For business owners, marketers, and agencies looking to send bulk direct mail in New Zealand, it's helpful to know what the requirements are and where the discounts begin. As the cost to reach your audience through the mail box increases, the likelihood of grabbing your ideal customers attention also grows. That's because we know that mailboxes across the country are less cluttered. Many days they are void of any competition for eyeballs whatsoever!
So where do the discounts on bulk mail start and how can you take advantage of them?
Discounted NZ Post bulk mail starts at a price point of just $0.55 per item! Considering the full rate to send a letter in New Zealand has just increased to $2, this is massive if you can take advantage of it. Read on to learn exactly how to qualify for this discount and how you might take full advantage.
How to qualify for NZ Post bulk mail discounts?
To qualify for the bulk mail discount, you will first need to have at least 300 recipients on your mailing list. If your final send list is less than that, you will be looking at sending your mailing at full rate.
With the minimum volume met, you will need to ensure proper preparation of, and planning for a successful send.
What are the rules for bulk mailing services and sending bulk mail in New Zealand?
Below is a list of requirements that must be met to send bulk mail in NZ and qualify for the discounted rates. The short answer is to work with bulk mailing companies (like Mailshop) who will complete this process for you, however it is still useful for all direct mail marketing senders to be aware of:
If you don't already have one, your chosen mailing house can utilise their account on your behalf.
This number grants you the ability to pay by invoice instead of prepay, and is mandatory for bulk mail. If you're using the Business Account number of your mailing house, their permit post number will be used.
It is not advisable to attempt setting up your mailing independently. With NZ Post's specific processing and sorting requirements in mind, Mailshop recommends choosing a reliable direct mail partner to ensure compliance and avoid incurring penalties for non-compliant pieces.
Your direct mail partner will assist you with this decision. It's crucial to consider the service well in advance of designing your mailing piece, as each option has specific criteria regarding weight, layout, and thickness. NZ Post's website outlines each of these.
It is vital to cross-reference your addresses with NZ Post's Address File (PAF). Higher accuracy not only ensures successful mail delivery but also qualifies your mailing for a discount. The greater the address accuracy, the higher the discount, as precise addresses allow for more efficient processing. To qualify for bulk mail pricing, a minimum of 80% address accuracy is required. Your direct mail partner will begin by cleansing your data and sending you a data report with the address accuracy percentage (AAP).
Pay attention to both the placement on the envelope and the structure of the address itself. This is particularly important if you're working with a print partner that doesn't specialise in direct mail. We've witnessed numerous instances where clients were charged higher postage rates due to incorrect address layouts. At Mailshop, we handle printing in-house to guarantee no issues, and we recommend this approach whenever feasible. If offset printing is necessary, the printer should be provided with NZ Post's address and envelope layout standards to ensure compliance.
As your address data is processed, your mailing partner will organise the data in a manner that facilitates NZ Post's sorting and processing procedures. Consequently, your mailing must be printed in the same order as the processed data. Every piece is meticulously organised from print to mail, ensuring compliance with the requirements for bulk mailing discounts.
The last step is to lodge the mailing with NZ Post using the online lodgment manager, which your mail house will take care of.
Which bulk mailing service is the cheapest?
The cheapest bulk mail service with NZ Post is the Adcard. Adcard is best explained as a postcard, providing design flexibility at a low postage and production cost. With postage starting at just $0.55 per piece for the medium size, up to a maximum of $1.73 for the large size.
- Medium Adcard specs: Minimum 88mm (h) x 138mm (w); Maximum 130mm (h) x 240mm (w). Weight minimum 3g; maximum 25g. Thickness minimum 0.3mm, maximum 1mm.
- Large Adcard specs: Minimum 130mm (h) x 185mm (w); Maximum 165mm (h) x 240mm (w). Weight minimum 3g; maximum 25g. Thickness minimum 0.3mm, maximum 1mm.
Due to restrictions on thickness and weight, it is important to choose the correct paper stock and weight to avoid your mailing piece being over or under the threshold.
To utilise the Adcard service, all of the bulk mail requirements mentioned above need to be satisfied. Your maiiling must be processed by a mailhouse who is required to keep the mailing in postie delivery run sequence (at least 85%).
Adcard has one other unique requirement. A code (prepared and supplied by your mail house) will be printed in the address section of each piece. So don't be alarmed when you see something like the below:
Source: NZ Post
Tips for leveraging AdCard in your next direct mail campaign:
While the address layout standards must be carefully followed, there is room to get creative with AdCard. Here are some ideas to leverage this media:
- Don't be square! Add some flair to your Adcard by considering it's shape and using diecutting.
- Great design and exquisite use of colour. Don't be bound by CMYK. Utilise gold, silver, white or clear inks to grab attention and get that brand message right.
- One. Clear. Message. Let the message be crystal clear and ensure your adcard is 100% designed for one message or call to action. Whether it be a coupon code, QR code, or an important message. Make it clear and concise.
- Omnichannel. Adcard is the perfect mechanism for delivering your message in the right way, at the right time, for the right person. We love seeing direct mail used as part of a well planned nurture flow. Perhaps you're encouraging a disengaged email list to update their details or come back into store. Go beyond digital and reach them where they are... at home!
There is a lot than can be done with this bulk mail service in order to maximise ROI. At Mailshop, we have an experienced Senior Account Manager that will work with you and NZ Post to get your campaign right.
We hope this has been an informative insight into where the discounts on bulk mail in NZ start. If you're looking for further inspiration to apply to your next direct mail campaign be sure to check out these clever direct mail marketing examples.