How It Works
From booking your ad slot to thousands of Nanaimo and Vancouver Island households receiving your business card in the mail — here's exactly how Think X Design Print works, step by step.
Reserve Your Ad Slot
Choose your preferred mail-drop month and reserve one ad slot on our shared 8.5×14" double-sided glossy card. Slots are limited — each card holds only twelve businesses, one per service category. Once a category is filled, no competing businesses can participate in that run. You can book a single month or commit to the full year (7 runs) for the best rate.
Submit Your Ad Artwork
We'll send you the exact ad dimensions (4⅓" × 3⅞"), a design template, and a submission deadline approximately 14 days before your mail-drop date. Submit your print-ready artwork in PDF, AI, or high-resolution PNG format. Not a designer? Our in-house creative team — Think X Design Media — can build your ad for you. Just let us know when you book.
We Print, Prepare, and Submit to Canada Post
Once all 12 ad slots are filled and artwork is approved, we compile the card, proof it, and send it to print on premium high-gloss stock at 300 DPI. We handle the complete Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail submission: selecting carrier routes, preparing the induction paperwork, and delivering the print run to the Canada Post postal facility by the required induction deadline.
Canada Post Delivers to Real Households
Your ad lands in thousands of physical mailboxes across your chosen area within 3–5 business days of the induction date. Every eligible household on the selected carrier routes receives the card — there are no algorithms deciding who sees it, no ad blockers, and no competition from other content. A physical piece in someone's hands commands attention that no digital ad can replicate.
Track Your Results
Use the tracking method that makes sense for your business. Promo codes are the simplest — include a unique code on your ad and count redemptions. QR codes drive trackable web traffic to a page on your own site. Or simply train staff to ask every new customer how they heard about you. Most of our clients use at least two methods.
Neighbourhood Mail vs. Personalized Mail
Canada Post offers two main direct mail programs. We use Neighbourhood Mail — the unaddressed program — because it offers the best reach and value for local businesses targeting a geographic area. Here's how the two compare.
Neighbourhood Mail (What We Use)
- —No address list required — delivered to every household on selected carrier routes
- —Targets specific geographic areas by postal carrier route or Forward Sortation Area (FSA)
- —Ideal for local businesses wanting maximum area coverage
- —Lower per-piece cost — shared across all residents on the route
- —No opt-in required — every household receives the piece
- —Delivered alongside regular addressed mail
Personalized Mail
- —Requires a mailing list of named individuals with addresses
- —Each piece has a specific name and address — more personal
- —Higher per-piece cost including list acquisition or management
- —Better for existing customer retention or high-value B2B outreach
- —Delivered as first-class letter mail — arrives with bills and personal correspondence
- —Allows personalised content (name, custom offer)
Bottom line: If you don't have a mailing list and want to reach every household in a Nanaimo neighbourhood, Neighbourhood Mail is the right tool. If you're re-engaging existing customers or running high-value personalised campaigns, Personalized Mail is worth considering.
How We Target Your Nanaimo Neighbourhood
Canada Post organises delivery geography by Forward Sortation Areas (FSAs) — the first three characters of a Canadian postal code — and by individual carrier routes, the physical walking paths that letter carriers follow daily.
Nanaimo's FSAs include V9R (central and south Nanaimo), V9S (north and east Nanaimo), V9T (Hammond Bay, north end), and V9X (Chase River, Extension). Within each FSA, there are dozens of individual carrier routes, each covering approximately 300–500 residential addresses.
For each run, we select the carrier routes that maximise your reach within the target area and household profile. Unlike Facebook's probabilistic geographic targeting, carrier route targeting is definitive — a household is either on a selected route or it isn't. If you want to reach Hammond Bay and north Nanaimo but not downtown, we select exactly those routes.
Serving businesses based outside Nanaimo? We coordinate coast-to-coast Canada Post runs. Contact us at creative@thinkxdesign.com to discuss targeting your region.
What "Managed Service" Means
Canada Post handles the physical delivery. We handle everything else. Here's what's included in your $400 ad slot — no hidden fees, no extra coordination required on your end.
Campaign Coordination
We manage the booking calendar, slot availability, and ensure no two competing businesses appear on the same card. You never need to deal with the complexity of coordinating a shared print run.
Print Production
We produce the 8.5×14" double-sided glossy card at professional print quality (300 DPI, full colour, high-gloss stock). You provide artwork, and we compile the full card.
Canada Post Submission
We handle all the paperwork, carrier route selection, and physical induction of the print run into the Canada Post postal facility. You never interact with Canada Post directly.
Design Support
If you need your ad designed, our creative team — Think X Design Media — can create it. Ask about design services when you book your slot.
Tracking Setup Guidance
We help you choose a tracking method — promo codes or QR codes pointing to your own landing pages — before your campaign launches. We don't build your landing pages, but we'll print the QR code or URL you provide on your ad so every response is attributable from day one.
The Card at a Glance
| Card Size | 8.5" × 14" (legal-format) |
| Print Quality | High-gloss, 300 DPI, full colour both sides |
| Ad Slots | 12 total — 6 per side |
| Ad Dimensions | 4⅓" wide × 3⅞" high each |
| Exclusivity | One business per service category per card |
| Reach | Up to 10,000 households per run |
| Delivery Method | Canada Post Neighbourhood Mail |
| Lead Time | Artwork due ~14 days before drop date |
| Delivery Window | 3–5 business days post-induction |
| Frequency | Monthly runs; book one or all seven |
| Price | $400/run · book one run or all seven |
| Taxes | GST 5% + BC PST 7% added at checkout |
From Booking to Mailbox
How to Track What It Generates
Direct mail is more measurable than most people think. Here are the four methods our clients use — most combine at least two.
Promo Code
Include a unique code on your ad (e.g. NANAIMO15 for 15% off). Every customer who mentions or redeems the code is directly attributable to the mail campaign. No technology required — works in-store, by phone, or online.
QR Code & URL
We print a campaign-specific QR code (or short URL) on your ad that points to a page on your own website — ideally a dedicated campaign page rather than your homepage. Every scan is logged. Use UTM parameters in the URL to track it cleanly in Google Analytics 4. You provide the destination page; we handle including the QR code on your ad.
Ask Every New Customer
Train front-line staff to ask: 'How did you hear about us?' It sounds simple, but it's reliable — and you'll be surprised how often customers say 'I got a flyer.' Physical mail creates memorable, durable impressions that customers can describe specifically.
Want to dig deeper into tracking methods? Read our full guide to tracking direct mail ROI →
Ready to Get Started?
Slots fill up fast — we only sell 12 per run and enforce strict category exclusivity. Reserve your spot before your category closes for the next run.