Reduce the Cost of Yard Sign Mailings

Innovation is one of our four EPIC core values (Expertise, Partnerships, Innovation, Courageous) so we continually challenge ourselves to create innovative solutions for our clients’ needs.

Colleges often give out yard signs to committed incoming students and love giving our yard signs for two key reasons:

1. Yard signs let students and parents showcase their pride in the college decision.  
2. The sign is a billboard in the yard, building awareness which becomes an endorsement for the college.  

However, the distribution of the signs is challenging. Either admissions counselors are driving around dropping off individual yard signs, or they need to be mailed. Mailing is less time consuming but due to the size of the mailer, the postage can be more than four times the price of the sign. 

So we took on the challenge of figuring out how to reduce the cost of mailing yard signs and needed to take an innovative approach to solving this challenge. After collaborating with production, the result is our exclusive 15” x 20” yard sign mailer. Here are four key innovations we made:

1. We decreased the size of the sign from the standard 16”x24” yard sign to avoid the USPS oversize surcharge. 
2. Traditional yard sign frames also fall into the USPS oversize surcharge. We rethought the frame, which now features two metal stakes that fit within each side of the sign.   
3. Plastic ends were added to each end of the stakes to prevent them from poking through the mailer. 
4. To reduce fulfillment costs and boost efficiency, production automated the mailer bag stuffing and sealing process.    

The result is a mailer that offers a high quality, two-sided printed sign that is big enough to share the college celebration messaging yet small enough to work with USPS standards. Most importantly, it is priced right to fit the need.   

This solution came through our commitment to finding innovative solutions. We will always continue to explore new products that will help our clients solve their marketing needs.  

Bonus Pro-tip: Use evergreen artwork for the signs. Don’t make them year-specific so they can be used in future campaigns.