail services.

Drop Shipment
Typically the movement of a mailer’s product on private transportation from the point of production to a postal facility closer to the destination of those pieces.

Delivery Point Barcode (DPBC)
A POSTNET barcode that represents the ZIP+4 code generally and the last two digits of the primary street address number (or post office box, etc.) and a correction digit. The DPBC allows automated sortation of mail to the carrier level in walk sequence.

Destination Entry
The process of transporting and depositing mail at the postal facilities that serve the addresses on the mailpieces in a mailing. The mailer receives additional discounts for destination entry mail. After your mail is verified and postage is paid at the facility where you hold your permit, you can take your mail to one of three places to receive a destination entry discount: a destination bulk mail center (DBMC) (or destination area distribution center [DADC] for Periodicals), a destination sectional center facility (DSCF), or a destination delivery unit (DDU). The discount you receive depends on which of these locations you choose.

ECR (Enhanced Carrier Route)
This is a subclass to standard mail. ECR has 3 rates: Basic, High Density and Walk Sequence Saturation.

Fulfillment
The actual process of stuffing envelopes, setting up a mailing list, and shipping out a mailing piece. Following up on and tracking a mailing is also part of fulfillment.

Indicia
Imprinted designations on mailpieces that indicate postage payment (e.g., metered postage or permit imprint).

Machinable
The ability of a mailpiece to be sorted by mail processing equipment. (Compare with nonmachinable.)

Merge/Purge
To combine more than one mailing list (merge), and then delete any duplicate entries (purge).

National Change of Address (NCOA)
An address correction service provided to mailers by the Postal Service through its licensees. The licensees match computerized mailing lists with change of address data, and NCOA provides current, standardized, and ZIP+4 coded addresses for all residential and business movers before the mail enters the mailstream.

Nonmachinable
Mail that cannot be sorted on mail processing equipment because of size, shape, content, or address legibility. Such mail is normally processed manually and could be subject to a surcharge.

Periodicals
A class of mail consisting of authorized magazines, newspapers, or other publications formed of printed sheets that are issued at least four times a year at regular, specific intervals from a known office of publication.

Postage Statement
Documentation provided by a mailer to the Postal Service that reports the volume of mail being presented and the postage payable or affixed, and that certifies that the mail meets the applicable eligibility and addressing standards for the rate claimed.

Presorted Mail
A form of mail preparation, required to bypass certain postal operations, in which the mailer groups pieces in a mailing by ZIP Code or by carrier route or carrier walk sequence (or other Postal Service–recommended separation).

Saturation
Refers to the level of penetration a mailing list has into each carrier route. The more deliveries on a route that are included, the better the saturation rate will be.

Seasonal Address
An address that is coded as “Seasonal” by the USPS is one where the occupant does not permanently reside. Typically these are vacation homes or addresses in areas with large increases in population during certain seasons of the year.

Sectional Center Facility (SCF)
A postal facility that serves as the processing and distribution center for post offices in a designated geographical area, defined by the first three digits of the ZIP Codes of these offices. Some SCFs serve more than one 3-digit ZIP Code range.

Simplified Addressing
An alternative addressing format used when delivery of identical mailpieces is requested to every customer on a rural route or highway contract route, or to all post office box customers at a post office without city carrier service. Instead of listing a name and address, the mailer may use “Postal Customer.” Simplified address may also be used by government agencies for official mail sent to all stops on city routes and post office boxes at post offices with city delivery service. s available for discount mail.

Standard Mail
A mailing service (class of mail) that comprises the subclasses of Regular Standard Mail, Nonprofit Standard Mail, Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail, and Nonprofit Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail. Circulars, printed matter, pamphlets, catalogs, newsletters, direct mail, and merchandise can be sent as Standard Mail.

Tray
A container used by the Postal Service and mailers to hold letters and First-Class Mail flats. It is used as a basic unit of mail quantity for purposes of preparing mail to qualify for discounted postage rates.

Walk Sequence Mail
Walk Sequenced mail is provided in the exact order in which the carrier walks or drives each route so the carrier does not need to sort the mail, which saves the USPS time and money. This savings is passed along to the mailer in the form of the lowest postal rate.

Mary McCarty
List Services Manager