U.S. Postal Service Incents Consumer Packaged Goods Industry

WASHINGTON — If they try it, they’ll buy it. That’s the message the U.S. Postal Service is sending to consumer packaged goods companies and other marketers with its Product Samples mail promotion.

Designed to re-invigorate product sampling through the mail, the Product Samples promotion — running Aug.1 – Sept. 30, 2013 — gives marketers a 5-percent upfront postage discount on qualified mailings of product samples. Qualified samples must be trial-sized.

Registration for the Product Samples mail promotion is now open.

“Product sampling has a long, successful track record of building brand awareness and product demand, especially if the consumer receives the sample where the product will be used,” said Gary Reblin, vice president, New Products and Innovation. “Oftentimes, this is the home, and the best way to get product samples into the home is through the U.S. Mail.”

Product sampling is ideal for marketers of consumable goods such as snack foods, toiletries, laundry products — anything that is consumed and needs regular replacement.

The Product Samples promotion also is designed to raise awareness of the Postal Service’s new Simple Samples pricing in Standard Mail. Simple Samples offers flat-rate pricing, volume discounts, less stringent mail-preparation requirements and eliminates the need for outer packaging. Customers can use a mailing list or send samples to every house on a route.

“Simple Samples offers value to consumer packaged goods companies targeting prospective customers with trial-sized product samples,” said Reblin. “Just like the consumers who try their products, consumer packaged goods companies will love Simples Samples once they’ve tried it.”

For more information about the Product Samples promotion and other current mail promotions, visit https://www.usps.com/business/promotions-and-incentives.htm.