1. Stamps & Philately An overview of 10 years Youth Philately experience in Belgium Post

2. Context  Decreasing interest in stamp collecting amongst youngsters  Youngsters write less and less cards and letters  Collecting in general is not decreasing, but stamp collecting in particular decreases  young people come hardly into contact with stamps

3. Vision on youth philately Mission Statement To promote the pleasure of ‘stamp collecting’ with young kids, more particularly at the ages 7 thru 12, in order to preserve the future of the hobby of Philately. Reason why The belief that the group of 8 to 12 yr old presents an option for the future because a juvenile ‘passion’ is often found again in later adult life.

4. Main strategies 1.Development of youth club Stampilou with specific product offer 2.Create positive experiences amongst youth that make them want to start/continue writing or collecting stamps 1. Big collector actions based on popular stamp themes 2. Contest for designing official stamps 3.School program: didactic brochures 4.Define best practices within philatelic clubs

5. Stampilou Product Offer Special youth subscription, started in 2000 Product offer: Before 2008From 2008 onwards - Starterskit (club guide, magnifier, pincet, …) - Selection of stamp issues, incl protection sheets - 9 club magazines - 3 Stam & Pilou comics: optional - Price: 14/22€ (depending on comics) - Starterskit (club guide, magnifier, pincet, …) - All stamp issues, partly cancelled, no protection sheets - 3 club magazines - 3 Stam & Pilou comics: included - Information cards for every issue - Price: 24,99€

6. Stampilou Product Offer 2008 All stamp issues Starterskit Information cards per issue 3 Club Magazines3 Comics

7. On top of that every new member will get a starters' kit to begin his collecting activities right away: Magnifying glass, tweezers, stamp album, club brochure,collector cards,, FDS and FDC with explanation card, etc.

8. Stampilou main recruitment actions Advertising via magazine Philanews Member gets member Direct mailings:  Based on demand of information via questionnaires (Selectpost)  Families with kids  Addresses collected via big collector actions (see later) Saint Nicholas action Leaflet actions in Post Offices Website Recruitment via sales fairs

9. Stampilou … the figures  Number of collectors is decreasing  2008: start big collection actions, with no direct effect on subscriptions  results on subscriptions from collection action in Q1 2009  Revenue increase thanks to new formula  Challenge future: increase profitability  Decrease costs  Increase n° of subscriptions

10. Main strategies 1.Development of youth club Stampilou with specific product offer 2.Create positive experiences amongst youth that will make them want to start/continue writing or collecting stamps 1. Big collector actions based on popular stamp themes 2. Contest for designing official stamps 3.School program: didactic brochures 4.Define best practices within philatelic clubs

11. Smurfs (Schtroumpf) action Goals:  Create positive collecting experiences, esp with youth  Get prospects for subscriptions  Promote writing/promote stamp sales

12. Smurfs action – overview Smurfcard (saving card) on which one had to stick 1, 4, 7 or 10 used stamps of the Smurfs. Chance to win a prize to start from 1 stamp, in combination with garanteed prizes from 4, 7, 10 stamps.  Garanteed prizes :  4 stamps : Smurfs writing set  7 stamps : Smurfs writing set, comic book of Stam & Pilou  10 stamps : Smurfs writing set, comic book of Stam & Pilou, comic book of Smurfs Timing: from 29/09/2008 till 15/12/2008. Objectif :  10.500 Smurfcards  84 subscr. Stampilou + 53 full subscr.

13. Smurfs action - visuals Collection part Promote writing part

14. Combination of push and pull is key Push stamp sales in distribution :  internal communication to push Smurf stamp * best week: 58% of all self-adhesive booklets = Smurfs * from 12 November focus on X-mas stamp  strong support of POS material Spreading of Smurf cards / huge communication :  about 5 mio smurfs cards via :  National door-to-door (4,5 mio)  Philanews (120.000 €)  Stampilou-members (4.000 € x 30 = 120.000 €)  Post Offices / PostPoints (300.000 €)  Fair : Boekenbeurs and Luxphila  e-mailing e-shop customers Campaign in media :  Postemagazine  Averbode: Zonneland, Zonnekind,..  Karrewiet (Ketnet) TV

15. Smurfs actions: results > 55.000 cards returned  85% collected 4 stamps or more  Unique addresses: 23.500 (Sometimes >1 participant)  Participants younger than 14 y: 19.441  Adult participants:11.039 (Parents & Kids) Status subscriptions:  151 Stampilou Subscriptions  24 adult subscriptions  Follow up still to be done + strong increase subscriptions via Internet to be checked Impact on stamp sales difficult to measure, but > 80.000 € Positive impact on image stamp collecting

16. Critical success factors 1)Combination push & pull  Saving cards via retail network were most important source  Push via retail, PostPoints, stamp shops, …  Put KPI on % of theme stamp vs other stamps 2)“hype” around theme  Smurfs = OK. Delhaize supermarkets did a big campaign before ours started. 3)Planning of the capacity is crucial  Data entry  Sending of prizes 4) Follow up on addresses very important

17. Our next action: Suske & Wiske / Bob et Bobette  First 3D-movie on 21 July 2009  Savings action from April 6 till August 31,2009

18. Suske and Wiske savings card

19. New: back of the stamp booklet refers to website collection contest

20. Main strategies 1.Development of youth club Stampilou with specific product offer 2.Create positive experiences amongst youth that make them want to start/continue writing or collecting stamps 1. Big collector actions based on popular stamp themes 2. Contest for designing official stamps 3.School program: didactic brochures 4.Define best practices within philatelic clubs

21. School contest: Design an official stamp! Primary goals  Increase awareness/interest for special stamps amongst kids  Get stamps into school program (see later)  Create buzz around stamps Secondary goals  Increase awareness/penetration Stampilou & Mystamp  Presence of kids at Antverpia 2010

22. School contest: Design an official stamp!  Target group: primary schools  Winning stamps are included in 2010 program, with issue on Antverpia 2010  5 visuals = 5 winners  Theme = kids and nature  In line with school program 2010 Timing:  Teaser : June 2009  Launch : September 2009  Results : January 2010  Stamp issue : April 2010 Communication:  Direct Mailings to:  Schools  Stampilou Members  Respondents Smurf and Suske and Wiske action  Inserts in professional teacher magazines

23. School contest: Design an official stamp!  Prizes: individual and collective  Individual winners:  “Own stamp design”  Free subscription Stampilou  Winning classes (= schoolclasses of individual winners):  School trip to Mechelen printing + Zoo  To be checked : voucher for free energy  Important to have attractive prizes in order to get push effect via schools  All participants  Can make their stamp design via Mystamp  Selection/jury: combination of professional jury and public  Voting site  create buzz

24. Main strategies 1.Development of youth club Stampilou with specific product offer 2.Create positive experiences amongst youth that make them want to start/continue writing or collecting stamps 1. Big collector actions based on popular stamp themes 2. Contest for designing official stamps 3.School program: didactic brochures 4.Define best practices within philatelic clubs

25. Didactic brochures  Objectives:  Stimulate and facilitate writing by offering didactic tools  Promote usage of stamps as didactic tool  How:  1 didactic brochure per age level  Content adapted to school program  Timing: september 2009  Communication:  DM towards schools  Via internet

26. Main strategies 1.Development of youth club Stampilou with specific product offer 2.Create positive experiences amongst youth that make them want to start/continue writing or collecting stamps 1. Big collector actions based on popular stamp themes 2. Contest for designing official stamps 3.School program: didactic brochures 4.Define best practices within philatelic clubs

27. Define best practices within philately clubs  Context:  Philately clubs have difficulties in attracting new members  Local initiatives are taken, but there is no national view, no communication of learnings  Objectives:  Optimize efforts philately clubs to attract youth  Increase their efficiency  How:  Collect information from local initiatives  lead by Pro-Post (Belgian Association for Development of Philately)  Organize work meetings with regional responsibles through Pro-Post

28. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!!