My last post mentioned some direct mail marketing techniques that attract and hold a prospect’s attention and get the individual involved in the message. Today, without getting too technical, I’ll focus on one specific involvement device, the Repositionable Post-it Note or RPN.

The RPN looks like a standard Post-it Note you find on your desk, but in this case it’s attached to the outside of the mail piece.

Your first thought might be, “What does the Post Office think of RPNs on the mail?” The Post Office approves. In fact, in February 2008, the 3-inch-by-3-inch RPN was given a permanent classification for use on First-Class, Periodicals, and Standard Mail categories. (Standard Mail is the classification where most advertising mail falls.)

The USPS spent three years testing the devices in cooperation with 35 U.S. companies. The results showed RPNs run through the sorting machines without gumming up the works, which is an important point for the Post Office. But from a marketing perspective, the tests concluded the little colored forms were easy to use and actually improved response rates as much as 45 percent. Some companies that ran independent tests reported even higher response rates.

Apparently, the idea for a Post-it on the outer cover came from a business owner in 1999, but he wanted postal carriers to stick them on by hand. The Post Office said the idea must use an automated system. Research began. 3M perfected rolls of Post-it Notes that worked in machines developed by other companies.

The rolls run through labeling machines that can print the address, bar code, indicia or whatever is necessary on the carrier and print the message on the RPN all in one pass. Technology allows personalization on RPNs for even greater eye-catching appeal.

Why use Repositionable Post-it Notes? Just  like any other sticky note, people move them, save them, refer to them. They’re handy. They tell a prospect about sale dates, phone numbers, website addresses. Anything a business might want a consumer to know or remember. And, don’t overlook the attention-getting part.

If you decide to use them for a project, keep the message simple and easy to read, and give the consumer information worth saving. Gather all the specs and prices before you begin.

In my next post, I’ll show you a mail promotion with a Repositionable Post-it Note. The mailer uses a number of involvement devices, which makes it a good example to examine.

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If you’re interested in the Postal Service’s RPN criteria, look here.