The supposed “death of print media” has been touted for quite a while now.   The rise of the Internet (and the advanced advertising options associated with it) over the past decade has caused advertisers to move en masse, shifting their marketing dollars away from traditional print advertising.  This has led many print publications to scale back their offerings significantly and, in some cases, even close up shop altogether.

In an effort to try and gain back some ground, the US Postal Service is offering to refund up to $250,000 in postage costs for a select group of “large advertisers” participating in a pilot program. Each participant is expected to send between 500,000 and 1 million pieces of First Class or Standard mail, each being tracked under a set of metrics defined by USPS.  If the campaigns fail to reach the desired goals, refunds will be issued for the postage costs only (not printing and production costs).

With any brand, when it comes to marketing, it all comes down to selecting the right mix to reach your target audience.  There is no magic bullet.  Whether it’s TV, radio, search, banner ads or print, proper research should be done prior to selecting the vehicle (or vehicles) to get your message across to your customers.