DM sector slams 'arrogant' RM over Mark Design Spec Change

[TrueBlueTerrier]

DM sector slams 'arrogant' Royal Mail over Mark Design Specification change

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Royal Mail has been slammed for its decision to alter the Mark Design Specification (MDS) by introducing a Delivered by Royal Mail mark to all machineable UK post.

Mailing houses have accused the postal operator of trying to "hijack" advertising space on the front of envelopes and one-piece mailers to promote its own business.

Equally controversial is the fact the mark will be applied to all letter format items that pass through Royal Mail's automated sorting machines, including mail that has originated from downstream access (DSA) providers.

A formal complaint was lodged with Postcomm by the DMA yesterday after Royal Mail gave the industry just two months' notice of the specification change.

Alex Walsh, head of postal affairs at the DMA, said: "The timescale is a nonsense. People have designs, they have campaigns planned, direct mail doesn't happen overnight.

"What are businesses supposed to do with things like stocks of pre-printed envelopes - junk them? Or just accept that there's going to be a Royal Mail mark overprinted on their logo, which will look a right mess? I would say the absolute minimum is that you ought to be giving people six months' notice."

While other elements of the MDS are based on operational requirements, the purpose of the new mark is purely to advertise Royal Mail's role in final mile delivery.

"There is a big difference between putting a mark on which means letters are processed and delivered more efficiently and sticking your own promotional messages on - it does seem to be overstepping the mark," said Walsh.

"If they are changing the specification and changing the terms under which they are going to supply these products, we believe that that is a breach of their licence if they haven't actually gone to the regulator and sought permission."

A Royal Mail spokesman dismissed the criticism, saying "current legislation does not require us to consult on this"; however, mailing houses said this was typical of Royal Mail's "arrogant" approach.

The spokesman added: "The space we have designated for the mark is the least likely to be used for return addresses or any other form of artwork. We will be notifying customers to make them aware of the mark we will be printing so that they can avoid printing messages in the same area if necessary."

Walsh said: "This seems to be saying: we have the right to do whatever we want with this envelope. I think many people would see that that is theirs and not Royal Mail's to do whatever they want with."

[MrPPatt]

Well as he works for DM, I couldn't give a toss what the sleezbag says, tbh.

If DM don't like it they can kiss my toosh. I would gladly give up the pathetic £10 a week to not deliver DM. It creates many problems and is almost universally unwanted. A waste of the worlds resources and my time and effort.

Patt ;]

[demon]

well done royal mail you got balls at last

[Hugger]

I think you miss the point here. DM doesnt just mean your unadressed "junk mail", Its addressed mail to existing customers. Such as when you get a letter from your bank offering you a new savings deal, thats classed as DM. If customers are made to bin thousands of pre printed envelopes then in fact they might decide to scale back the volumes they post and RM get less revenue and thus will keep the propaganda of falling volumes.

RM should be doing all they can to encourage posters not forcing them them to write off thousands of envelopes.

[fishtank]

I think you miss the point here. DM doesnt just mean your unadressed "junk mail", Its addressed mail to existing customers. Such as when you get a letter from your bank offering you a new savings deal, thats classed as DM. If customers are made to bin thousands of pre printed envelopes then in fact they might decide to scale back the volumes they post and RM get less revenue and thus will keep the propaganda of falling volumes.

RM should be doing all they can to encourage posters not forcing them them to write off thousands of envelopes.

I would doubt very much that this is a major issue.
1. Very few companies these days carry more than two months stock...they don't have the storage capacity.
2. Very few marketing campaigns print two months in advance...the advertising game is too fluid for this.
3. This change will only affect material that has printing on the specific area RM plan to print their message...most don't.
The term mountains out of molehills springs to mind.

[Hugger]

Very true but why rush this through? If RM gave, say 3-6 months notice it would be even less of a story than it already is? All it is, is bad PR. No operational gain is made by printing the logo.

[Stormproof]

Very true but why rush this through? If RM gave, say 3-6 months notice it would be even less of a story than it already is? All it is, is bad PR. No operational gain is made by printing the logo.

Its not being rushed through it should've been done years ago when the leeches started using our service.

[Hugger]

Again I have no problem with us doing it and yes it should have been done years ago. As they have waited 6+ years to do it why not avoid these sort of articles by giving a few months notice though?

[Straight4ward]

Purely out of curiosity, Hugger, how much stock of pre-printed envelopes do you carry for your clients?

Will it involve ditching large amounts as the article suggests?

[fishtank]

It seems by reading most of the feedback from the DM "community" the biggest issue they seem to have with this is that they somehow see RM as hijacking their "outer" as they call it(envelope to the rest of us) and using it as a free advertising space.
The strange thing is they have no problem with the likes of TNT,DHL and UK Mail doing exactly the same thing when arguably they have even less contact with the product than we do.

[slave]

No operational gain is made by printing the logo.

No, but then it's RM promoting themselves and letting people know who has performed the donkey work.


Throwing toys out of pram springs to mind! Big deal, a logo, hardly the end of the world..

Well done RM, taken long enough to do it but finally some sense and promoting yourself!

[adrianjames]

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