Micro Mailing Canada
Dimensional Personalized Mail for Product Samples and Promotional Items
Dimensional Personalized Mail (formerly Dimensional Admail) is Canada Post's direct mail format for sending product samples, promotional videos, branded objects and other bulky or oddly shaped items on a targeted, addressed basis. It exists for one reason: some marketing messages cannot be reduced to words and pictures on a flat page, and need a recipient to touch, smell, taste, see or hear something instead. Because each piece is addressed and personalized rather than dropped into every mailbox on a route, you choose exactly who receives a package before you go to the expense of producing one.
Why a dimensional package gets opened first
Most mail formats compete for a few seconds of attention before they are set aside with the rest of the stack. A dimensional piece does not get sorted into that pile. Its size and shape make it stand out physically from bills, flyers and standard envelopes, and people are drawn to open the biggest, most unusual item in the mailbox first. That is particularly useful in categories like beauty, food and beverage, or B2B demonstration kits, where a static image or a paragraph of copy struggles to convey what the product actually feels, smells or tastes like. For a brand manager who needs a prospect to experience a product rather than just read about it, that first-open moment is the whole reason to choose this format over a postcard or letter.
Dimensional Personalized Mail shares the same targeting benefits as Personalized Mail: every package goes to a name and address you chose, not to every household on a route. That matters when the item inside is expensive to produce or ship, or when a campaign only makes sense for a specific segment, such as recent enquirers, lapsed customers or a purchased prospect list. Personalized targeting keeps a higher-cost format pointed only at people worth reaching, and the same list logic and data merge personalization used for postcards and letters carries over to a dimensional campaign without starting from scratch.
What this format is built to carry
Product samples that a prospect needs to touch, smell or taste before they will consider buying, such as a skincare item, a food or beverage sample, or a fragrance. A flat mail piece can only describe a product; a dimensional piece lets the recipient try it, which is a different kind of first impression than copy on a postcard.
Promotional videos and other novelty or electronic inserts, where the item itself is the attention-getter and any printed material builds on it once the package is opened. A dimensional mailing can appeal to more than one sense at once, in a way a flat piece never can.
Branded objects and promotional items tied to a launch, an event invitation or a loyalty reward, where the physical object has to arrive intact and make an impression before the recipient reads a single word of copy. A fabric swatch, a miniature product replica or a USB drive loaded with a demo reel are the kind of items this format is built to carry. Your imagination is largely the limit on what goes inside, provided it fits Canada Post's size and weight requirements for the format.
Product Sample Mailing
Send skincare, food, beverage or fragrance samples that a prospect can try before they buy, addressed and personalized rather than dropped into every mailbox.
Promotional Video & Novelty Inserts
Mail an electronic or novelty item that appeals to touch, sight, sound, smell or taste, with printed material that builds on the moment it's opened.
Branded Objects & Launch Kits
Put a branded object, event invitation or loyalty reward directly in a prospect's hands, personalized and targeted to the list that matters most.
Why marketers choose dimensional over flat mail
The case for dimensional mail usually comes down to an objective that flat mail cannot deliver on. Motivating a product trial is the clearest example: no amount of copy on a postcard converts as reliably as putting the actual product in someone's hands. Beyond sampling, teams turn to this format to build awareness in a crowded category, launch a product to a defined list ahead of a wider push, or be more prominent in a business segment where competitors are all sending the same flat postcards and letters.
The tradeoff is worth being upfront about. Dimensional pieces cost more to produce and mail than a postcard, and they take more planning: the item has to survive addressing and labelling, fit Canada Post's size and weight rules for the format, and arrive without damage. That is as much a packaging and fulfillment question as a marketing one, which is why a dimensional campaign is usually planned earlier than a straightforward postcard drop.
Getting a dimensional campaign from concept to mailbox
A dimensional mailing has more moving parts than a flat piece, which is why it benefits from being run as a full production job rather than a simple print order. The sample, video or promotional object has to be sourced, matched to the right outer packaging, personalized with the recipient's information, and assembled so it survives transit intact. That assembly and packing work is fulfillment work, separate from the print run itself, and it is usually the step that determines whether a campaign runs smoothly or turns into a bottleneck.
Targeting the right list matters more here than with any other format, precisely because each piece costs more to produce and send than a flat postcard. A campaign built around Canada Post's direct mail programs works best once the list has been narrowed to the segment most likely to act on a sample or promotional item, rather than mailed broadly the way a Neighbourhood Mail drop would be. Reviewing a direct mail case study or requesting a print and mailing quote is a practical way to see how the pieces fit together before committing to a full run.
What makes a mailing work
- Confirm the sample, video or object fits Canada Post's size and weight requirements for the format
- Match outer packaging to the item so it survives handling and transit intact
- Narrow the mailing list to the segment most likely to act, since each piece costs more than a postcard
- Personalize every package with the recipient's name and address, using the same list data as flat mail
- Plan fulfillment and assembly earlier than a standard postcard run
- Decide which senses the piece needs to engage: touch, smell, taste, sight or hearing
Frequently asked questions
What is Dimensional Personalized Mail?
Dimensional Personalized Mail (formerly Dimensional Admail) is Canada Post's format for mailing product samples, promotional videos, branded objects and other bulky items on an addressed, personalized basis. Unlike a flat postcard or letter, it can carry a physical object large or thick enough that the recipient can touch, smell, taste or otherwise experience it directly, rather than just reading about it.
How is dimensional mail different from regular Personalized Mail?
Both are addressed and personalized, so you control exactly who receives each piece. The difference is size and shape: Personalized Mail is built for flat postcards, letters and brochures, while Dimensional Personalized Mail is built to carry a sample, video or object too big or too shaped to fit in a standard envelope. The targeting and list logic behind both formats is the same.
What kinds of products work best as mailed samples?
Anything a prospect needs to touch, smell or taste before deciding to buy tends to perform best, such as skincare, food and beverage items, or fragrance. The point of the format is to let a recipient experience the product directly rather than read a description of it, which is why sampling campaigns are one of the most common uses of this format.
Does dimensional mail cost more than a postcard mailing?
Yes. Dimensional pieces are physically larger and often contain a product or object, so they cost more to produce and mail than a flat postcard. Because of that, targeting matters more: narrowing the list to the segment most likely to act on a sample or item makes the added cost worthwhile. Costs vary by item, packaging and quantity, so pricing is confirmed per project rather than published as a flat rate.
Can I send a video or electronic item through the mail?
Yes, promotional videos and other electronic or novelty inserts are among the common uses of Dimensional Personalized Mail. The item itself acts as the attention-getter, and any printed material inside builds on it once the recipient opens the package. As with samples, these are addressed and personalized rather than distributed to every household on a route.
How do I make sure a dimensional package survives the mail?
Packaging has to match the item: it needs to fit Canada Post's size and weight requirements for the format and be assembled so it survives handling and transit intact. That assembly work is usually planned earlier in a campaign than a standard postcard run, since matching outer packaging to a sample, video or object takes more lead time than printing a flat piece.
Who typically uses Dimensional Personalized Mail?
Brand and product marketers running a sampling campaign, teams launching a new product who want prospects to try it firsthand, and anyone sending a promotional video, branded object or event kit that needs to make a physical impression. It suits campaigns where the objective is a product trial or standing out in a crowded business segment, more than a broad awareness message.
Quick quote
Price your campaign
Send the neighbourhood, the quantity and the date you want it in homes. You get a single price covering data, printing, mail preparation and postage.
- Printing and postage quoted together
- Canada Post booking handled for you
- No account or minimum contract
