U.S. Postmaster General Unveils Digital Strategy at National Postal Forum

Megan J. Brennan, Postmaster General and CEO of the Postal Service, last week announced efforts by the Postal Service to lead an information and technology-driven reinvention of mail during a keynote speech at the National Postal Forum, the annual mailing industry trade show.

“The Postal Service is investing in our digital strategy, because there are limitless opportunities when we combine the power of mail with the ubiquity of mobile,” said Brennan. "We are committed to elevating the role of mail in American marketing and communications, and earning a bigger slice of the marketing pie.”

In her address, the Postmaster General identified strategic initiatives and investments to provide the mailing industry with greater digital capabilities. “Our vision is not confined to what we can accomplish in the next year or two,” said Brennan. “We have to continue to build and focus on the long-term rewards.”

Highlighting the ongoing development of Informed Visibility as a “supercharged information platform…designed to transform mail,” Brennan spoke about the rich data and analytics the Postal Service now provides to commercial customers that enable greater visibility associated with the “last mile” of delivery.

Commenting on how commercial customers can leverage robust information from the Postal Service to personalize mail and better coordinate omni-channel marketing campaigns, Brennan said, “The real power of Informed Visibility is that it can make mail a much more powerful marketing and communications tool.”

Brennan also showcased the development of Informed Delivery (previously Real-Mail Notification)—a mail preview service on track to be available as a mobile app in every ZIP code across the country in early 2017. Results from a market test in New York City show 70 percent of subscribers opening daily notifications and more than 90 percent reading notifications more than four times a week.

“Informed Delivery engages customers where they want to be—in a mobile and digital environment,” added Brennan. “It puts the power of mail onto digital channels.

“Informed Delivery creates an opportunity to bring your mail and packages onto the smartphones and devices of the American consumer,” Brennan continued. “It gives every marketer the opportunity to attach a digital offer to mail pieces, and eventually packages. This is an incredibly powerful product for this industry.”

The Postmaster General also announced that the Postal Service will file a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission this year to allow commercial customers to add two free ounces to mailed content beginning in January 2017. “We think it’s an effective way to increase the value of mail for the sender, and deliver more content to the consumer,” said Brennan.

The National Postal Forum is an annual national gathering of the mailing industry’s most influential thought leaders, innovators and visionaries. The 2016 Forum took place March 20-23, 2016 in Nashville, Tenn.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

For more information, visit www.usps.com.