Bill Stuffer

Bill stuffers are one of many public relations tools used to reach targeted audiences. They are especially available for utility companies and other business types that send out periodic billing statements. They are also used by nonprofits, especially activists who know that their mailing lists contain the names of people who are likely to be motivated to take specific actions.

Each month or on some other occasion, thousands of bills are mailed to customers and donors across the nation. Anyone who receives such bills often is aware of the “clutter” of stuff that accompanies the bill. Certain organizations also take these opportunities to communicate with their customers or donors. Today, as well, such stuffers can accompany online monthly bills. Ironically, they seem less like clutter when accompanying a bill, but they also can link to other communication sites.

Bill stuffers can contain information that actually is of value to many patrons. For instance, a utility company might suggest ways its customers can reduce their heating and cooling bills. For these companies, such bill stuffers can be part of their customer relations programs. Activist groups might use billing stuffers to profile the plight of some group of individuals in society, the need for increased funding, and even legislative initiatives that are favored or opposed by the sponsor who mailed the bill stuffer.

These tools can also be used to shape opinions and motivate the targeted audience. They can suggest that some opinion would be in the best interest of their targets. Insurance companies, as an example, might call their customers’ attention to legislation or regulation that might raise—or lower—insurance rates. Activists, for instance, might indicate how research has discovered an association between a product's design and consumer health. Utility companies often use bill stuffers to justify support or opposition of some legislation or regulation.

It is easy to imagine that many bill stuffers go unread. Customers and donors have to sort through the clutter accompanying bills to find the message. They may be focused on other tasks, such as paying bills rather than responding to appeals or seeking information. At best, the stuffers reach only persons who are already cognitively involved with some issues. These people might be opinion leaders who pass information, evaluation, and advice to others.

Although such communication tools might be inefficient or ineffective because of the few people they reach—the ones who actually read and respond—they are at the vortex of controversies. One example of such a controversy was during the era of antinuclear plant construction activism. Some electric generating utility companies that wanted to build and operate nuclear generating facilities included pronuclear messages on their bill stuffers. Antinuclear activists argued that this use of message delivery unfairly privileged the utility companies, who could easily reach their customers each month.

Various regulatory agencies have reviewed the use of bill stuffers. Typically, the Supreme Court has ruled that these tools are not a form of regulated or prohibited communication, if they serve a larger public interest beyond the narrow commercial interest of the sponsor. Because of their usefulness and targetability, they have become well established tools of integrated marketing communication that are especially useful for publicity and promotion.

...