Newsletter Autumn 2017 PR

The Strategic Mailing PartnershipTM

Mailtogether
THE MAILMAKERS

In this issue Autumn 2017

Contents

ECONOMIC UPDATE 2-3

Advertising mail trends, the economic
cycle, uncertainty and structural change

everything from the lowdown on JIC JIC 4-5
and the GDP correlation with mail
volumes to our favourite subject, Docket developments and how mail
digital mail and a more in depth look competes with digital giants
at YOUR SMP’s strategic framework
outturns. Board Update 6

All the best, Meet Grant Johnson, the Commercial
and Operations Director for St Ives
Judith Donovan CBE Management Services

Hello everyone! P.S. Do hope you’re checking the Royal Mail News 7
SMP website regularly… all the 7
Hope you had a decent summer? A latest updates and advice from A reminder of the address
dim distant memory now isn’t it! And, Royal Mail are on there if you mail incentives
as always in mail, the autumn is doing missed any of them in our e-shots?
its usual hotting up… and your board thestrategicmailingpartnership.co.uk MarketReach
tell me it isn’t looking at all shabby!
P.P.S. Below see the detail in how Digital mail is back in the mix
So hopefully this newsletter will add we met our targets in the first two
value to your thriving businesses: framework areas. History of 8
the envelope

Special feature from Brett Hopper,
Chairman of EMSA

OUR 2017 S T R A T E G I C F R A M E W O R K

STRATEGY ACTIVITY MEASURE ACTUAL NET PROGRESS/EVIDENCE

MANUFACTURE 1 SMP to be consulted and x6 x8 +2 The Lettershop Group assisted Royal Mail by carrying out a series of machine tests, leading to
add value to Royal Mail changes to the Unwrapped product specification. The board provided feedback on the plans for
development and creation Virtual Tagging for LL. Programmatic; Mailshot maker, MarketReach Transactional mail trial;
Business Mail incentive proposal, JIC representation, consultation on Retail unsorted specs.

2 SMP brief Royal Mail x2 x8 +6 Royal Mail have attended meetings held at GI, DST, Hallmark, OTM, The Lettershop
on their own products Group, Communisis. SMP March meeting held at Metromail. Simon Barker of Royal
Mail Operations visited GI Solutions.

MECHANICS 3 SMP help to create/ x2 x5 +3 Contribution to changes to the Unwrapped spec; Provided feedback on Group IFG, Catalogue
modify incentives based x8 x12 +4 Product Trial extension, Breakout session held at recent SMP Technical Summit to gain insight
on products specs and feedback on current incentives. A new application process was produced as a result of
this. Contributed to one pager from MarketReach.
4 Royal Mail ops work Tray hygiene trial/container equipment review and changes to SOPs; RM operations visit to GI;
with SMP to resolve industry tray forum; tray audit; forecasting by MM emanifest; KNP process and poster roll out;
pipeline issues Mailmark reporting sub-group, Large letter Working Group, RSCs not to be used for DSA, auto cut
off extension for MM e-manifest, MM unmanifested issues; Missort Group. Kaizen attendance.

5 Royal Mail engineering to x2 x2 0 Tony King from RM engineering attendance at July 16 meeting.
learn from SMP on new Board members participated in new Engineering tests.
product development

6 SMP offer benchmarking x2 x3 +1 The Lettershop Group invited Royal Mail Wholesale to test unwrapped items to
to Royal Mail on ops, validate new specification; Royal Mail cost benchmarking (Sunline).
design and engineering Operations visit to GI 01/06/2017.

The Strategic Mailing Partnership is supported by 1.

SOTERIOS REPORT
The Strategic Mailing PartnershipTM

Advertising mail trends, the economic cycle,
uncertainty and structural change

By Soterios Soteri, Finance Director of Commercial Letters & Economics, Royal Mail

TOTAL ADVERTISING EXPENDITURE AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND PROSPECTS FOR
Economic activity and total advertising spend are highly but INDUSTRY AD SPEND
not perfectly, correlated. Unfortunately prospects for both
are weakening. There is a high degree of uncertainty associated with economic
IN THE NEWS: FT BIG READ MEDIA, 26/08/17 prospects for this year, considerably more so for 2018.
Consumer goods groups are cutting costs in the face of:
• Growing scepticism on the value of digital marketing campaigns The range of forecasts for 2017 GDP growth has narrowed
• Proctor & Gamble trim $100m and nothing changed. Looking since April. Unfortunately the mid-point of this range has
also drifted downwards as economic conditions have become
to trim over one-quarter of marketing budget over next 5 years more challenging.
• Slowing sales growth
• WPP reported slowdown in global ad spending and forecasts Anecdotal evidence suggests advertising confidence is
waning and weaker economic conditions suggest advertising
growth of 0 to 1% conditions are likely to soften further.
Shares in advertising and media companies tumbled.

TOTAL ADVERTISING SPEND IS HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH GDP

BUSINESS UNCERTAINTY AND CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR For example, while the rate of volume decline is somewhat
lower than last year customers are more actively reducing per
Sentiment matters and impacts business behaviour. In the latter item costs.
part of 2016 economic activity started to slow down and business
uncertainty increase. However, following the Brexit vote, while % OF CFOs WHO RATE THE LEVEL OF FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY
GDP growth held up reasonably well (at least until very recently), FACING THEIR BUSINESS AS ABOVE NORMAL, HIGH OR VERY HIGH
business uncertainty increased substantially and has remained
elevated.

High levels of business uncertainty led many organisations to
adopt a more defensive financial position with respect to cost
reduction and raising cash reserves.

This, in turn, led to significant declines in advertising mail spend
in FY16/17 as customers switched from retail mail products
to lower price access services and redirected budgets to lower
cost media.

Preliminary evidence suggests that conditions in mail advertising
are not continuing to deteriorate at the same rate, but at the same
time conditions remain highly challenging.

2. SMP Newsletter Autumn 17

SOTERIOS REPORT

EXPENDITURE ON DM DURING PERIODS OF AS ECONOMY RECOVERED THE
STARTED TO FALL BEHIND RECESSION AND LOW GDP DM WEDGE WIDENED AND
TOTAL AD SPEND IN EARLY PEAKED IN 16/17. EXPECTED
GROWTH THEY MOVED TO NARROW THIS YEAR
2000s TOGETHER

THE CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF THE DM ADVERTISING WEDGE IS MOVING BROADLY "WE ARE
IN LINE WITH THE % OF TOTAL SPEND GOING TO DIGITAL MEDIA CONTINUING
TO INVEST IN
DEVELOPING

INDUSTRY
SKILLS"

WHAT NEXT AND HOW ARE WE RESPONDING? ever, demonstrating to advertisers the overall value they receive
in sending mail beyond just response. It will also provide
Royal Mail is actively supporting advertising mail through a range competitive analysis tools similar to those available through
of business initiatives by: other channel JIC’s. Your help in ensuring the correct data is
recorded in advertisers e-manifests is critical to the success of
• Incentivising customers to increase their mailings (IFG, SFG) this programme.

• Encouraging existing customers to test and innovate in new Furthermore, we are also piloting a programme through Media
areas that they have not tried before (TIS) or by encouraging Agencies to sell direct mail alongside other media as part of an
first time users to assess the value of direct mail (FTU) holistic client offering. This forms part of a series of initiatives
Royal Mail are undertaking to support mail & door drop channels.
• Making it easier for smaller and medium sized customers to Other example activities include:
use the medium (MME)
Working with 3rd Party platform owners & CRM software
• Selling under used local area door to door capacity at a lower suppliers, enabling customers to create and send mail within
price (Remnant pricing) these platforms. For example, we will be progressing our work
on Programmatic Mail to create new mail volume resulting
We are working with industry stakeholders such as the SMP and from consumers’ online behaviour and we are working with the
DSA operators to maximise the effectiveness of these schemes, largest CRM software suppliers to ensure customers can plan and
as well as working with our intermediary customers, to help us implement mail through their tool.
improve our offers, our products and our incentives to maximise
exposure and uptake and help support the wider industry. We are also continuing to invest in developing industry skills:
Building on IDM Award in direct mail which we launched last
In addition, Royal Mail have launched a GDPR steering group to year, (over 700 participants to date) we have built a training
work with stakeholders across the mailing industry to minimise portal for university business lecturers as a means of increasing
risks to our business and provide information for you to share the volume and quality of content taught on direct mail at
with customers. This is one of our top priorities for the remainder business schools. We have also built a series of individual training
of this financial year and Sue Whalley is championing this work modules on direct mail which we will be launching through the
strand with Jonathan Harman leading the steering group activities DMA later this year and delivering direct to clients through our
media specialist team.
In January we will be fully launching JIC Mail (Joint Industry
Committee (JIC). This will provide reach, frequency and
circulation data on direct mail and door drops for the first time

3.

JIC
The Strategic Mailing PartnershipTM

JIC Creating growth for all involved in
mail using measurement to make
more money

MIKE COLLING Negotiations to include the new audience research
alongside TV, press, poster and radio data provided
Written by industry expert, Mike Colling to clients and media agencies have commenced. This
of JICMail and CEO and Founder of means that mail audience data should appear on the
MC&C, here he discusses circulation, software platforms that other channels use by early
audience data and client investment 2018. For the first time, mail will take its rightful
place alongside the media channels that compete for
What do mail, Facebook and Google all have in client investment.
common?
Wednesday, 25th October, will see JICMail share the
It’s not often that Mail is mentioned in the same initial findings from the full audience research panel.
sentence as the two digital giants that now account With more than five months’ readership data the
for 85 in every 100 new pounds spent on digital technical team will be able to tell media researchers,
advertising. And our common connection is not clients, agencies, and you the mailing houses:
a positive one. Facebook, Google and mail are the
only major media channels in the UK not to have • How many people read a piece of mail in addition
independent, audited and regular audience research. to the addressee

If you have been following the client debate on • How many times each piece of mail is read
accountability and transparency in the marketing
press you will have realised the scale of concern, • Whether the young or the old read more mail
and the threats to budgets over this issue. But the
good news is that for once Mail is ahead of our • Whether consumers read their financial services
digital rivals, and we will beat them to launching mailings or catalogues more often
the audience research that clients value from other
media channels. • Whether size matters!

On Tuesday, 5th September, JICMail was formally Support and benefit from this investment
born. Royal Mail, Whistl, the IPA, ISBA and the DMA
approved the formation and funding of a new Joint This is a multi-million pound investment from Royal
Industry Committee. This will oversee and manage Mail, Whistl and the other founder members. The
the delivery of a weekly readership and circulation objective is that everyone in the mail value chain
data set for advertising mail. Three months’ should benefit from the new insights into how mail is
readership data has now been collected by the global used and read in the home, and from the confidence
market research firm TNS. Royal Mail, Whistl and that this new transparency brings to our medium. All
UK Mail have all started a consultation process with of us can support this new initiative by:
clients to collect and publish circulation data.
• Understanding the new data and tools that will
become available

• Taking the marketing messages from the JICMail
technical team and sharing them with clients

• Ensuring that the circulation data being collected via
the new Royal Mail process (see Rob Wainwright’s
note) is as accurate and complete as possible.

It’s not often we can show Facebook and Google a
clean pair of heels. Let’s make the most of our lead
while we have it!

4. SMP Newsletter Autumn 17

JIC

The success of JICMail is dependent on To the mail order form in Dockethub under the
the mailing industry working together, ‘mailing ref’ field; and/or
says Rob Wainwright, Head of Sectors
Direct and Development for Royal Mail • For Mailmark postings, to the eManifest under the
Wholesale. Here is his JICMail update: ‘batch reference’ field; and

Customers using advertising mail may already use • To the correlating seed or sample item that is sent
systems which allow them to compare their channel to us, in the top line of the address field
spend comparative to others. The JIC committee,
including the SMP, have developed a technical The mailing reference can be a combination of
solution which will make these figures far more numbers and letters of no more than 20 characters
accurate for customers. long. It simply needs to be unique for each posting
and match the advertising mail seed or sample sent
We are asking that customers provide an extra to Royal Mail. Providing this will allow us to match
piece of information during their Docket uploads or posting data volumes to associated seeds.
e-manifest submissions. You, as Mailing Agents, will
play a key role in implementing this change to ensure If your advertising customer does not wish us to
the JIC builds a robust set of data for customers to share their data with the JIC, you may opt them
subsequently benefit from. out by:

We need each advertising mail posting to include a • In Dockethub, denoting the words “OUT” in the
unique mailing reference code: “mailing ref” field; and/or

• In the eManifest, denote “1” in spare field 1 (we
shall rename this JIC Opt Out)

If your customer does not opt out, we will use their
data for the JIC.

JIC Mailing reference mailing house process map

PROCESS 1 - Customer has provided a mailing reference | Opted in

Check reference is Input customer posting data in Ensure the mailing
no more than 20 the same way as you do now but reference is included on
characters include the mailing reference the ad mail seed

If it is contact For dockethub For e-manifest The mailing reference need
customer to resolve use or the use the ‘batch only appear on the seed item.
‘mailing ref’ field. reference’ field. Position top line of address

PROCESS 2 - Customer has provided instructions to opt out | Opted out

Input OUT in the Denote “1” in
dockethub ‘mailing spare filed one
ref’ field
OR

DOCKETHUB E-MANIFEST

OPT'D IN - Customer does not have a mailing reference or opt out instructions | Opted in

Contact customer If happy to opt in, generate a Follow process 1
explain opted in mailing reference on their behalf
to JIC and offer to If ‘in’ process 1
generate a mailing If unsure, use the client JIC If ‘out’ process 2
reference on their collateral
behalf Follow process 2
If they want to opt out, you cannot
influence participation

For further information or assistance, please contact:
[email protected]

5.

BOARD MEMBER PROFILE MEET YOUR BOARD
The STthraeteSgtriactMegaiciliMngaPilianrgtnPearsrthnieprTMshipTM

BUSINESS St Ives has an impressive client list and continues to expand
globally, what are your ambitions for its future on a personal
MPREOMFBIELRE and business level?

GRANT JOHNSON I’d like to see St Ives continue to offer first class service to our
clients. I think we’re at a great point in the business where we can
Grant Johnson is the Commercial and Operations invest and add value to our operations and expand our services
Director for the marketing services group, St Ives that we offer exploiting our extensive operations and marketing-
Management Services, who related expertise. On a personal level, I’d like to continue to help
has a passion for creating best the business grow domestically and support our aspirations on a
customer value for his clients. more global scale.
We caught up with the SMP
Board Member to talk about So, we’ve heard about your professional career, but outside of
his career highlights, New work – could you tell us something about yourself that people
Zealand upbringing and his might not know?
ambitions and expectations
for the future of direct mail. There’s definitely one particular thing that sticks out in my mind.
The London New Zealand Rugby Club was invited to perform the
Hi Grant. Can you tell us a little bit about your day-to-day Haka in London’s Covent Garden in front of some unsuspecting
responsibilities with St Ives? passers-by before the New Zealand versus England World Cup
semi-final game back in 1995. For anyone who might not know,
As St Ives’ Commercial and Operations Director, I’m responsible the Haka is a traditional Maori war dance and it’s something that
for providing excellent service for our clients and ensuring the New Zealand rugby team is quite famous for. The whole event
operations run smoothly. My background in process improvement was filmed for TV and I was even interviewed by the reporter so it
means that I am always working on ways to improve our external was a memorable night all-round. It was definitely an interesting,
service offering and internally, make ourselves more effective and and very proud, way to prepare to watch a rugby match!
efficient. I think it’s really important to put clients at the forefront
of everything that we do and I try to utilise my specialities from That’s quite a highlight! Touching back to the professional side
my finance background to enhance the value of our services we of things and your involvement with the SMP, why did you want
offer at St Ives for our customers. to become a member of the SMP and also join its Board?

You’ve touched upon your financial services experience – what Royal Mail is one of our biggest clients at St Ives and having
did that entail in your previous roles and your career history to found out about Royal Mail being the sponsor of the SMP and
date? what it represents and stands for, I felt it was important that
our company had a voice on the panel. I was very impressed
I initially trained as an accountant back in my home country of with the collaborative approach all board members demonstrate
New Zealand. In my career, I’ve worked for a number of Bluechip and simply wanted to get involved. Our business, which is more
companies, mainly in their financial services departments or orientated towards print management rather than manufacturing,
in business management. I also worked for a small process could offer perhaps a wider view, something a little different
improvement specialist ProcessFix Limited where I offered to the other members of the board. I try to offer an analytical
training and consultancy on process improvement tools such as and holistic view of the market which I hope adds value to SMP
Lean and Six Sigma. So now, I have a real interest using data conversations and decisions.
analysis to provide insights into a business which I use on a day-
to-day basis with St Ives. I was also a Client Services Manager And what challenges and opportunities do you envisage for the
with the BPO company Liberata UK and a Business Manager SMP?
with BT Broadcast Services. I joined St Ives eight years ago and
worked across all aspects of the SIMS business as Commercial I believe the GDPR is seen as a threat to the industry, however,
Controller before putting my relevant skills and experience into after several presentations and debates on this subject I see it can
the role of Commercial and Operations Director. present a lot of opportunities and the industry should embrace
these changes and use it to strengthen the way the industry
operates. And, from this, I think there will be a challenge around
how to approach and use direct mail effectively too. At the SMP
it’s our job to show how direct mail can be a powerful tool in
helping marketing executives see that, when used properly, direct
mail can have a significant impact upon how people perceive their
products and services. There are too few, well thought-out and
well-crafted direct mail campaigns out there at the moment and
people can often miss out on what can be an incredibly effective
tool of communication. There will always be conversations around
direct mail, its sustainability and how it can compete against
digital offerings, but there is certainly a place for it if executed
correctly and professionally. Well-crafted direct mail can really
set the tone for a successful marketing campaign and it should
never be overlooked.

6. SMP Newsletter Autumn 17

ROYAL MAIL NEWS & MARKETREACH

ROYALNEWS FROM MAIL

ADDRESSED MAIL INCENTIVES

Here’s a reminder of the current Royal Mail Group incentives.

GFTU AD MAIL GTIS

• Open to customers who have not used advertising mail • 15% postage credit retail advertising mail/ 2.5p -
for 24 months 10.5p postage credit on wholesale advertising mail test
during six-month test period
• 15% postage credit on all retail mail/ 2.5p - 9p on
wholesale made after 30th June 17 • approval via the application form, T&C’s apply

• Discount applied to three mailings over 12 month period • 10k to 1m items

BUS MAIL GTIS GSFG

• 30% credit on retail business mail/ 6.5p - 23p credit • 15% postage credit on all incremental retail mail/ 2.5p -
on wholesale business mail tests during six- month test 10p postage credit on all incremental wholesale mail
period; Approval via the application form, T&C’s apply
• Over 12 month period, baseline T&C’s apply
• 10% credit on retail business mail/ 2.2p - 7.7p credit on • Minimum threshold of 250k items
wholesale mail during roll out

• 10k to 10m items; Mailmark is a condition of use for
business mail

News from MarketReach

Direct mail is back in the mix: consumers consider mail believable as
digital channels face ‘trust fatigue’

In May this year Royal Mail MarketReach Our research also revealed that 87% of stronger business outcomes and build trust
undertook a number of initiatives to consumers consider mail communications in their brands.
explore the reassurance and credibility to be ‘believable’, while only 48% feel the
delivered by various marketing channels – same way about email. Mail is also seen Our full MarketReach research report -
key components in measuring trust. as more likely to grab the attention of the 'The Value of Mail in Uncertain Times'
recipient and be perceived as more secure - is now available to download for free at
As we examined the data, we found and important. mailmen.co.uk/trust-mail.
that mail scores very highly in the key
components of trust – better yet, the The increase in trust in mail may also be
medium itself can impact positively on the driver behind an increase in claimed
the perceived trustworthiness of the behaviours in response to mail. For
communication itself. example, in the year between 2015 and
2016, the proportion of the total sample
In fact, positive scores for mail are claiming to have bought something as
increasing. 70% of respondents said that a result of receiving mail in the past 12
mail makes them feel more valued (up months has risen from 26.7% to 36.1%.
from 57% in 2013) – and 70% said that
mail gives those who receive it a better The findings strongly indicate that mail
impression of the organisation (up from can work alongside traditional broadcast
55% in 2013). channels and digital media to deliver

7.

THE HISTORY OF THE ENVELOPE
The Strategic Mailing PartnershipTM

THE ENVELOPE
Delivery history and ever-evolving

Brett Hopper, a Director with bespoke commercial organisations but were not popular A history of the envelope
envelope manufacturer Opal with Royal Mail. This was because the public
Envelopes and Chairman of EMSA often used staples and clear tape to seal them In 1840 the Post Office reforms proposed
(The Envelopes Manufacturers and as well as the gum strips which would often jam by Rowland Hill were implemented, with a
Suppliers Association), looks into their automatic sorting machines. simplified system based on weight rather
how the envelope has evolved and than the number of sheets that dramatically
highlights just how much this incredible From the year 2000 to the current day this reduced prices.
commodity continues to be the force it period has seen the advent of envelopes made
is today. in different materials and higher grammages, As a result, demand for cheap, mass-produced
using more colours and different finishes – a envelopes grew rapidly, with the number of
In the 1980s, which was that sentimental time requirement of the direct mail industry to be letters being posted surging from 26m a year
before the internet and emails changed our life more innovative in attracting more customers. to 347m by 1850, with circa 300m of those
forever, most envelopes were manufactured to go in envelopes.
into stock at one of the big wholesalers such as With more business being carried out online,
Spicers, John Heath or Neville and Gladstone. companies saw opportunities to use mail In 1844, London stationer George Wilson
These would then be supplied unprinted, or packs sent out in very imaginatively designed was granted a patent for his envelope design
would be over-printed, usually with fairly basic envelopes to encourage customers to visit their that involved tessellating envelope blanks
details such as postage paid impressions, return websites. They found they received a better to reduce paper waste. The following year
addresses, logos, and messages. response over a solitary email campaign as more Edwin Hill (Rowland Hill’s brother) and paper
emails were not being read because inboxes maker Warren de la Rue (the son of De La Rue
The very large transactional mail volumes were being swamped and there was a worry founder Thomas de la Rue) filed a patent for
required by banks and building societies, mail of getting a computer virus. Clever companies a machine that not only cut envelope blanks,
order companies, utilities, and credit card were doing a direct mail shot, together with but also folded them into shape. Prior to this,
companies, would usually be supplied by one an email shot, to make sure they got their envelopes had been folded by hand using a tin
of the large manufacturers, and would be flexo- message across. Banks, credit card companies, template. In one hour the new machine could
printed online as they were manufactured. communication companies and utilities are still produce 2,700 envelopes. It was exhibited at
Envelope manufacturing in those days was using transactional mail in large volumes for The Great Exhibition of 1851 at Crystal Palace
dominated by John Dickinson’s, Spicers, Wiggins sending out bills and statements because they in London.
Teape and Chapman’s, supported by many other get a better response from customers who still
smaller companies. prefer paper billing to online. Sources PrintWeek/Adventures in Stationery by
James Ward/De La Rue
Many millions of envelopes were also used by We have also seen the rise of print management
the charity sector which, as well as buying direct companies who were set-up to encourage
mail envelopes for advertising, also used many companies to buy all their print and envelope
millions of envelopes for fundraising. Charities business from them with a view to saving money.
such as Christian Aid, NSPCC, RNIB and many There are a number of companies in this industry
others ordered small pocket envelopes that now such as Williams Lea, RR Donnelly and
were used to put money in for house-to-house Communisis as well as smaller firms.
collections. Back in the day, envelopes were used
by almost every company for all communications The envelope industry itself has responded
and a variety of other aspects. to the many changes over the years. The big
names from the 1980s have been replaced by
The 1990s saw emails start to eat into the manufacturing companies such as Heritage
envelope market. Direct marketeers responded Envelopes, Eagle Envelopes, Bong, Surrey
with individuality by using more colour and Envelopes, Encore Envelopes, Opal Envelopes,
coated papers to make mail packs stand out. Mail Solutions, GNE and The Envelope Works.
The envelope is the first thing that the recipient Most of these companies are members of EMSA
sees when they receive it, and bright colour and who are active in talking to organisations in our
design encourages them to open the envelope to industry and have regular meetings with Royal
see what contents are enclosed inside. Mail and DSA companies to help us move
forward. As part of the global organisation the
Charities started changing from buying house-to- EMA (Envelope Manufacturers Association) and
house collection envelopes to bangtail envelopes the GEA (Global Envelope Alliance), we are also
with long flaps and tear-off strips, so bank or able to play a part in developments worldwide.
credit card details could be written on, rather
than filling them with cash. These manufacturers will supply the trade, which
They continued to use envelopes for most of their is made up of envelope over-printers, envelope
advertising, making use of the wider variety now stockists, print management companies and
on offer. printers, paper merchants, stationery and
Electoral Registration departments in councils packaging companies as well as many of the
used one-piece mailers, as well as envelopes, large end users.
which encouraged the public to give information
when they were updating the electoral roll The industry is more diverse than it has ever
each year. These were also adopted by some been and, in spite of many challenges over the
years, is still in robust health.

8. SMP Newsletter Autumn 17