Mailing
From simple mailshots to complex variable data campaigns, our 100% owned and ISO 27001 certified mailing house means we’re able to give you a complete and comprehensive end-to-end print and mailing service.
Your Complete Print and Mailing Solution
Direct mail can do wonders for any business – building brand awareness, generating leads, and engaging new customers in a way digital channels often can’t. Research shows that while digital messages can overwhelm and be ignored, the novelty of physical mail means it is more likely to be welcomed and read.
At Bishops Printers, we make it easier to harness the power of direct mail through our seamless print and mailing service, all under one roof. Brochure mailing, catalogue mailing, sales promotions and campaigns; machine folding and enclosing; tabbing, binding and bespoke hand fulfilment, we can produce everything you need in-house for a cost-efficient, stress-free, on time service.
With The Mailing People, our fully owned, ISO 27001 certified mailing house, we offer a comprehensive service that covers everything from basic mailshots to sophisticated, data-driven, and personalised campaigns with multiple product inserts. We bring precision, professionalism, and peace of mind to every detail of your mailing strategy.
Sustainable Print & Mailing
The Mailing People’s digital print room is powered by almost 100 rooftop solar panels, generating up to 80% of energy requirements on sunny days. They’ve also invested in Konica Minolta AccurioPress C12000e digital presses, certified to EPEAT® Gold and Energy Star standards for energy efficiency and environmental performance.
Sustainability extends beyond the equipment. FSC® certified paper stocks, print-on-demand production and free data audits help reduce waste by ensuring only the right quantities are printed and mailed to valid recipients.
Combined with comprehensive recycling programmes and ongoing investment in more efficient technology, we help customers reduce the environmental impact of their print and mailing campaigns.
What are the advantages of choosing Bishops Printers for your print and direct mail?
1. Free Delivery to Our Mailing House
We cover delivery costs from our factory to The Mailing People, instantly saving you money while keeping your campaign and scheduling entirely under our care.
2. Complete Peace of Mind with Data Security
Our mailing house undergoes rigorous assessments to maintain ISO 27001 certification, so you can be confident that all data handling, processing, and mailing operations meet the highest standards of security.
3. Significant Savings on Postage
By partnering with UK Mail, Whistl, The Delivery Group, One Post, and Royal Mail, we’re able to tailor our postage solutions to fit your budget and access every available discount (including Mailsort and Mailmark) to keep your mailing costs as low as possible.
4. Expert, Friendly Advice
Whether you’re new to direct mail or considering a provider change, our team is here to make the process simple and cost-effective. We’re ready to guide you every step of the way.
5. Complete End-to-End Service
From print and personalisation to data cleansing, polywrapping, fulfillment, and postage, we handle every detail. We even include a complimentary data health check, ensuring your data is up-to-date and your mailing is effective.
Postage Saving Tips
Postage can be expensive in a mailing campaign. A few simple decisions around format, weight and specification can make a significant difference to the overall cost of distribution.
Consider an A5 Format
For many mailing campaigns, reducing the finished size to A5 or below can unlock lower postage rates. Small format mailings are often easier to handle, more cost-effective to distribute and can deliver significant savings on larger campaigns.
Keep Weight Below 100g
A few extra pages or a heavier paper stock can push a mailing into a higher postage band. Keeping the finished item below 100g can help reduce postage costs without compromising the effectiveness of your communication.
Watch the Thickness
Mail pieces that exceed 5mm in thickness can become more expensive to post. Careful specification of paper stocks, page counts and inserts can help keep your mailing within the most cost-effective postal categories.
Think About Postage Early
The most cost-effective mailing campaigns are planned with postage in mind from the start. Small changes to format, pagination or paper choice can often save thousands of pounds on large volume mailings.
Ask for Advice
Our mailing specialists can help identify opportunities to reduce postage costs while maintaining the impact of your campaign. We’ll work with you to find the most cost-effective format before production begins.
Accurate Data Will Save You Money
Make sure your postcodes are accurate and address information correctly formatted to avoid missing out on Mailmark® postage discounts. Royal Mail requires that at least 90% of your data matches their Postcode Address File (PAF).
Client Reviews
Amazing, thank you so so much for all your help, you have been brilliant getting everything sorted for us so quickly. Really appreciate it.
Tamarin A. Purple Sector Ltd
This job what what I felt would cause a headache, but the customer has called and said everyone is over the moon with it. Great quality, Great finish. Really pleased.
Chris P. Print Broker
Service so far from yourself has been great; good comms, which is so often overlooked, but so valuable to a client!
Nick H. Print Professional
I am SO happy thank you so so so much for pulling all the strings to make this happen. I am so grateful and so appreciative.
Rebecca D. Dolphin Solutions
The brochures looked great! And I would have no hesitation in placing these with you again, should these come up for future reprints.
Nick H. Print Professional
Here’s Why Direct Mail Works:
1. Higher Open Rates
More than 92% of addressed mail is opened, giving you a much better chance of being seen compared to email and social adverts.
2. Lasting Impact
Direct mail is 49% more memorable than email, meaning your brand sticks with customers long after they recieve it.
3. Increased Engagement
Studies show that people are 33% more engaged when reading direct mail than digital content, making them more receptive to your message.
4. Boosts Digital Campaigns
Direct mail primes your audience for digital interactions. In fact, if someone has received mail from you, they’ll likely spend 30% longer on your social media ads.
5. No Digital Barriers
With no spam filters to worry about and no need for prior consent, direct mail ensures that your message reaches its target every time.
Print, Personalisation and Postage. All Under One Roof.
Managing multiple suppliers can add cost, complexity and unnecessary delays to a mailing campaign.
By bringing print production, personalisation, fulfilment and postage together under one roof, Bishops and The Mailing People provide a simpler, more efficient way to manage your direct mail.
Whether you’re mailing hundreds or hundreds of thousands of items, our team can help you maximise response rates, control costs and deliver your campaign with confidence.
Get in touch today to discuss your next mailing project.
Environmentally Sensitive Printing
FSC® Certified Paper
We use FSC®certified paper and hold FSC Chain of Custody certification FSC-C141091.
Solar Powered
We've installed 1,500 solar panels on our 85,000 sq ft roof for sustainable energy and another 100 at our mailing house.
Everything Recycled
We recycle all our waste: aluminium plates, metal ink tins, plastic ink cartridges, the ink itself, cardboard and plastic wrapping.
Mailing FAQs
What is direct mail and how does it work?
Direct mail is a marketing tactic where printed materials such as letters, postcards and brochures are sent directly to a named individual or household through the post.
It can be used for a wide range of campaigns, from simple mailshots and partially addressed mail to complex variable data campaigns for more targeted, personalised communications.
Typically, the process will involve a mailing house who will prepare your data (which can include data cleansing or screening), print your materials, enclose or wrapping them, secure postage discounts and distribute them through the postal network.
What is the lead time for direct mail fulfilment?
From receipt of supplied printed materials and data, a mailing project will typically take around 3-4 days to produce and despatch.
What types of mailing campaigns can you support?
Through our fully owned mailing house, The Mailing People, we can support everything from straightforward mailshots to more complex, data-driven campaigns.
This includes brochures, catalogues, postcards and multi-piece mailings, as well as campaigns that require personalisation or multiple inserts. Whether you’re sending a one-off campaign or running regular mailings, we can tailor the process to suit your requirements.
Can you handle both printing and mailing together?
Yes. We provide a fully integrated print and mailing service covering litho and digital printing, so everything is managed in one place.
Your printed materials move directly from production into fulfilment, which helps reduce delays, avoid unnecessary handling and keeps your campaign running smoothly from start to finish.
Who are The Mailing People?
The Mailing People are UK mailing and fulfilment specialists owned by Bishops Printers.
They provide comprehensive mailing services including data cleansing, personalised printing, envelope enclosing, wrapping and postage discounts. Because they work closely with Bishops Printers, your project benefits from a joined-up approach where print and mailing are carefully coordinated and managed by a single account manager.
Can you personalise direct mail campaigns?
Yes. We can produce personalised mail using variable data printing, allowing each item to be tailored to the recipient.
This could include names, addresses, images and customised messaging, to make your campaign more relevant to its audience and increase the likelihood of engagement.
How do you ensure data security when handling mailing lists?
Data security is a key part of any mailing campaign. The Mailing People holds ISO 27001 certification, which means data is handled, processed and stored in line with strict security protocols, which are independently audited.
This gives you confidence that your data is being managed responsibly throughout the mailing process.
Can you help reduce postage costs?
Yes. Postage is often one of the biggest costs in a mailing campaign, so we work to find the most efficient option for your budget.
We can access a range of postal services and discounts, and advise on factors such as format, weight and sorting to help keep costs under control without affecting delivery deadlines.
What fulfilment services do you offer?
We can take care of all the practical elements needed to prepare your mailing.
This includes:
- Envelope enclosing, poly wrapping and paper wrapping
- Folding and inserting multiple items, including up to 3 personalised items
- Sealing and tabbing (clear, frosted, coloured, circular or square tabs)
- Bespoke hand fulfilment
By handling everything in one place, we can maintain quality and keep turnaround times reliable.
Is direct mail still effective compared to digital marketing?
Yes. Direct mail continues to be an effective way to reach and engage audiences, particularly because it offers a more tangible and less crowded experience than digital channels.
Because you don’t need prior consent to send someone something in the post it gets around digital opt-outs to deliver your message directly into the home or workplace. It also enjoys open rates in excess of 90%. Because of this, it is highly effective when used alongside digital marketing to reinforce messaging, improve brand recall and encourage further interaction online.
What if my mailing data isn’t accurate?
If your data isn’t up to date, it can affect both the cost and effectiveness of your mailing campaign. Sending items to incorrect addresses, duplicates or people who no longer want to be contacted can lead to wasted print, higher postage costs and lower response rates.
To help with this, The Mailing People, offer a data audit service that reviews the quality of your mailing list before anything is printed or sent.
This process can identify common issues such as outdated records, incomplete addresses, duplicates or contacts that should no longer be mailed. By resolving these problems early, you can improve delivery rates, reduce unnecessary spend and get better overall results from your campaign.
If you’re unsure about the quality of your data, just let us know — we can arrange a data audit and talk you through the findings before you go ahead with your mailing.
Can you help design direct mail campaigns?
Yes. If you need support with the creative side of your campaign, we can introduce you to our wholly owned agency, The Graphic Design House.
They work with organisations to develop campaigns, branding and printed materials that are designed to engage audiences and communicate clearly. This can be particularly valuable for direct mail, where layout, messaging and format all play a role in how effective the campaign is.
Because they work closely with both print and mailing teams, your campaign can be developed with the full process in mind from the outset.
Why choose Bishops Printers for print and mailing?
Managing print and mailing separately requires you to set up and manage multiple suppliers and can add complexity, delays and additional cost. By keeping everything under Bishops Printers’ roof, you benefit from a more streamlined approach.
With Bishops Printers handling production and The Mailing People managing fulfilment and postage, your campaign is coordinated from start to finish by your Bishops account manager. This joined-up process helps improve efficiency, maintain quality and gives you greater confidence that your mailing will be delivered as planned.
