February 2005
POSTMASTERS STATION MANAGERS BRANCH MANAGERS
SUBJECT: usps.com week - March 7-11, 2005
It's never been easier for our customers to do business with the Postal ServiceTM. And usps.com®, our award-winning Web site, makes it even easier. More customers than ever are learning that just about anything they can do at the Post OfficeTM, they can do from their own or office with usps.com. Last year alone, usps.com had 258 million visitors - up 32 percent from 2003. Over the same period, the channel value of usps.com - which includes revenue and cost avoidance - was up 49 percent, to $591 million. Clearly, usps.com is making a difference for the Postal Service by making a difference for our customers. We're working to build the value of this important channel by bringing the word to every customer we can. That's what usps.com week is all about. It's an opportunity to talk to employees and customers, set up demonstrations, and let folks know just how much usps.com can do for them. Today's world is a busy place. If our customers don't always have the time to get to the Post Office, usps.com brings the Post Office to them. It's there when they need it, where they need it, whatever their schedule, and right on their own computers. And remember: usps.com is an integral part of our retail strategy, as we work to provide expanded access to our products and services through the Internet, through our partners, through Automated Postal Center® technology, and through traditional postal retail units. So take a few minutes to go through this usps.com publicity kit. We're sure you'll find a few ideas that you can use to help your customers by letting them know about usps.com.
Anita Bizzott
Azeezaly S. Jaffer PUBLICITY KIT usps.com week - March 7-11, 2005How do you spell quick, easy, convenientTM? usps.com, of course. "Just about anything you can do at the Post Office, you can do from your office with usps.com." That's the tag line of our new advertising campaign supporting the Postal Service's award winning Web site. And, like our other recent campaigns, it features actual Postal ServiceTM employees, including customer service ambassadors and sales and service associates. The ads will be running in dozens of national publications right into April. You'll see them in Money, Martha Stewart Living, Black Enterprise, Hispanic Business, Wired, Business Week, Forbes, Fortune, Men's Health, Newsweek, Time, and many other general and special interest magazines. The goal? To let our customers know just how quick, easy, and convenient it is to take care of their shipping needs on usps.com®. The new advertisements are timed to support usps.com week, which runs from March 7 through March 14. usps.com week builds on the incredible success of last spring's Click-N-Ship® week. Thousands of postmasters and station and branch managers found creative ways to let their customers know just how easy it was to send packages using Click-N-Ship on usps.com. Since that time, we've worked to make usps.com even better, offering our customers more value than before. And usps.com week coincides with the final week of the "Play the Zone" contest, giving you a great opportunity to score a "slam dunk" with the skills and information you picked up during the competition. We've got a great story to tell, and usps.com week gives you a great platform to tell it. Customers can pay postage, print shipping labels, track and confirm package deliveries, order stamps, even request a letter carrier to pick up their packages. But that's not all. There's ZIP CodeTM lookup, postage calculation, NetPost® CardStore and Mailing Online, the Postal Store, address change and mail hold, and special services like Insurance, Delivery ConfirmationTM, and Signature ConfirmationTM. How you shape usps.com week to get the most out of it for your office is up to you. You can use it as an anchor or to organize customer meetings that include presentations on shipping services like Click-N-Ship and Carrier Pickup Online Notification. You can show customers how to get the information they need to make their mailings easier and more effective. You can also use it as a platform for demonstrations and themed events at retail. Your options are as wide as your imagination. You also can use advertising materials that are available through Message Maker to support your local events. One benefit of using Message Maker is that your materials can be customized with local information but they'll align with our national campaigns in terms of design and content. There's no time like today to start planning your usps.com week activities. Your customers will thank you for it. Messaging Points• usps.com offers quick, easy, and convenient access to a wide range of postal products, services, and information. • Just about anything you can do at the Post OfficeTM, you can do at usps.com. • usps.com is made to order for consumers and small businesses. • More than 21 million customers take advantage of usps.com every month. • With usps.com, you can calculate rates and prepare and ship your packages from or office. • Track your shipments and confirm delivery through usps.com. • Add Insurance, Delivery Confirmation, or Signature Confirmation. • Use usps.com to request a carrier pickup of your prepaid package, with the next day's delivery, right from your or office - at no extra charge. • Or you can schedule a pickup, at a time that's best for you, for one low price - no matter how many packages you're shipping. • Buy stamps and shipping supplies, find a Post Office, or get the mailing and shipping information you need. • Create and mail personalized greeting cards, invitations, and thank you notes, selecting from our wide library of images, or you can use your own. • Get great prices on subscriptions to your favorite magazines. • Learn how to build your business by creating a Direct Mail campaign using usps.com. • usps.com brings the Post Office to 92 million convenient locations. Employee Stand-Up Talk: It's usps.com week, March 7-11It's never been easier to do business with the Postal Service. And usps.com, our award-winning Web site, makes it even easier. The Postal Service is working to build the value of this important channel by bringing the word to every customer we can. That's what usps.com week is all about. We have an opportunity to talk to our customers, set up demonstrations, and let them know just how much usps.com can do for them. Our customers are busy. They may not have time to get to the Post Office when they want to. That's why usps.com brings the Post Office to them. It's there when they need it, where they need it, whatever their schedule, and it's right on their or office computer. And just about everything you can do at the Post Office, you can do from usps.com. Thousands of Post Offices all across the nation will be hosting special usps.com week activities. And the Postal Service is putting a major advertising effort behind it - in dozens of newspapers and magazines, on popular Web sites, and on television and radio. usps.com is a key part of our retail strategy of offering our customers quick, easy, and convenient access to postal products, services, and information. The more you know about usps.com, the more you can share with your customers. Here's what you can do: • Take a few minutes to freshen your knowledge of usps.com. Customers can buy stamps and shipping supplies - including prepaid Priority Mail® flat-rate envelopes, pay for postage, print shipping labels, notify their letter carrier that they have a package pickup, find a ZIP Code, locate a Post Office, change their address, arrange to have their mail held, and request redelivery. They can also create and send cards, letters, and flyers while they learn how Direct Mail can help grow their business. It's all right there on usps.com. • Talk up usps.com. We know how quick, easy, and convenient usps.com really is. It's our job to make sure our customers know it, too. So, when you have the chance, let your customers know that how usps.com is working for them. Local Newsbreakusps.com: So Good, We Named a Week After It! It's never been easier to do business with the Postal Service. And usps.com, our award-winning Web site, makes it even easier. That's why more than 21 million customers pay us a visit each month. During usps.com week, March 7-11, the Postal Service will be bringing the word to even more customers by inviting them to experience usps.com's full suite of quick, easy, and convenient services. They'll learn that almost anything they can do at the Post Office, they can do online at usps.com. It's a hectic world. Our customers are busier than ever. Their business day doesn't always end at 5 o'clock. That's what our Web site, usps.com, is all about. It offers customers round-the-clock access to postal products, services, and information, right from their own or office. It's a competitive world. If we don't make it easy for customers to use the Postal Service for their shipping needs, they may go somewhere else. That's why we have to spread the word. And that's what we'll be doing during usps.com week. Post Offices around the nation will hold free demonstrations showing customers how usps.com is working for them. Customers can buy stamps and shipping supplies - including prepaid Priority Mail flat-rate envelopes. They can pay for postage and print shipping labels. They can notify their letter carrier that they have a package pickup. They can find ZIP Codes and locate a Post Office. They can change their addresses, arrange to have their mail held, and request redelivery. They can create and send cards, letters, and flyers. And they can learn how Direct Mail can help grow their business. It's all right there on usps.com. usps.com is secure and reliable and it's available whenever customers need it. It's the Post Office that never closes - and it's at 92 million convenient locations. The Postal Service is supporting usps.com week with a major advertising campaign letting customers know the benefits of usps.com. And every print ad and television commercial features real Postal Service employees. Finding information, conducting transactions, and accessing Postal products and services has never been easier. Advertising SupportPrint, TV, and Radio: The Postal Service will be running an aggressive national advertising campaign highlighting the advantages of usps.com to our customers. This includes television, radio, and print. All print and television ads will feature Postal Service employees, including letter carrier ambassadors, customer service ambassadors, and sales and service associates. You can be sure many of your customers will have heard about usps.com through this campaign, building an awareness that can help make your usps.com week activities more successful. You - and your customers - have probably seen some of them by now. (See pages 15-20 for print schedule and advertisements.) Web Banners: This major campaign also is being supported by Web banners, running from Jan. 17 through March 11, at these popular Web sites:
Message Maker: To access Message Maker promotional and advertising materials, please contact your distict marketing or retail managers. Public Affairs and Communications ContactsThe field Public Affairs and Communications managers can assist you in planning and promoting your usps.com week events:
Publicity Ideas• Contact consumer and small business reporters in your local area and offer to demonstrate the suite of quick, easy, and convenient services featured on usps.com for both consumers and small businesses. • Contact the technology reporters from your local newspapers and television stations to see if they would be interested in seeing the advanced technology featured on our Web site. • Submit an article about usps.com to your local newspaper (sample on page 14). • Contact the Small Business Administration office in your area and offer to provide a demonstration of the suite of quick, easy, and convenient services featured on usps.com. • Have a usps.com week event in your lobby. Provide refreshments and have demonstrations on how easy it is for customers to use usps.com. Explain how using our Web site will save them time and help them with virtually all of their shipping needs. Invitations to planned events are available on Message Maker. • Contact local colleges and universities to suggest a demonstration of our Web site - our electronic initiatives should be very useful for their administration offices, small business center, and students. • Invite regular customers to a special presentation of usps.com and all that it has to offer. Postmasters or retail supervisors generally know the customers who come into the Post Office on a regular basis. • Take advantage of the advertising and promotional materials available through Message Maker to support local events. Area advertising coordinators, listed on page 10, can provide you with more information and assistance. • Brainstorm with employees of your office to come up with creative ways to let your customers know about usps.com. Events GuideHere's a convenient step-by-step guide that can help you plan an event. It includes a meeting room preparation checklist, sign-in sheet, and sample article for your local newspaper. Step 1 - Plan the Meeting LogisticsWhere and When to Have the Event What is the best time for your customers to attend an event? Most of them are very busy and would likely attend an event in the morning before work or in the evening after work. If your event is at your Post Office, think about logistical issues: When is your busiest time? Is there adequate parking at your office? You should start planning your event and getting invitations to your customers no later than 2 weeks before the event date. There are different locations to host an event. If you are on a budget, you can have an event right in your Post Office, or you can work with the local library, college, Chamber of Commerce, or Small Business Administration for free classrooms. You also have the option of renting a conference room at a hotel. Step 2 - Invite Customers to Your EventSend Customer Invitations Once you have decided on the date and time of your event, it is time to get your Direct Mail piece printed. You can get a fully designed mailpiece from Message Maker. Please speak with your local district marketing or retail manager for help in getting Message Maker access. Then you need to decide how you are going to distribute the mailpiece. You may use a compiled list of customers in your current database or the purchase list option, which can be obtained from the advertising department. Again, please see your area advertising coordinator for details. You may send out saturation mailpieces with carriers in your target area or you may provide "take-ones" in Postal Service lobbies. There are many ways you can get lists, including through your local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Administration. Step 3 - Prepare for MeetingDo a Head Count Determine how many customers will be coming to your event and use this information to plan the room set-up and order appropriate materials and refreshments. (There is generally a 1 percent to 2 percent response rate to Direct Mail pieces.) Order Enough Materials for Session Depending on the number of participants, you will need to order an appropriate amount of literature for handout materials, giveaways (if applicable), and so forth. If you are printing the material from Message Maker, please give yourself enough time to contact your area advertising coordinator. Set Up Computers for Demonstrations Be sure you arrange for computers well in advance of your event and that you have the appropriate hook-ups. Also be sure you have trained employees who are helping you execute the demonstrations. Arrange for local personnel to attend. It's important to have a local presence in order to engage as many customers as possible. By leveraging your local resources, the event becomes a team effort. Some possible representatives include: • District manager, district marketing manager/local postmasters, or Postal Service ambassadors. • Sales specialists to capitalize on sales opportunities. • Customer relations coordinator to assist with presentation and customer relationship building. Step 4 - Conduct the MeetingSet Up the Meeting Room You can display the literature/materials and set up the refreshments in advance. It will take some time to make sure things are properly set up. People will start to arrive up to 15 minutes early and you want to make sure you are prepared to greet them. Welcome Participants as They Arrive This will create a more relaxed atmosphere and give you the opportunity to learn about individual business challenges so you can better address real customer objectives during the meeting. Use a sign-in sheet. Right before you kick off the session, pass around the registered sign-in sheet on page 13 to verify attendance. This sheet also has a blank area to record any action items a customer may have. Collect Feedback Surveys With Action Items After each session, distribute a feedback form. This feedback will help determine overall satisfaction and identify additional topics the participants would like to cover in future events. Network After you collect the feedback form, allow time for customers to network with each other and ask you questions. Step 5 - Conduct Meeting Follow-UpManage Follow-Up Requests and Items Make sure you follow up. By developing strong relationships with other internal Postal Service resources, you can confidently refer to them for selling opportunities, support issues, and assistance in streamlining customer activities at Retail and in the BMEU. Send Thank You Letters Send out thank you letters promptly after the session. In building relationships, the thank you letter closes the loop and invites the customer to do more business with us. Forward Appropriate Contact Information If a customer has a follow-up request or item that requires additional information, forward that customer's contact information (name, telephone, number, and address) to the appropriate area. Follow up with the appropriate internal contact to confirm that this customer has been contacted. In addition, you may want to follow up with the customer to ensure that he or she received the information needed. Meeting Room Preparation Checklist
__Seating __Round tables __Square U __Classroom style __Other: ______________________________ __Computer/laptop setup __Audio/Video setup __Projector __Sound/speakers (if needed) __VCR and monitor (if needed) __Supplies __Paper copies of presentation __Pens/paper __Name tags __Registration form __RSVP list __Display table set up __Location: ______________________________ __Amount of space needed: _______________ __Food/refreshments __Restroom facilities location _____________________ usps.com week Sign-In SheetSession Date: Time: Location:
Sample Article for Your Local NewspaperThe Postal Service is as old as America, but as modern as today. Every day, almost 800,000 people visit the Postal Service's award-winning Web site, usps.com. They've learned that just about anything they can do at the Post Office, they can do from their or office computer. We recognize that our customers have busy lives. We know their business day may start before 8 A.M. and end long after 5 P.M. So, we created a secure Web site that puts a suite of quick, easy, and convenient online services at their fingertips - when and where customers need them. Finding information, conducting transactions, and using postal services of all kinds has never been easier. With usps.com's Click-N-Ship service, our customers can create shipping labels and pay for postage. And with a just a few more clicks, they can request that their letter carrier pick up their prepaid packages with the next day's mail delivery - at no extra charge. And that's not all. With usps.com, they can look up a ZIP Code and find addressing information. They can calculate rates. They can buy stamps. They can locate a Post Office. They can have their mail held or forwarded. They can order shipping supplies, including prepaid, flat-rate Priority Mail envelopes. They can create, personalize, and mail greeting cards and newsletters. They can do all of this - and more - at usps.com, the Post Office that never closes. It's all about access - making it easier than ever for customers to take care of their shipping and mailing needs. Take postage stamps, for example. They're available at the local Post Office; through more than 27,500 vending machines; at 25,000 supermarkets, drug stores, and card, gift and convenience stores; 19,000 automated teller machines; 2,500 automated postal centers at larger Post Offices; and at the Postal Store on usps.com. Of course, we'll be more than happy to welcome our customers when they visit the Post Office. They can expect the same friendly, courteous service they've come to rely on. But now they can expect more, as usps.com brings the Post Office to 90 million convenient locations. A Quick Tutorial of Products, Services, and Information Available on usps.comClick-N-Ship: Pay for postage using a credit card, print shipping labels, purchase USPS® Insurance for domestic packages, and ship international packages via Global Express Guaranteed® or Global Express Mail® with a 5 percent discount. And with every Priority Mail label you print, you get free Delivery Confirmation, making Priority Mail an even greater value. And Signature Confirmation is available at the reduced fee of $1.30. It's all at www.usps.com/clicknship. Carrier Pickup: Experience the ultimate convenience in package shipping. Just prepare your packages for shipping - including postage - and go online to request Carrier PickupTM. Your letter carrier will pick up your prepaid package with the next day's delivery - at no extra charge. Learn more at www.usps.com/pickup. Online Insurance: Security is key when you're sending valuables through the mail. Online insurance provides up to $200 indemnity coverage for lost, rifled, or damaged articles. It's available for domestic and Global Express Guaranteed online labels printed with postage - and it doesn't require extra labels. Learn more at www.usps.com/insurance. The Postal Store: Get stamps, shipping supplies, postage scales, philatelic items, and beautiful stamp artwork. You can search for stamps by rate, subject, or format and sign up for Fast Stamps Plus to have stamps delivered to you automatically at periodic intervals. Go to www.usps.com/shop. Prepaid Priority Mail Envelopes: The Postal Service's Priority Mail is a great value. It's an even better value when you can skip a step by purchasing Prepaid Priority Mail Flat-Rate envelopes, available in convenience packs of 5 and 10. They're available at www.usps.com/shipping/flatrate.htm. ZIP Code Lookup: It's a snap to find a ZIP Code - and more. You can search by address, city, or company. And you can match a city with a ZIP Code. It's as close as www.usps.com/zip4. Make Direct Mail Work for You: Learn how Direct Mail can help grow your business at www.usps.com/directmail. Create and Send Greeting Cards: NetPost CardStore lets you create distinctive, personalized greeting cards online and have them mailed the next business day to the addresses you specify. Or you can have them mailed directly to you for signature and mailing. Choose from our wide selection or of images or upload your own. And now you can send a gift card from popular retailers and restaurants with your greeting card. Choose from: Bed, Bath & Beyond; Circuit City, Lowe's, Genuardi's, Tom Thumb, Carrs, Randalls, Safeway, Dominick's, Corner Bakery Café, Vons, Barnes & Noble, Big Bowl, Maggiano's: Pavilions, Macaroni Grill, Pack `n Save Foods, Chili's, and On the Border. It's all at www.usps.com/cardstore. Create and Send Letters, Booklets, and Flyers: Prepare and send hardcopy mail from the convenience of your computer. Create, print, and send resumes, newsletters, and everything in between. Postage discounts with every mailing of any size. No more printing, stuffing, or trips to the Post Office. Upload a document, pay online, and we do the rest at www.usps.com/mailingonline. NetPost Premium Postcards: Looking for an eye- catching marketing tool? NetPost Premium Postcards are the way to go. Schedule cards from 1 day to 1 year in advance. They're perfect for tradeshow mailings, promotional offers, thank you cards, or changes of address. Browse our collection now at www.usps.com/premiumpostcard. Change Your Address: You can change your mailing address and arrange to have your mail forwarded - right from your computer. It's secure and it's only at www.usps.com/moversguide. Find a Post Office: Locate a Post Office or Automated Postal Center® (APC®) near you. Or get directions to the nearest stamp retailer - your local Post Office or thousands of outlets such as supermarkets, drug and convenience stores, and automated teller machines. Find it fast at www.usps.com/locator. Package Tracking: Track and confirm packages or set up an electronic return receipt notification at www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm. Mail Preparation: Learn how to label and address your package properly at www.usps.com/send/preparemailandpackages/preparingpackages.htm. Around the World: Find detailed information for all your international needs, including customs forms, at www.usps.com/global. Print Advertising ScheduleFollowing is the print advertising schedule for general interest, business, and special interest publications:
Print AdvertisementsRetail Sales and Service Associates Ad
THE POST OFFICE. CONVENIENTLY LOCATED ON A COMPUTER NEAR YOU. Just about anything you can do at the Post OfficeTM, you can do from your office with usps.com. Pay postage, print shipping labels, track and confirm package deliveries, order stamps, even request a letter carrier to pick up your packages. So go to usps.com. It's one more way the U.S. Postal Service® is working for you. Customer Service Ambassador Ad
THE POST OFFICE. CONVENIENTLY LOCATED ON A COMPUTER NEAR YOU. Just about anything you can do at the Post OfficeTM, you can do from your office with usps.com. Pay postage, print shipping labels, look up a ZIP CodeTM, send postcards, purchase Insurance, even create a Direct Mail campaign. So go to usps.com. It's one more way the U.S. Postal Service® is working for you Three-Page Ad
Just about anything you can do at the Post OfficeTM, you can do from your office with usps.com. Pay postage, print shipping labels, look up a ZIP CodeTM, send postcards, purchase Insurance, even create a Direct Mail campaign. So go to usps.com. It's one more way the U.S. Postal Service® is working for you. Sample Direct Mail Piece
Retail Unit "Take-Ones"
|
