The Strategic Mailing Partnership

What The Strategic Mailing Partnership does

The Strategic Mailing Partnership (SMP) is a UK-based professional membership body that represents and protects the interests of printers and mailing houses. Self-described as the largest group of mail and print service providers in the UK and the only known specialist supply chain network for post in Europe, SMP operates from Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, with a five-person team. Membership is free and open to all UK printers and mailing houses regardless of size, providing access to training discounts, industry news, networking, and an extensive resource library including case studies, research papers, webinars, and the monthly Sorted newsletter.

SMP's core "products" are its membership programme, annual SMP Awards (Mail Performance, Sustainable Campaign, and Bright Futures categories), networking and working party events, and a content/research library. Underlying capability rests on three data and partnership assets: JICMAIL measurement data (with near-census level mail tracking via the 2024 Nielsen Ad Intel integration), the JICMAIL Discovery 3.0 visualisation platform built with DataTile, and partnerships with PrintGreen, Paperplanes, Herdify, and Marketreach. SMP does not build proprietary software; its technical surface is a WordPress-based website with Stripe payment processing for ancillary transactions.

The business model is sponsorship-funded rather than dues-funded. Royal Mail Wholesale is the primary sponsor with Royal Mail supporting the organisation in its entirety, supplemented by Gold/headline sponsorships from major logistics and DSA operators (Whistl, UK Mail). SMP also collaborates with the DMA on Bright Futures learning credits and supports the Printing Charity's Rising Star Awards. Governance is led by SMP Chair Lucy Swanston (also Managing Director of Nutshell Creative), with a board drawn from across the print and mailing supply chain.

Name

The Strategic Mailing Partnership

Legal name

The Strategic Mailing Partnership

Website

https://thestrategicmailingpartnership.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Strategic Mailing Partnership is a UK professional membership body, sponsored by Royal Mail Wholesale, that represents printers and mailing houses through free membership, the annual SMP Awards, networking events, and industry research including JICMAIL measurement data.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Services: The organization offers free membership to printers and mailing houses, providing benefits including discounts on training courses, industry news updates, networking opportunities, awards programs, and access to research and resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Strategic Mailing Partnership (SMP) is a UK professional membership body that represents and protects the interests of printers and mailing houses. Sponsored by Royal Mail Wholesale and supported by Royal Mail, SMP offers free membership to printers and mailing houses across the UK, delivering industry advocacy, standards setting, awards programmes, networking events, research access, and professional development.

Product overview

The Strategic Mailing Partnership is a professional membership body that represents UK printers and mailing houses. Rather than a unified software platform, the organisation offers a portfolio of membership services including a free membership programme providing access to training discounts and industry updates, the annual SMP Awards celebrating excellence in mail performance and sustainability, networking events connecting industry professionals, and resources including research papers, case studies, webinars and the monthly SMP Sorted newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMP Membership Free membership programme open to all printers and mailing houses across the UK, providing discounts on training courses, regular industry news and insight updates, access to working parties, awards eligibility, and member resources.
• SMP Awards Annual awards programme recognising outstanding performance in the UK print and mailing industry, including Mail Performance Awards, Sustainable Campaign Awards, Envelope Awards, and Bright Futures Awards for emerging talent under 30.
• SMP Networking & Awards Evening Annual in-person networking evening and awards ceremony bringing together print, mailing, and agency professionals, typically held at a London venue.
• SMP Resources & Research Library Online library of industry research papers, case studies, presentations, webinars, sustainability guides, newsletters, and videos covering mail effectiveness, sustainability, and best practices.
• Sorted Newsletter Monthly newsletter providing updates on SMP activities, industry news, mail power and performance insights, and developments across the UK mail sector.
• JICMAIL Discovery 3.0 Data Visualisation Tool Data visualisation tool providing essential insights into actions taken with mail in the home, offering advanced functionality for pitching, planning, and measuring Mail and Door Drop campaigns; promoted by SMP to its members via a member-access link.

Quantifiable outcome

• JICMAIL data shows mail drives £9.00 ROI for warm direct mail and £3.20 for cold direct mail
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PrintGreencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Cross-industry initiative to redefine print sustainability conversations. Provides accurate, fact-based insights for brands, agencies, and media professionals. PrintGreen offers a unified platform for credible sustainability information, chaired by Tom Maskill (CCO of Webmart).
• WhistlmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Gold sponsor of SMP Awards 2025. One of the UK's leading logistics partners in mail, parcels, fulfilment and door drop media, and the largest DSA operator in the UK.
• NielsencoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2024Partnership with Nielsen Ad Intel to provide enhanced mail circulation measurement data. Replaces panel-based measurement with near-census level data on Direct Mail and Door Drop volumes and ad spend. Mail ad spend data released weekly; creatives released daily.
• UK MailmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Headline sponsor for SMP Awards 2024. One of the UK's leading logistics partners in mail and parcels, and a DSA (Door-to-Door) operator.
• DMA (Direct Marketing Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Provides learning credits for Bright Futures Award winners - £1,500 for the winner and £450 for runners-up to spend on DMA courses including masterclasses and qualifications.
• Royal Mail WholesalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary sponsor of The Strategic Mailing Partnership. Royal Mail Wholesale sponsors the organization, and Royal Mail supports SMP in its entirety. The partnership aims to reignite passion for mail, raise standards in the mailing industry, and promote better mail for all.
• JICMAILcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Industry Currency for Mail providing measurement data, benchmarks, and the JICMAIL Discovery platform. SMP promotes JICMAIL resources including Response Rate Tracker, attention metrics, and campaign planning tools to members.
• MarketreachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Mail's marketing arm providing research, case studies, and resources on direct mail effectiveness. Collaborates on events including Cannes Lions representation and industry initiatives.
• Two SidesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing regulatory overview updates on print, paper and packaging sustainability legislation. Helps combat greenwashing misconceptions about print.
• The Printing CharityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity supporting print industry employees. SMP supports Rising Star Awards program and promotes the charity's initiatives for young talent and industry welfare.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FESPA: European federation of national print/screen printing associations operating at pan-European scale. Comparable trade body serving the printing industry with events, awards (FESPA Awards), and advocacy, but broader in scope and geographic reach than SMP.
• DMA Group (Data & Marketing Association): UK trade body for the data and marketing industry with a much broader remit than SMP, including direct marketing, customer engagement, and compliance. Already a GTM partner of SMP through Bright Futures Award learning credits, and a broader incumbent overlapping on direct marketing channels.

Direct peers

• Two Sides: Industry initiative addressing sustainability perceptions of print, paper and mail. Closely aligned with SMP's PrintGreen and sustainability working party focus and explicitly partnered with SMP; comparable as a trade body defending the print/mail channel against greenwashing narratives.
• Picon: UK trade association representing suppliers and manufacturers to the printing industry. Comparable trade body role serving the UK print supply chain with advocacy, networking, and industry intelligence functions parallel to SMP's postal supply chain remit.
• The Printing Charity: UK charity supporting employees across the printing industry, including the Rising Star Awards which SMP actively participates in. Comparable organization embedded in the same UK print/mail ecosystem with overlapping board members and welfare/education remits.
• British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF): UK trade association representing the printing industry with advocacy, training, and standards-setting roles. Directly comparable to SMP as a UK print/mail industry body serving overlapping but broader membership (printers plus supply chain) with similar advocacy and education remits.
• Confederation of Paper Industries: UK industry body representing paper manufacturers and converters supplying the print and packaging value chain. Adjacent but comparable trade association serving upstream suppliers of materials that flow through SMP's printer and mailing house members, with overlapping sustainability and regulatory advocacy priorities.
• JICMAIL (Joint Industry Currency for Mail): Industry currency body providing standardized measurement of mail and door drop effectiveness. SMP's deepest data partner and the most operationally comparable peer: both serve UK mail industry stakeholders with measurement, research, and benchmarking capabilities.

Emerging players

• PrintGreen: Cross-industry sustainability initiative launched March 2025 specifically to redefine print sustainability conversations. Comparable emerging player intersecting with SMP's sustainability pillar, chaired by Webmart's CCO, and amplifying mail's environmental credentials against greenwashing.

Others

• Marketreach: Royal Mail's marketing arm that produces research, case studies, and campaigns demonstrating direct mail effectiveness. An ecosystem participant closely allied with SMP via Royal Mail, comparable in promoting the mail channel to advertisers, but operating as a commercial marketing function rather than a member trade body.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-strategic-mailing-partnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Strategic Mailing Partnership