In response to Ernie who states that his letter carrier says that using Consumers Choice will have no impact on print quantities -Your postal worker must not know that the “Householder Counts” and “Consumer Choice” counts are posted on the Canada Post website. I’m not sure how often CP updates these numbers but every time one of us opts out, the database is decremented. Advertisers use the Consumer Choice numbers when they print – at least any company I have worked for uses the Consumer Choice numbers when we order print quantities. Let’s say informed, responsible, advertisers use the Consumer Choice numbers. This is another positive impact of this campaign — to get the word out to advertisers to use Consumer Choice counts. I have already had to correct a number of “professional” direct marketers about the availability of Consumers Choice.Yes, it will take time to get the database updated. Yes, there are still some wrinkles in CP’s execution and implementation.Yes, some people are threatened by change.But with climate change at our doorstep we must start speaking out that we cannot tolerate wasteful business practices…!! Every one of us must look at our personal footprint and the footprint of our businesses and start changing.Today the Red Dot Story is being presented at a National Flyer Symposium, by Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director of Markets Initiative http://www.marketsinitiative.org/ The Retail Council of Canada and many of Canada’s flyer dependent retailers, distributors and suppliers will be in attendance. It is our hope that our story:
- sends a signal to advertisers that there is a segment of the population that are actively discussing the environmental footprint of print advertising
- will also influence community newspapers to be more responsible with their overages
- remind them all to be mindful of the carbon footprint of their advertising·
- remind them to use forest-friendly paper sources
- request that they transition to subscription-based models and e-flyers.
Over time a bigger picture will unfold if we keep requesting change.It will NOT happen over night. But we can’t wait until the roofs start blowing off our houses to demand change. Keep the faith that our collective voices can make small changes over time -!
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Working at Canada Post I know that it is archaic in it’s updating of householder counts. I think it must go through all of it’s 5000 executive management before it gets done, if at all. The last time I have actually seen them update the counts was several years ago.
The lettercarrier should know however that if a person puts up a sign saying no flyers then the following day that person should not be receiving any. Our counts are rarely updated, however we throw the surplus householders into a cage that is then shipped out, shredded and recycled.
Alot of people are under the impression that we deliver all the flyers they receive. This is far from the truth. Local newspapers are in the business bigtime. I have actually had to pull out all the flyers they put in a mailbox in order to deliver actual mail.