Stop glue under pressure

Direct marketing The stop sticker against unwanted advertising is no longer what it used to be. Its importance is being actively undermined and consumers are helping to undermine it.
stop stickers against unsolicited advertising mail, does not use
any form of unaddressed mail, this now consists of brochures,
catalogs, product samples, appeals for donations or free newspapers. So
In any case, the Foundation for Consumer Protection (SKS) informs all
those who order a stop sticker. The
SKS is also making consumers aware of this: official publications and
Political advertising is generally calculated gross, i.e. also in
letterboxes with stop stickers. This is the case in some cantons
prescribed.

For years, Swiss Post and private distribution organizations have been
largely adheres to this interpretation of the stop glue - although the
SKS does not have a written agreement on this. As a rule
They therefore offer their direct marketing customers the so-called net spread
that brochures should only be placed in letterboxes without stop stickers.
will.

Recently, however, this consensus has been crumbling. Swiss Post, the private
Distribution companies and the free newspaper publishers interpret the
stop sticker, extend its scope of application or attempt to extend its validity.
to stop the spread. SKS and consumers are helping to some extent.
A few examples: On March 8, the post office in Basel wrote 10000
mailbox owners with stop stickers and offered them the free
"gentle" removal of the decals in return for a small gift. On
March 24 will be followed by a second mailing to 60,000 households in the
Northwestern Switzerland. If the campaign is successful and sustainable, we are considering
Swiss Post is launching a nationwide campaign. The fact that the test was launched in Basel
is no coincidence: At the Rhine bend, the density of stop-stickers is
highest in Switzerland.

Many consumers also relativize the braking power of the advertising topper,
by explicitly requesting the regional free newspaper, even then,
if a stop sticker is stuck to their letterbox. Some publishers
therefore distribute additional colored dots to stick on. With success, as
The example of northwestern Switzerland shows: Of the 16,3878 letterboxes that the
distribution organization Distriba with the free Baslerstab newspaper,
more than half are provided with a stop sticker. 48400 from
but they also have a green dot with the inscription
"Basel staff welcome".

The AWZ Bern and Espace Media have interpreted the
Groupe (EM), publisher of the free newspaper Berner Bär, the
stop adhesive for years: EM basically allows gross
distribute, the AWZ carries it out. Whoever complains receives a black
point on the letterbox and is no longer served. The post office
undermines the consumer protection symbol. In 2003, it became the product
Promopost, which adheres to the SKS rules, quietly created a new
product free newspapers with gross delivery. "As the
The content of the free newspapers is of great interest to residents
delivery to all letterboxes and mailboxes is not possible.
possible," argues Swiss Post in a paper for clients.

The SKS indirectly supported this argument by proposing a new
Kleber launched "Please no free newspaper". He thereby admitted,
that the stop adhesive is no longer clearly visible without a second adhesive.
can be interpreted - which can only be conducive to further erosion.
is. Furthermore, the SKS was recently involved in negotiations with Swiss Post and
distribution companies agree that in future appeals for donations from
Zewo-certified aid organizations may be distributed gross.

Around four years ago, Swiss Post made a further attempt to
stop stickers - with the "PromoPost selective" offer
partially addressed". Several envelopes are addressed with "To
all gardening friends of the house at Blumenstrasse 24 ...", which
readily accepted the post office as "addressed" and was
Blumenstrasse 24 to all letterboxes. At the time, the
SKS its symbol better: He intervened with Federal Councillor Moritz
Leuenberger. Since then, Swiss Post has also respected the stop sticker for
partially addressed advertising.

Tangible interests against further stop adhesives
In Switzerland, an average of 40 percent of
mailbox owners by means of a stop sticker from their
right to refuse acceptance. The canton reaches the peak value
Basel-Stadt with a density of 61 percent. This is steadily increasing:
According to Swiss Post, the proportion of stop-stickers grew across Switzerland from
Fall 2004 to fall 2005 by 4.2 percent or 77,000 units.

Swiss Post, which uses a special service for the transportation of unaddressed advertising mail
market share of 50 percent is directly affected by this. 2004
it still transported 1.25 billion unaddressed letters, one percent
less than in the previous year (sales: CHF 120 million). With a
reduction in stop stickers by only one percent, Swiss Post already expects
with two million francs in additional sales per year. Hence the replacement campaign
in Basel, and also the new gross distribution of free newspapers.
The latter is already profitable: in 2004, the
The only area in which Swiss Post's Mail business unit recorded more orders (plus
11.3 percent). This growth "was primarily due to the introduction of the
product free newspapers," it says in the
Financial Report 2004.

Markus Knöpfli