How to find the right target customers for you

Accurate targeting helps to increase your responses and lower your costs. With this in mind, it’s important to develop a detailed profile of your target customers. For example:

• Are they living in a particular geographic area?
• Are your customers predominantly female, or empty-nesters, or have above average household income? Do they share similar interests or activities?
• If you're targeting businesses, are they in a particular industry?

Successful marketing campaigns target individuals like your "best" customers and put your message right into their mailboxes. The right mailing list is key. You can:

• Use your own customer list.
• Rent a mailing list.
• Combine lists.

Use your own customer list

This is a valuable corporate asset and usually returns better results than a rented list. Plan to build an in-house list by capturing information on customers and potential customers who respond to your campaigns.

Rent a mailing list

Connect with potential customers by renting a list from Canada Post or from a list broker. Keep in mind that selecting a mailing list is one of the most important campaign choices you’ll make.

Rent from Canada Post

Acquisition Admail
From our database of more than 13 million available Canadian addresses, we’ll generate a mailing list based on your specific targeting requirements. You can even advertise to the neighbouring addresses of your best customers, while making sure that current customers aren’t part of the same campaign.

• Use Acquisition List to build a mailing list with flexibility.
• Choose Acquisition List Plus to rent more addresses and access special list and postage rates.

Rent from a list broker

More than 3,000 mailing lists are available for rent in Canada from a variety of list brokers. Before contacting a list broker, you should have a solid idea of who you would like to target. Based on the information you provide, they will likely recommend one or more lists to meet your marketing objectives.

Take time in choosing the list broker that is right for you, and make sure you read and understand any agreement before signing it. Remember that list rental agreements are generally based on one-time use.

Learn more about working with list brokers.

Combine lists

If you are renting multiple lists, you need to combine them and eliminate duplicates. Or you may want to compare your rented list with your in-house list of customers and eliminate duplicates from a mailing. As a rule, if you are unsure if it is a duplicate, keep the record from your in-house list.

Sophisticated software has been developed for this complex task. To access this matching software, consider:

• Contacting a list broker who offers these services on a fee-for-service basis.
• Obtaining a license for one of many de-duplication and merge/purge software offerings.

Keep in mind that building or making use of customer lists is subject to applicable privacy laws. Be sure to educate yourself, or obtain professional advice, before collecting information about customers. Find out what you need to know about privacy.

Smart Data Cleaner is a quick and easy-to-use online tool that lets you clean and update your customer and prospect mailing lists. Simply upload your list and we’ll run a free diagnostic and tell you the accuracy of your list – including how many bad or outdated addresses exist. Data cleaning has never been easier.

What is Addressed Admail?

To qualify as Addressed Admail, your mailing must meet the following requirements:

• Be promotional in nature.
• Contain a uniform message.
• Include a minimum of 1,000 pieces to Canadian addresses.
• Meet address accuracy requirements (when mailing over 5,000 pieces).
• Be prepared and/or presorted in a specific way.

Read on to find out more about each requirement. For more detailed information, consult the Addressed Admail Customer Guide.

Requirements and how they impact your mailing

Promote your business

Your campaign must be promotional in nature to use Addressed Admail service. This includes campaigns to:

• Promote your products and/or services.
• Solicit donations or contributions, or
• Report your organization's financial performance, primarily for promotional purposes.

Personalize your Addressed Admail pieces

Although your entire mailing must share the same specific purpose (known as having a uniform message) you can personalize the message to your individual customers and prospects. Making a personal connection with each customer can help to improve your response rate.

Learn more about uniform messages and personalization.

What to do if you want to send fewer than 1,000 pieces

• Pay the base price for the difference between the number of pieces you send and the minimum requirement (1,000 pieces). This option is referred to as phantom pricing.
• Use Lettermail™ instead. Postage is higher, but the overall campaign costs may be lower.

Read more about these pricing options

Eliminate unnecessary costs and delays—ensure your addresses are accurate

Address accuracy helps ensure your mail is deliverable within the timeframe you expect. And it stands to reason that a well-managed list, with correct addresses, will help improve response rates. Our accuracy program checks that your list of addresses is complete and accurate. For example:

• Apartment number exists for multi-unit building.
• Postal Code matches street address.

If you're mailing more than 5,000 pieces, you must validate the accuracy of your address list with approved address accuracy software.

Learn more about address accuracy requirements and how to find a supplier of address accuracy software.

What's included

Redirection - an easy way to stay connected
If we cannot deliver your mail as originally addressed because of a move, we will redirect your message to the new address for free—provided a Change of Address Notification is in effect for that address.

Assurance - track your mailing
From our Online Business Centre, you can check the processing status of your mailing. This will help you plan for responses to your campaign. Track your containers of Machineable Presort and Letter Carrier Presort mail at canadapost.ca/obc under "Advanced Tracking".

What's extra

Return to Sender - future savings
For a fee, we will return undeliverable mail to you so that you can remove old addresses from your list. You can save on future mailings by mailing to more accurate customer lists.

Address Correction Service - keeping your mailing list up-to-date
For a fee, we will return your undeliverable mail with an up-to-date address so that you can correct your mailing list. This service can only be provided when customers have filed a Change of Address Notification and provided consent for their new address to be shared.

Get creative with your mail

Scented Admail

Repositionable Notes

Remember, your goal is to get noticed, get opened, get read, and get a response. Push the envelope with formats and options designed to attract your customers' interest:

• Instead of sending business size envelopes, try sending bigger, more enticing Direct Mail packages, catalogues and product samples. You can even cut Direct Mail into an unusual shape—called die-cut—which may be more eye-catching.
• Consider other engaging elements such as sticky-notes and scented inks.

Learn more about how to create compelling Direct Mail.

Specifications (Size and Weight)

Each Short and Long (S/L), Oversize (O/S) and Dimensional (Small and Large) Addressed Admail item must meet the applicable size and weight specifications as outlined below.

Machineable Category

Short and Long (S/L)
Machineable Presort (MP) and Machineable Mail (MM)		Length	Width	Thickness	Weight
Envelopes and Self-mailers	min.	140 mm (5.6 in)	90 mm (3.6 in)	0.18 mm (0.007 in)	3 g (0.11 oz)
	max.	245 mm (9.6 in)	156 mm (6.1 in)	5 mm (0.2 in)	50 g (1.75 oz)
Cards/Postcards	min.	140 mm (5.6 in)	90 mm (3.6 in)	0.18 mm (0.007 in)	N/A
	max.	235 mm (9.2 in)	120 mm (4.7 in)	5 mm (0.2 in)	50 g (1.75 oz)
Oversize (O/S)
Machineable Mail (MM)		Length	Width	Thickness	Weight
Envelopes and Self-mailers	min.	140 mm (5.6 in)	90 mm (3.6 in)	0.5 mm (0.02 in)	10 g (0.4 oz)
	max.	380 mm (14.9 in)	270 mm (10.6 in)	20 mm (0.8 in)	500 g (17.6 oz)

Note:

1. A Short and Long (S/L) item becomes Oversize (O/S) when it exceeds any one of the maximum dimensions including length, width, thickness, or weight.
2. Machineable items must be rectangular in shape.
3. There is no O/S format available for the Machineable Presort option.
4. A self-mailer is a printed piece folded in such a way that it can be mailed without an envelope.

Non-Machineable Category

Short and Long (S/L) and Oversize (O/S)
Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) and NDG		Length	Width	Thickness	Weight
Short and Long (S/L) Up to 100 g	min.	100 mm (3.9 in)	70 mm (2.8 in)	0.18 mm (0.007 in)	N/A
	max.	245 mm (9.6 in)	156 mm (6.1 in)	5 mm (0.2 in)	100 g (3.5 oz)
Oversized (O/S) Up to 500 g	min.	100 mm (3.9 in)	70 mm (2.8 in)	0.18 mm (0.007 in)	N/A
	max.	380 mm (14.9 in)	270 mm (10.6 in)	20 mm (0.8 in)	500 g (17.6 oz)
Oversized (O/S) Over 500 g up to 750 g	min.	100 mm (3.9 in)	70 mm (2.8 in)	0.18 mm (0.007 in)	Over 500 g* (Over 17.6 oz)
	max.	380 mm (14.9 in)	270 mm (10.6 in)	35 mm (1.4 in)	750 g (26.4 oz)
Oversized (O/S) Over 750 g up to 1.36 kg	min.	100 mm (3.9 in)	70 mm (2.8 in)	0.18 mm (0.007 in)	Over 750 g (Over 26.4 oz)
	max.	380 mm (14.9 in)	270 mm (10.6 in)	35 mm (1.4 in)	1.36 kg (3 lb)
Dimensional (DAA)
Letter Carrier Presort (LCP)		Length	Width	Thickness	Weight
Dimensional - Small up to 500 g	min.	140 mm (5.6 in)	90 mm (3.6 in)	20 mm (0.8 in)	N/A
	max.	180 mm (7.1 in)	130 mm (5.1 in)	35 mm (1.4 in)	500 g (17.6 oz)
Dimensional - Large up to 500 g	min.	140 mm (5.6 in)	90 mm (3.6 in)	20 mm (0.8 in)	N/A
	max.	300 mm (11.8 in)	150 mm (5.9 in)	35 mm (1.4 in)	500 g (17.6 oz)

A Short and Long (S/L) item becomes Oversize (O/S) when it exceeds any one of the maximum dimensions including length, width, thickness and or weight.

* Oversize (O/S) items weighing less than 500 g must be entered into the Electronic Shipping Tools (EST) as 501 g and rated accordingly.

Make it easy for customers to respond

Use our Business Reply Mail™ service with your campaign. These envelopes, cards or labels allow your customers to reply to you at no expense to them.

When will your mail get there

Delivery standards are estimates of how long it will take for your mail to be delivered. Delivery standards are not guaranteed but are generally:

Local	3 business days
Within a Province	4 – 5 business days
National	4 – 13 business days

Notes about delivery standards

If you’re depositing your mailing at an RVU, access the cut-off times for each location. That way, you can calculate your anticipated delivery standards more accurately and plan your production schedules accordingly.

View RVU cut-off times.

Rates & prices

The price of your Addressed Admail mailing will depend on:

• Size and weight of your mail items.
• Mail preparation and presortation options. You save on postage when you prepare and/or sort your mail so that we can process it more efficiently.

View Addressed Admail pricing.

Other cost considerations

Save time and money when you create your Order (Statement of Mailing) using the Electronic Shipping Tools (EST).

Surcharges and price adjustments may apply if there are irregularities with your mailing.

Please note for Orders (Statement of Mailing) created manually:

• We charge a processing fee.

PLUS

• You will pay NDG prices for Machineable Presort (MP), Machineable Mail (MM) and Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) mail.
• You will pay Residue prices for Dimensional Addressed Admail.

How to pay for your mailing

You have two payment options:

• Use your account. Don't have an account? Call 1-866-757-5480 to set up an Addressed Admail account.
• Meter your mail (if it weighs less than 50 g). Find a meter supplier.

Find out more about payment terms.

How to prepare your mail

You have 4 mail preparation and presortation options available for Addressed Admail items:

Machineable Category

• Machineable Presort (MP) - Short and Long (S/L) – You combine the physical mail characteristics of Machineable Mail (MM) with the preparation and presortation requirements similar to Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) using presortation software recognized by Canada Post.
  
  Learn more about the Machineable Presort (MP) option at canadapost.ca/mp.



• Machineable Mail (MM) – Short and Long (S/L) and Oversize (O/S) – You prepare your mail items so that our machines can process them.

Non-Machineable Category

• Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) – Short and Long (S/L), Oversize (O/S) and Dimensional – You sort, bundle and place your mail in containers according to the delivery route for your items. This option requires authorized software to identify the delivery route. (Note: this is the only option for Dimensional Addressed Admail items.)



• NDG Presort – Short and Long (S/L) and Oversize (O/S) – You sort, bundle and place your mail in containers according to the delivery office for each item. You'll need to use a document called the National Presortation Schematic to help you sort your items. You can use approved software to help with this task or perform it manually. This manual option can be time-consuming.

For complete mail preparation and presortation requirements, please refer to the Mail Preparation and Presortation Guides.

The Machineable Mail Advisor (MMA) – is a self-serve online resource centre to help you design creative, machine-friendly mailings. With this new tool, you’ll be able to browse, preview and download machineable card and envelope templates, complete with built-in guidelines. The tool is also designed to help you boost the marketing appeal of your mailing through demonstrated best practices in colours, fonts and graphics placement.

We offer 3 opportunities to test that your mail pieces are machineable during the creative design/production process.

Learn more about machineable mail evaluation.

Where to drop off your mail

Deposit your mailing at a Receipt Verification Unit (RVU) or at a postal facility approved by Canada Post. Find out more about how and where to deposit your mailing.

View RVU cut-off times

Support

Need help? Contact us and we'll gladly answer your questions. Or call us at 1-866-757-5480.