Entries Posted in Products & Services

  • Trending Now . . . The U.S. Postal Service

    on Apr 21st, 2014 in Products & Services | 0 comments

    Social media isn’t just for fun any more. Sure, millions of people are still tweeting, posting, pinning, and sharing things with each other online by the nanosecond. But 70 percent of businesses and organizations worldwide, including the U.S. Postal Service, also have active Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social media accounts.

    Why? Because they recognize that social media is an important channel of business communication, particularly in light of research from management consultants McKinsey & Company estimating there is between $900 billion and $1.3 trillion in annual value to the economy that could be unlocked by social media technologies. So how is the Postal Service using social media? Last summer we released a Management Advisory noting that the agency is present on no less than 18 social media sites. And now our new white paper – Like, Share, Tweet: Social Media and the Postal Service  – identifies multiple ways the Postal Service could not only improve its current social media activities, but also expand upon them to develop new products and services, such as:

    • Crowdshipping
    • Identification services
    • Hybrid products bridging physical and digital communications
    • Social e-commerce services

    Social e-commerce services, for example, could facilitate the use of social platforms as storefronts, similar to online shops on Etsy or Amazon. The Postal Service could manage those storefronts’ back-end operations by providing services such as micro-warehousing, fulfillment, and delivery.

    The paper ultimately makes the case that an overall stronger and more robust social media strategy could help the Postal Service remain competitive in the digital age by better responding to changing communication needs, improving the customer experience, creating value through social commerce, and cutting costs.

    Tell us what you think:

    • How could the Postal Service improve its social media activity?
    • How might your view of the Postal Service be affected by better social media activity?
    • Do you prefer businesses that engage customers via social media? 

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  • Spinning a Multi-Channel Web

    on Apr 14th, 2014 in Products & Services | 0 comments

    The U.S. Postal Service is going Hollywood in its latest marketing effort – a new partnership with Sony Pictures as it rolls out the promotion of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” This co-branding and multi-channel marketing push for Priority Mail seem to be catching the attention of consumers, even if scaring off arachnophobic philatelists in the process.

    Commercials on television and in movie theaters, ads on the sides of postal vehicles, online and digital promotional banners, and specially designed packages: consumers are getting hit from many sides in this Priority Mail flat-rate-box promotion. And that is the essence of multi-channel marketing -- communicating with your customers in lots of places.

    While not the first cross promotion or even multi-channel effort the Postal Service has tried, this one is notable in a few senses. The Spider-Man image and web on the side of postal vehicles serve as something of a pilot test for selling advertising space on vehicles, a revenue-generating idea explored in many forums, including this blog. What is consumer reaction to images on these iconic vehicles? Would the public accept other images or do they cheapen the brand? Public reaction could help the Postal Service decide whether to pursue other opportunities for advertising on vehicles.

    Also, this promotion is aimed at a younger audience. As with the Harry Potter stamp, the Postal Service is relying here on a pop culture image to resonate with younger consumers and become more relevant among that crowd. While stamps might be a hard sell to digital natives, package services certainly aren’t. Younger consumers tend to shop frequently online or via peer-to-peer platforms, so they rely on timely and inexpensive package delivery. Perhaps a Spider-Man campaign helps Priority Mail become their go-to product?

    Maybe, or maybe there’s more to it than that. Let us know. Do you think cross promotions with popular cultural events and figures help sell the Postal Service brand to a younger audience? What about using postal vehicles as promotion platforms? Should the Postal Service use its fleet to promote nonpostal products or events? 

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  • Putting a New Stamp on Stamp Fulfillment

    on Apr 7th, 2014 in Products & Services | 4 comments

    Love ‘em, hate ‘em or feel indifferent, stamps are certainly getting their 15 minutes of fame. Not only are the latest stamp releases creating major buzz (think Harry Potter and Jimi Hendrix) but alternatives to buying stamps at Post Office counters – such as online and retail partners – are gaining in popularity.

    The Postal Service reports a growing number of direct-to-consumer stamp orders received from online channels, including eBay. With consumers buying stamps in new ways and a need to improve internal processes, the Postal Service recently announced it is borrowing some of the best practices of other large national retailers to create a world-class distribution network.

    The new system will support the growing number of direct-to-consumer stamp orders while keeping postal retail outlets and partners, such as Costco, Walmart, and Staples, well-stocked. This improvement should reduce consumer frustration when preferred stamps are not easily available. The changes include consolidating its stamp distribution network, greater use of automated equipment to provide order processing 7 days a week and faster fulfillment and delivery times of 5 days or less. The streamlining also should improve inventory management and reduce destruction of stamps.

    These changes address some of the recommendations made by the Office of Inspector General in an audit report issued late last year. The Postal Service is also beginning to implement some of our other recommended improvements, including better scanning compatibility, timely posting of transaction data, and status alerts sent to requesters.

    The new system should be seamless to customers and post offices were told to order stamps as usual until further notice. We welcome your input on the changes and the stamp-ordering process. Customers, do you have trouble locating the stamps you prefer? Employees, are there other ways to improve stamp ordering and fulfillment? 

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