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MEMO TO MAILERS - July 2004 (text)

Memo to Mailers - July 2004 (Text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 39 NUMBER 7
JULY 2004

WHAT’S INSIDE
CUSTOMIZED MARKETMAIL
WORLDWISE DELIVERY
NATIONAL POSTAL FORUM
KEEPING POSTED
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS

CATALOGS: GET THEM CLICKING & SHOPPING
A catalog in hand will most likely result in a visit to a website and an online purchase. Direct Mail catalogs and the Internet make a powerful team. Want to drive customers to your website more often and motivate them to spend more time — and more money?

Send them your catalog, says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto. Research conducted by the United States Postal Service and comScore, a leading Internet research company, shows that, when used together, catalogs and the Internet have a powerful financial impact. Catalog recipients account for 22 percent of website traffic and 37 percent of its e-commerce dollars.

Here are some of the study’s key findings. If you mail consumers a catalog:

They are twice as likely to make an online purchase.

They will purchase more often.

They will spend more on each purchase made on the website.

They will spend more meaningful time at your website.

They are more likely to purchase online with greater catalog frequency.

They generate a revenue lift of $21.1 million per million unique visitors.

“Catalogs have never been more important, and they benefit all aspects of the online shopping and purchasing process,” says Bizzotto. “People love to look through catalogs and this research proves that catalogs drive more people to the websites of retailers and result in higher sales.”

The research shows that catalog recipients make 16 percent more visits, view 22 percent more pages and spend 15 percent more time at the retailer’s site than visitors who have not received a catalog.

Stay connected. Keep the potent power of Direct Mail catalogs working for your online business. For more information on the power of Direct Mail, visit www.usps.com/directmail.

DELIVERING RESULTS
That’s what we’re all about. When you see the “Delivering Results” symbol, you’ll know it’s about how we’re making the Transformation Plan — the blueprint for the future of the United States Postal Service — a part of everything we do. Read the plan at www.usps.com/strategicdirection.

CUSTOMIZED MARKETMAIL:
MUST-SEE MAILPIECE
“Who’s waiting for you at home?” For thousands of residents living near a new south Miami commercial complex, it was an oversized Boston terrier mailpiece that greeted them at their mailboxes.

The promotional mailing was sent out by Palmetto Bay Village Center, which used the Postal Service’s Customized MarketMail to advertise its 80-acre property that is being converted into office space for the new center.

Cardboard-stock cutouts of an image of a Boston terrier were sent to 12,000 residents near the development who have houses valued at $300,000 to $400,000 or more, selected by ZIP Code. In addition, businesses in the area with 20 or more employees, as well as professionals with a staff of five or more, received the large mailpiece.

On the back of the piece, the developer promoted short commutes to the nearby office complex.

“We had two objectives,” says Jill Blake, project manager for Palmetto Bay Village Center. “Our first objective was to educate people who live in the immediate vicinity of what is going on in their neighborhood. The other objective was to attract local decision makers to relocate their offices there.”

The mailpiece grabbed a lot of attention, “even though the 12 inch by 10 inch size was unusual, postal workers could fit the piece into mailboxes because they are made of flexible cardboard,” she said.

“We wanted to focus on things that people in the general population value, like time with family and pets — things that we feel people would be able to capitalize on if they moved their offices here,” Blake said.

And the results? More prospects visited the center as a direct result of receiving the card in the mail. And many people commented on the mailpiece, saying they “love it.” You can get noticed, too. Go to www.usps.com/customizedmarketmail for more information.

A WORLD TO THE WISE
Worldwide delivery ... meet worldwise delivery.

The U.S. Postal Service has selected FedEx Express to provide transportation and delivery for Global Express Guaranteed (GXG), the Postal Service’s premier, date-certain international delivery service to more than 190 countries.

“This alliance brings two shipping powerhouses together to deliver the world to our customers,” says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto. “It will enhance GXG’s world-class service reliability, streamline handling and bring the resources of both organizations to provide quality and value for postal customers.”

This alliance also provides new service to Japan and Brazil and offers new GXG shipping labels and packages that feature both Postal Service and FedEx logos. About 7,400 Postal Service locations will offer the new co-branded service. As demand for this product grows, so will the number of Postal Service access points.

The contract with FedEx replaces a previous agreement with DHL Worldwide Express. “We evaluated a number of international delivery providers and the review showed that FedEx offers the best combination of price, service, brand recognition and cost/network efficiencies,” says Bizzotto. FedEx Express is a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation.

“Global Express Guaranteed combines the convenience, speed and reliability of the Postal Service and FedEx Express,” said T. Michael Glenn, FedEx executive vice president for Market Development. “This agreement is a natural extension of our long-standing relationship with the U.S. Postal Service.”

FedEx currently provides domestic air transportation for Priority Mail, Express Mail, and First-Class Mail and has nearly 5,000 drop boxes in U.S. Postal Service retail locations across the country.

“This alliance will boost popularity and performance for Global Express Guaranteed, and thousands of international shippers will be the beneficiaries,” said Bizzotto.

FYI
The package delivery service industry ranks highest in customer satisfaction, according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index. The national survey by the University of Michigan is part of its annual study of how customers rank their experiences with about 200 companies. “My thanks to all postal employees who have worked hard to improve retail and delivery service,” says Postmaster General John E. Potter. “I recognize their hard work — as do our customers.”

INFO @ USPS
SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS
Get new customers.
Meet customer demands.
Around town or around the world.
www.usps.com

SIMPLE FORMULAS
Use the mail to grow your business.
Order a Simple Formulas kit.
800-THE-USPS, ext. AD4433

SHIPPING INFORMATION
Express Mail, Priority Mail and package support line.
800-222-1811

PRINTING LABELS ONLINE
Your shipping label is just a Click-N-Ship away.
www.usps.com/clicknship

BRINGING THE POST
OFFICE TO YOU
Visit www.usps.com

QUESTIONS?
We have the answers.
Rates and mailing information.
ZIP Codes. Post Office location.
Much, much more.
800-ASK-USPS

2004 NATIONAL POSTAL FORUM:
EDUCATION. KNOWLEDGE. ACCESS.
Mail is universal but that doesn’t mean it is one size fits all. The benefits and solutions that mail offers are unique to the many businesses and customers who use it. And that’s why the 2004 National Postal Forum (NPF) will address the different concerns and issues facing specific segments of the $900 billion mailing industry in the United States.

“Mail is a universal channel but different industries and customer segments face unique challenges and need specific, targeted solutions,” says Marty Emery, the Postal Service’s manager of Customer and Industry Marketing, who led the planning for the NPF to be held Sept. 19-22 in Washington, DC. A dramatically transformed and expanded program of workshops, symposiums and special speakers will be the hallmark of the event.
The Forum will be the first under the new once-a-year schedule.

“Moving to an annual schedule has allowed us to strengthen our programs and broaden the scope of our workshops and special sessions,” says Emery. “We now have 102 workshops scheduled, and 66 are brand new. We’ve created two new professional certificate programs — six total — which will complement the new workshops. And we’ve developed six targeted day-long symposiums for professionals who want to attend but who have limited time available.”

The symposiums include Marketing and Government on Monday, Sept. 20, and Small Business on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Three symposiums — Periodicals, Packages and Remittance Mail — will be featured on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Each will include interactive panels, industry speakers and special networking events, including receptions. A special general session hosted by Postal Service Chief Marketing Office Anita Bizzotto and Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe will kick off the Tuesday Forum activities.

New, too, for 2004 are registration discounts available to early registrants, industry associations and organizations planning to send several representatives.

A spectacular lineup of featured speakers, a new general session and an off-site closing reception will help wrap up the final day of the Forum, said Emery. Wednesday’s main-stage presentation — a general-session luncheon — will feature journalist Tim Russert, managing editor and moderator of “Meet the Press.” He also anchors “The Tim Russert Show,” a weekly interview program on CNBC, and is a contributing anchor for MSNBC. Russert also is a senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News.

“Russert’s a terrific speaker and we’re fortunate to have him as part of the program,” said Emery. “He’ll offer his novel perspective on the ever-changing world and how current events affect daily life.”

Also new to the 2004 Forum will be the closing reception on Wednesday evening, which will take place at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. The museum will be closed to the public for the event and Forum participants will have exclusive access to exhibits such as the Hall of Dinosaurs, the Hope Diamond and special traveling show on the history of baseball.

“We’re urging people to go to the Forum’s redesigned website and register online,” says Emery. “It’s convenient, easy and a great way to review what’s on the schedule and begin your planning.”

Visit www.npf.org to get information on the 2004 NPF schedule and information on the Washington, DC, area. For other inquiries, call the National Postal Forum at 703-218-5015.

PRICING INNOVATION
The Postal Service has filed two experimental mail classification cases with the Postal Rate Commission proposing Negotiated Service Agreements (NSA) with BankOne and Discover Financial Services.

“Bringing these two Negotiated Service Agreements forward shows that we are committed to providing more pricing innovation to the marketplace,” says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto. “The proposed NSAs with BankOne and Discover Financial Services follow the successful model already in place as a result of negotiating a similar agreement with Capital One.”

A Negotiated Service Agreement is a contractual agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and an individual company that provides customized pricing incentives or other arrangements justified by a resulting shift in the company's mail operations. NSAs are intended to meet the needs of specific customers for whom mail is an integral part of their business strategy.

NSAs can specify the preparation, presentation, acceptance, processing, transportation and delivery of mailings under particular rate, classification and service conditions and restrictions that go beyond those required of other mailers.

Under the terms of the separate agreements, BankOne and Discover Financial Services will receive pricing incentives on any First-Class Mail that it generates above typical annual mail volume. The proposed NSAs as filed are functionally equivalent to the Capital One NSA.

BankOne and Discover Financial Services also agreed to convert to the Address Change Service, a system that electronically updates forwarding orders and information on the undeliverability of mailpieces.

In addition to the expected new First-Class Mail volume and net revenue, the Postal Service will avoid the costs of collecting, packaging, and delivering return pieces to BankOne and Discover.

These are the first NSAs filed under new Postal Rate Commission rules designed to facilitate the development of this pricing initiative.

KEEPING POSTED
News from and for Postal Customer Councils
www.usps.com/nationalpcc

NATIONAL PCC DAY A BIG SUCCESS
Thousands of postal customers around the nation heard Postmaster General John E. Potter mark National Postal Customer Council (PCC) Day with a speech urging PCC members to remain committed and involved in the transformation of the U.S. Postal Service. The address May 26 from Boxborough, MA, highlighted the event honoring the local councils and their members who serve as liaisons between USPS and its business and non-profit customers. One hundred forty-three councils held meetings in conjunction with the Postmaster General’s speech, televised live from the annual New England Mail Expo, a regional PCC-sponsored event.

During his address, Potter announced plans for the new PCC Network. These include the establishment of a national PCC website; the creation of new resources to help design professional workshops, seminars and special events, and the development of multi-PCC events like the one in Boxborough to help increase PCC membership. Potter also encouraged PCCs to assume a greater role in providing feedback on new ways to improve service, develop new products, build efficiency and generate new opportunities to reduce costs. “We rely on you to ‘push back’ when you think an idea or project doesn't make good business sense,” he said.

Potter said he envisions PCCs serving as a catalyst in the business communities for raising awareness of the value of the mail for local businesses. “Today's Postal Service is excited about the future. We're ready to deliver your growing business! Mail is still very much a vital part of this nation's economy. And mail will remain valuable for years to come,” said Potter.

ENHANCED PCC LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AT NPF
Be sure to make plans now to attend the PCC Leadership Conference at the September 2004 National Postal Forum (NPF) in Washington, DC. Expect a new platform, more relevant content, a certificate program and much more! The conference will provide invaluable information and workshops about the new PCC Network — how to develop a model PCC, sustaining value for PCC members, how to grow membership and ways to implement best practices.

A PCC Leadership conference general session Sunday, Sept. 19, will kick things off, and — for the first time — a new PCC Leadership track featuring five all-new workshops will follow on Sunday and Monday, Sept. 20. Some of the workshops that will be offered include: Everything You Ever Wanted to know About Leading a PCC, The Insiders’ Guide to Staging a Blockbuster Event and Transforming Training: Bringing Programs to the PCC.

Another exciting aspect of this year’s conference is the new PCC Leadership Certificate. You can earn this USPS-issued certificate by attending the PCC Leadership general session and three PCC Leadership workshops. Gain knowledge about developing, leading and sustaining a PCC — and then share what you’ve learned with your local council and build more value into your PCC’s efforts.

New, too, are registration discounts. PCC members who register for the NPF receive a 10 percent discount on their registration fees. There’s also a discount if more than one employee from the same company will be attending the Forum. The NPF is fast approaching — it’s Sept. 19-22. The earlier you register, the greater the savings. Register online at www.npf.org and use your source code of G414. You may also call 703-218-5015 to register.

Don’t want to miss this all-new Forum! Register now and join the most knowledgeable people in the mailing industry at the NPF!

CAPS, GOWNS AND BARCODES
Go to the head of the class! The Capital Region Postal Customer Council (PCC) in Albany, NY, was the first PCC in the country to offer Mailpiece Quality Control (MQC) training to its members — it graduated the first class of PCC-sponsored certified MQC specialists.

Fifty-four of the PCC’s members graduated from the program in June after completing a 15-hour training program and passing a final exam. The two-year certification permits them to evaluate mailpiece designs and identify issues before mail is presented to the Postal Service.

“What a great idea — the Postal Service and the business mailing community teaming up to provide in-depth education on how to effectively design and manage the mailpiece process!” says Corey Breda, account manager for Newkirk Products, Inc., and one of the graduates.

Albany District’s Mailing Requirements team held five training sessions beginning in January. Online self-study modules were tied to classroom activities covering barcodes, endorsements, mail classes, reply mail, addressing and return address information and permit imprints. Hazmat safety discussions and mail processing tours also were part of the package.

“The classroom setting was great,” says new MQC Specialist Diane Fair, a University of Albany senior staff assistant. “The instructors’ experience brought expanded, practical knowledge to the course that couldn’t be obtained from the self-study course alone.”

For information about MQC training go to: http://www.usps.com/ncsc/addressservices/certprograms/mqc.htm.

POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
USPS AND EBAY: CO-BRANDED SHIPPING SUPPLIES
eBay plans to offer new eBay and U.S. Postal Service co-branded shipping supplies. The newly designed free Priority Mail boxes will come in three sizes and all will display the recognizable eBay and Postal Service logos. There’s co-branded tape, too!

The shipping supplies are another new addition to the convenient online shipping service eBay and the Postal Service unveiled in February 2004, which allows sellers to calculate rates, purchase postage and print shipping labels from their computers.

With this new service, co-branded Priority Mail boxes can be ordered for delivery directly to an eBay member’s home. This, combined with Carrier Pickup offered by the Postal Service, makes shipping quick, easy and convenient for eBay sellers.

The new shipping materials can be ordered exclusively through eBay’s site, beginning in late July. There will be a link from eBay to order the free co-branded boxes and tape.

EASY AS APC
Access — whenever you need it.

The Postal Service’s new Automated Postal Center (APC) handles many of the same transactions a full-service retail window does. Using a credit or debit card, customers can buy postage, weigh and mail packages, check ZIP Codes and purchase additional services.

APCs allow sales and services associates to focus on more complex transactions. APCs will be placed in 2,500 high-traffic Post Offices throughout the nation by year’s end. Try it!

CLICK-N-SHIPPING SUCCESS
Give customers a quick and easy way to take care of their mailing business at their home or office and they’ll use it — with enthusiasm! Click-N-Ship has passed a landmark — in the two years it’s been available, customers have printed more than 21 million Click-N-Ship labels.

That’s a whole lot of quick, easy and convenient online label printing — and shipping, of course.

See for yourself at usps.com/clicknship.

CLARIFICATION
An article on mailing standards in our May 2004 issue should have said letter-size mailpieces must be at least .007” thick and should be at least .009” thick when more than 4 1/4” high or 6” long.

PRIORITY MAIL FLAT-RATE BOX PROPOSED
The U.S. Postal Service is moving forward on its proposal to offer customers two Priority Mail Flat-Rate Box options. In a filing with the Postal Rate Commission, the Postal Service is seeking approval of the Flat-Rate Box proposal, which if approved, will reinforce the Postal Service’s commitment to meeting customers’ needs for simplicity and convenience when sending packages.

Much like the Flat-Rate Envelope — provided by the Postal Service since 1991 — the proposed Flat-Rate Box would afford customers a single, predetermined rate regardless of the actual weight or destination zone of the parcel.

“We recognize that products that are easy to access and simple to use provide real value for our customers,” says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto. “This proposal demonstrates our commitment to providing convenient options for sending packages and introducing innovative solutions to the marketplace.”

This proposal filed with the Postal Rate Commission calls for a two-year trial of the Flat-Rate Box with a choice of two different box shapes, the dimensions of which are 14” x 12” x 3.5” and 11.25” x 8.75” x 6”, and a postage rate of $7.70 each.

MEMO TO MAILERS
Volume 39 Number 7

Ilze Sella
Editorial Services

Frank Papandrea
Art Director

David Ostroff
Designer

Betty Shelton
Purchasing Specialist

Azeezaly S. Jaffer
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications

John E. Potter
Postmaster General and CEO

Memo to Mailers
is published by U.S. Postal Service
Public Affairs and Communications.
USPS eagle symbol and logotype are
registered marks of the
United States Postal Service.

The following are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: USPS®, U.S. Postal Service®, United States Postal Service®, Postal Service™, Post Office™, Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, Standard Mail™, First-Class Mail®, Registered Mail™, Certified Mail™, Delivery Confirmation™, Signature Confirmation™, ZIP Code™, Click-N-Ship®, NetPost® and The Postal Store®. This list is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service marks.

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MEMO TO MAILERS
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memo to mailers
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