Thursday 26 May 2016

Changing Royal Mail's Corporate Identity Will Mean More New Booklets

Machin collectors who thought they were being left out - or getting off lightly - by the omission
of Machin definitives from the World War I Centenary PSB will be heartened (or horrified) to know that somebody has decided that the Royal Mail corporate identity is tired, and needs updating.

Another new font (admittedly the first for some years) is to be used throughout the business meaning that new retail booklets and business sheets will be issued later this year.

Apparently there is also a new livery on some Royal Mail vehicles already, incorporating a padlock ('a trusted business"?) and this will be extended to a 6 x 1st class red booklet to be issued on 28 July.

This will only be short-lived, though, and likely to be missing from many post office branches.  On 20 October ALL booklets (including that one) and all business sheets, will be reissued with a the new font.  No images have yet been released.

IMPORTANT: I have been told, but await confirmation, that these will NOT be sent to ordinary bureau customers as part of their visible change standing orders.  More news later on this - meanwhile can anybody confirm one way or another whether the products with new 0345 telephone numbers were distributed on standing order basis in July 2014?  They certainly had new bureau product codes in the stocklist.  (Update on this w/c 13 June I hope.)

UPDATE 9 JUNE - GB CONCISE NEWS
Thanks to Chris who points out that the booklets with security backing paper have been allocated unique (whole) numbers in the latest GB Concise catalogue, as follows:


MB15 – 6x 1st Long to Reign Over Us (SBP) O15R, O16R
ME6 – 12x 2nd (SBP) M15L, M16L
MF8 – 12x 1st (SBP) M15L, M16L
RB5 – 4x 1st L (SBP) MA15

As Chris says, Royal Mail need to take notice [on all changes], or there will be some unhappy collectors.

UPDATE 26 JUNE
See here for a picture of the new booklet.

4 comments:

  1. The 0345 telephone number booklets were issued to standing order customers. I have been wondering whether the new security background paper booklets etc would eventually be issued to S O customers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I asked Tallents House the same question in January re Security Backing Paper and they were allegedly going to be sending Standing Order customers these items as ‘Visible Change’ at a date yet to be finalised. ("not be until we have more products converted to the new self-adhesive laminate. ) Whether this will ever come to fruition is a complete guess.

    In light of this blog, find it astounding that RM would appear to be giving excuses yet again as to not supplying these ’Visible Change’ items to standing order customers. RM Management are completely out of touch. Let’s hope sense prevails.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I chose not to collect Post and Go as I rightly guessed that within a few years there would be too many variations etc to collect. It appears that Self Adhesive Machins are going that way too. Just got over the Security Backing Paper issues and now at the end of 2016 a new livery that will affect all issues. Knowing the RM and printers these will all appear with 2016 and 2017 codes so ensuring collectors will have to purchase both types, Oh! and with the possibility of inverted Security Backing Paper the numbers increase dramatically. What joy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think glyjo has said it all by saying 'I chose not to collect Post and Go'. This is exactly it we can all choose to collect what we want to.
      With reference to the Machins with the new livery I do not think this will affect the stamps only the booklet covers so for the singles collector there may not be too much to worry about. I'm really looking forward to seeing what is ahead for us Machin collectors. Great joy.

      Delete

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