Postmaster General Optimistic for Mailers Who Optimize Rich Data, Personalization, Interactive Print

SALT LAKE CITY—September 12, 2014—In a state of the business address to postal customers, Postmaster General and CEO Patrick R. Donahoe gave an upbeat assessment of the opportunities facing the mailing industry.

“With all of the changes occurring in the way people communicate, mail is proving to be an especially resilient marketing channel, and its value to America’s businesses is increasing due to better data and technology integration,” said Donahoe. “When you combine these important technology-driven changes with the strength we’re starting to see in the economy, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about mail’s role in America’s marketing mix.”

Donahoe emphasized the transformative role of technology in driving industry growth at the annual National Postal Customer Council (PCC) Week event, which brings together thousands of mailers, industry partners and customers nationwide to strengthen collaboration and strategic alignment with the Postal Service.

“The Postal Service is making great strides with the rich data we provide to our customers,” noted Donahoe. “We are enhancing our products and services based on a much stronger data and technology platform, and that is driving a lot of exciting opportunities for America’s marketers and businesses.”

The Postal Service is currently enabling a smarter delivery system through technology investments that include geo-fencing—creating a digital address—for every delivery location in America, and providing letter carriers with greatly enhanced mobile delivery devices. These investments provide better delivery accuracy and visibility, and enable enhanced product and delivery offerings—such as package redirect and Priority Mail features that include free insurance, tracking and date-specified delivery.

“Businesses are getting very savvy about integrating and combining mailing data with data from other marketing channels—especially digital,” relayed Donahoe. “When you marry those data streams, businesses can create much more effective offerings and get a much better return on mail, especially when used as part of integrated marketing campaigns. All of this is driving a fresh look at the power and value of mail.”

Donahoe identified four key strategies to enhance the value of mail: making mail pieces more personally relevant to the recipient, more actionable in terms of enabling speed to purchase, more functional by embedding technology such as QR codes in mail pieces, and making mail more creative by using more color and design.

The Postmaster General also discussed ongoing improvements to Postal Service mail processing, delivery and retail operations, and the urgent need for comprehensive legislation to enable further needed delivery fleet and package sorting equipment purchases.

PCCs are a network of community-based business mailers and representatives of the Postal Service, who meet regularly to share ideas and resources to create a closer working relationship. Local PCCs provide access to a network of mailing and business professionals who share best practices and offer solutions that help keep the mailing industry strong.

National PCC Week also showcases the work of PCCs across the country and includes a series of awards recognizing outstanding service and individual achievement. The following award winners were announced:

PCC Industry Member of the Year
Lucie Jameson, Greater Hartford (CT) PCC
 (Gold)
Julian Kasten, Baltimore (MD) PCC
 (Silver)
Kim Harrison, Capitol City (MO) PCC (Bronze)

PCC Postal Member of the Year
Shawneen Betha, Greater Portland (OR) PCC (Gold)
Laurel Stengel, Long Island (NY) PCC (Silver)
Vicki Lincoln, Greater Hartford PCC (Bronze)

District Manager of the Year
Lorraine Castellano, Long Island PCC (Gold)
Kim Anderson, Greater Portland PCC (Silver)
Dale Walker, Lehigh Valley (PA) PCC (Bronze)

PCC of the Year – Large Market
Greater Portland PCC
 (Gold)
Greater Dallas PCC (Silver)
Tampa Bay PCC (Bronze)

PCC of the Year – Small Market
Cedar Valley (IA) PCC
 (Gold)
Lehigh Valley PCC (Silver)

Capitol City PCC (Bronze)

PCC Innovation of the Year
Greater Dallas PCC
 (Gold)
Tampa Bay PCC
 (Silver)
Greater New Jersey PCC (Bronze)

Communication Program Excellence
Baltimore PCC (Gold)

Greater Portland PCC
 (Silver)
Greater Birmingham PCC (Bronze)

Education Program Excellence
Greater Portland PCC
 (Gold)
Greater Birmingham (AL) PCC (Silver)
Long Island PCC (Bronze)

More information on Postal Customer Councils and National PCC Week can be found at usps.com/pcc.

To view the Postmaster General’s PCC Day video, or read a transcript, go to 
about.usps.com/what-we-are-doing/pcc-week/.

Source: USPS.