 I would like to encourage all mailers to become familiar with the details of the USPS network realignment proposal by participating in one of the many educational forums that have been established by the postal service.
I recently participated in a live webinar with Postmaster General Patrick Donohoe where he reviewed the details of the plan and the factual data. My reaction is one of guarded optimism. I believe that if the USPS can successfully implement their plan, we will all benefit from a financially stable postal service re-engineered to meet the demands of the future.
The details of the plan reveal that the negative impact on business mailers and consumers has been dramatically exaggerated. (Contingency plans are in place to assist industry segments that would experience the most adverse effects.) But, you wouldn't come to that optimistic conclusion by reading the headlines in the mainstream media.
Don’t get me wrong...there are many barriers, most of which center around legislative approval and union negotiations. There will also be numerous challenges with the implementation (if plans are approved).
The USPS must succeed in maintaining or improving critical delivery service standards. This aspect becomes increasingly important as marketers set a higher bar for synchronized message delivery through cross-media channels.
But another, less obvious barrier, is the climate created by the mainstream media "spin" and advertising channel competitors who would love to steal market share from direct mail.
I must admit that for many years my opinions and beliefs were influenced by headlines in the mainstream media. I would "speed read" newspapers and catch sensational leads on broadcast media that shaped my thinking. It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to work for 15 years in the newspaper industry that I began to see the light. The media needs the USPS situation to be a big story. They need to make it emotional. They desperately need readers and viewers. As a result, we’re seeing headlines like the “tongue in cheek” cover story on the February 8th edition of USA Today titled “Anything Good in the Mail?”.
The facts show that the USPS leadership has developed a plan for a changing marketplace like all successful businesses must do at some point. The facts show that consumer preference for direct mail message delivery is still high when compared to other media.
I would highly recommend that you do yourself and your business a favor by getting both sides of the story. If you would like to find out more about our position on the matter, please contact us or join us in discussion on our linkedin page.
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