It’s all about innovation for the U.S. Postal Service. The key areas of innovating are centered on how they can market their products and services.
Nagisa Manabe, chief marketing officer for the USPS spoke briefly with attendees at the ACMA’s National Catalog Forum about what the USPS is doing to become more innovative.
Last year, Manabe said, 95% of marketing for the USPS was through television ads. This was missing the direct mail, she said. This year, they are finding creative ways to market themselves. Now the USPS markets their products and services through 20% of direct mail, 15% of digital and 40% of television and video.
“We are back in print,” said Manabe. “This is where the American public gets information. We’re back to a new marketing plan.”
In July, the USPS plans a radical shift in the way they communicate with the public. The USPS is looking for innovative ways to better understand consumer behavior. In the mail area, they are promoting a new calendar of events for 2013-14.
“We will only get better with feedback,” said Manabe.
The USPS is trying to drive new connections with mail and technology. The interface of purchasing online has seen a dramatic growth factor. There are innovations in packaging, along with looking at day certain deliveries, according to Manabe.
There are plans in place to have real-time scanning in 80% of U.S. households. They are looking into same-day delivery, Sunday delivery, testing time of delivery.
For catalog, the USPS is looking for postal innovation. They are asking catalogers for new ideas on how they can be innovative with catalogs.
“We’re nowhere near being done, we’re only beginning,” said Manabe.
The USPS is trying to become a customer centric organization and they really think they have to collaborate with everyone in order to move forward, according to Manabe.