Now is the time to plan ahead for your holiday season direct mail campaign.  Be ready to capitalize on the most profitable quarter of the year,  and understand that you will be competing with many different offers and advertisements during that time. Key components of a successful 4th Quarter Direct Mail program include:

1.  Planning.   Planning is key to a successful program and you will will want to allocate a portion of your co-op for Direct Mail in advance.   Here are a few of the key items and time frames:

September
     *Budget.  Allocate co-op dollars to your Direct Mail program
     *Select a Direct Mail company that is best to assist you in building the campaign
October
     *Identify your Holiday promotional offier
     *Identify the target audience around the buying radius of your stores
     *Complete initial creative of piece
November 3'd
     *Finalize Creative.   You will not know the Carrier's Holiday offer until most likely the first few days of November.  As soon as you do,  add this to the DM piece and get final approval

2.  Timing.   Plan to have your direct mail piece drop between Nov 25 - Dec 18.   Typically any advertising during the month of November prior to this date is wasted,  as most consumers are not in buying mode until