Is the US Postal Service Poised To Become A Direct Marketing Competitor?

Since January 1, the USPS has broken ground on a number of new projects, including its controversial Every Door Direct Mail service that seeks to work directly with small businesses to help them prospect new and existing customers.

Does that sounds like something a direct mail firm might do?

Paul Vogel

In the latest move, on May 15 the USPS circulated an internal memo announcing that it is creating a Digital Solutions group to be headed by Paul Vogel, who is moving from his position as USPS president and chief marketing/sales officer to become president of the new digital solutions initiative.

Taking over Vogel's old position is no less than Coca-cola's new growth platforms executive Nagisa Manabe, who, before Coke, was vice president of marketing for Diageo Guinness USA Inc. (think Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Guinness). She's definitely qualified for the job but, unlike Vogel who worked his way up the USPS ladder from clerk/carrier, Manabe is and always has been a marketer. In addition to Diageo, her heavy product development and branding experience includes stints at Procter and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, and Campbell Soup.

Does this sound like somebody a direct marketing firm might hire?

Hey, strangled by Congress with a ridiculous requirement to stockpile 75 years of health pension funds for future retirees, I don't blame the USPS for going after every mailing, gopost shipping, and marketing dollar it can find. I wish the USPS a smooth ride in staying afloat.

I'm just wondering though, if maybe, the USPS is seeing the advantage in being much more "direct" [if you know what I mean] .. and, ultimately, what that might mean to commercial mailers.

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