# Herald Daily Log — 2026-02-24

## Strategy Pivot: Hostel Outreach → DIRECT MAIL

Michael's directive: hostel outreach is now laminated posters + printed cover letter delivered by post/hand. Replaces the email outreach approach entirely.

### Actions Taken
- Drafted cover letter to hostel managers: `content-ready/hostel-cover-letter-direct-mail.md`
- Reviewed existing poster design for print/lamination readiness — ✅ Good to go
- Flagged tear-off tab issue (lamination prevents tearing — two options proposed)
- Flagged QR URL question: `rivet.rateright.com.au` vs `rateright.com.au` (site is now live)
- City variants already exist for 19 cities

### Decisions Needed from Michael
1. Approve cover letter copy
2. Tear-off tabs vs full lamination
3. QR URL — update to rateright.com.au?
4. Include phone number on letter?
5. Distribution plan — who mails, which cities first?

## P0 FIX: QR Code + URL Update (09:01 AEST)

**Problem:** All poster QR codes and text URLs pointed to `rivet.rateright.com.au` (old/dev). Must point to `rateright.com.au` (live production).

**Actions:**
1. ✅ Regenerated `qr-worker-signup.png` → now encodes `https://rateright.com.au`
2. ✅ Verified QR content via zbarimg: `QR-Code:https://rateright.com.au`
3. ✅ Updated 95 poster HTML files — replaced all `rivet.rateright.com.au` → `rateright.com.au`
4. ✅ Updated 5 supporting .md files (cover letter, poster spec, support templates, Instagram drafts, FAQ)
5. ✅ Final verification: 0 files contain old URL

**Blocking:** Direct mail campaign can now proceed. PDFs need regenerating from updated HTML files before printing.

**Note:** Existing `.pdf` files are STALE — they were generated from old HTML. PDFs must be regenerated before printing. Michael or Builder to handle PDF generation.

## HiPages H1 FY26 — Competitive Intel from Radar

Radar flagged HPG's H1 FY26 results (filed today). Key takeaways for content:

- **Revenue $44.9M (+11%)** but **subscriber growth only +1%** (35,300 businesses) — squeezing existing tradies, not winning new ones
- **ARPU ~$5,000/yr (+10%)** — price increases. Compare: RateRight $50/hire.
- **Stock dropped 6.7%** despite record margins — market sees cracks
- **HiPages themselves admit "marketplace headwinds"** — validating flat-fee approach
- **Pivoting to SaaS** — defensive move, marketplace alone isn't enough

Full brief: `/home/ccuser/shared/reports/hipages-h1-fy26-competitive-brief.md`

### Content Angles (Draft — needs Michael approval before any external use)
1. **The Receipt v2** — Updated maths with real ARPU: "$5,000/yr to HiPages vs $50/hire on RateRight"
2. **LinkedIn post** — "HiPages just admitted their own model has 'marketplace headwinds.' Their stock dropped 6.7%. Meanwhile, $50. Once." 
3. **Sales ammo for Susan** — Radar's brief has 5 ready-to-use angles with verified numbers