The Overlooked Print Decisions Holding Back Your Campaigns

Marketers focus on creative. Logistics quietly shape outcomes.

Most marketing teams focus on the message, the design, and the offer – the elements of a direct mail campaign that everyone sees. But even the most compelling campaign can fall apart when backend logistics are not optimized.

What happens after creative handoff quietly determines whether campaigns stay on track. Routing, processing, and mail stream entry decisions shape how a campaign moves from concept to the mailbox. When this layer is not planned strategically, missed in-home windows, budget overages, and unpredictable outcomes often follow.

The challenge is that direct mail logistics are almost invisible. These processes happen behind the scenes, often outside the marketing team’s view. Yet, their impact is significant and can make or break a campaign.

The invisible layer of routing, presort, and entry logistics

When a mailpiece is designed and ready to print, a quiet layer of production decisions – that marketers never see – begins working in the background. 

• Routing: This is how mail gets grouped and assigned to printers. It takes into account where pieces are going, how many there are, and what service level is needed. A smart routing plan sets the entire production process up for success.
• Presort: Before anything prints, mail needs to be sorted to meet USPS requirements. Digital presort ensures each piece is prepared the right way, grouped for efficiency, and eligible for postal processing without delays.
• Entry logistics: This is the final step before mail hits the USPS network. It determines where and how mail enters the system and helps smooth out delivery timelines across different regions.
  
  

All of this happens between the moment creative is submitted for print and the time when a customer opens their mailbox. And, it has just as much impact as creative, messaging, and targeting. Without effective printing and delivery logistics, a campaign can’t land with the right person at the right time.

Where campaigns get held back

Logistics issues usually stay hidden until it’s too late, when delivery becomes unpredictable or campaign performance starts to slip.

A few common problems cause this:

1. Ad hoc routing slows production and makes in-home planning difficult. 
2. Manual or missed presort increases rework and compliance risk. 
3. Late entry decisions create uneven delivery across markets.

These breakdowns are easy to miss in the moment. But over time, they introduce delays and instability that marketers rarely see coming.

Postal IQ brings intelligence and stability

Postal IQ is Lob’s routing intelligence, which brings structure and predictability to the backend layer of direct mail. It manages the production process with precision, using data to make smart decisions long before a campaign reaches the mailbox.

By the time mail is out the door, the heavy lifting has already been done. Marketing teams don’t need to step in to manage backend production directly – or worry about issues that might be occurring downstream. Postal IQ takes care of the complexity and makes sure everything runs the way it should. The result is a more stable, more reliable direct mail program built to support marketing goals from behind the scenes.

Smarter backend decisions strengthen every campaign

Backend production choices are too important to leave to chance. When routing, presort, and entry logistics are handled with intent, campaigns move through production with fewer surprises and more control.

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See how Lob keeps production predictable and campaigns on schedule. Book a demo today.