U.S. Postal Service Launches 'Picture Permit' Website for Marketers

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May 30, 2012, 11:52 ET

Registration for 'Logo' Indicia Now Open to Commercial Mailers

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to customer requests, the U.S. Postal Service is announcing the launch of the Picture Permit Imprint Indicia program for commercial mailers. The Picture Permit Imprint Indicia program provides new advertising opportunities for commercial mail customers by allowing them to use corporate logos, product visuals or other brand images in the permit indicia space on their mail.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120530/DC15786)

"Dozens of our largest customers looking to increase brand awareness and increase the effectiveness of their mail have asked us to allow more creativity in the design of their permit indicia," said Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products. "Permit indicia enhanced with logos, photos or other brand images increase the visual impact of the mailpiece as well as its open rate and value."

The Picture Permit Imprint Indicia program is open to commercial mailers of presorted First-Class Mail letters and cards or Standard Mail letters. The premium for First-Class Mail letters and cards will be 1 cent per piece, and for Standard Mail letters, 2 cents per piece.

For an overview of the Picture Permit Imprint Indicia offering — including program requirements, FAQs, and an application form — visit the new website: usps.com/picturepermit. "The application is a simple four-step process," said Reblin.

The Picture Permit Imprint Indicia program launches officially June 24. According to Reblin, however, "Due to the expected popularity of the program, we are launching the website now and encouraging customers to get started. We want them to be ready to take advantage of this great marketing opportunity as soon as possible."

The Postal Service does not receive tax dollars for operating expenses; it relies entirely on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government business the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service was ranked number one in overall service performance, out of the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world, by Oxford Strategic Consulting. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

Follow USPS on Twitter @USPS_PR and at Facebook.com/usps.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service