Say this for snail mail: it’s never been victimized by a computer hacker.
That, in essence, is the point of a new U.S. Postal Service television advertising campaign that seeks to make a virtue of the mail’s retro qualities.
“This is how people and business connect,” runs the voiceover in one ad as the video shows a jaunty letter carrier on her rounds. “Feeling safe and secure that important letters and information don’t get lost in thin air or disappear with a click, but are delivered from person to person.”
Take that, Internet.
The two commercials, aimed at boosting businesses’ use of the mail, aired for a couple of days last month and then went back up over the weekend for a run on network and cable channels that will last through this Saturday, USPS spokeswoman Patricia Licata said in an email.
The campaign is the first of its kind in almost a dozen years, Licata said, “and we feel that it’s time to promote a channel that is too often overlooked and underestimated.” Calling the information proprietary, she declined to give the campaign’s cost, but said that the Postal Service’s total ad spending in fiscal 2011 was about $147 million, roughly the same as the preceding year.
14 Comments
Not Hacked? Really? The USPS has only had people fired for opening the envelopes and taking the money out of cards. If thats not hacked then what is it?
Yes it has never been hacked, but it has been delivered to the wrong place, never delivered, lost in transit, dropped in the mud, dropped in the snow, burnt, overly mutliated, etc etc, etc. This list could go on for quite a long time.
Bottom line email and digital repositories are a tiny fraction of the cost of large postage operations. If we’re looking to reduce expenditures in 2012, force agencies to reduce postage and switch to the national records centers.
Never hacked maybe, but when you receive important mail, like business income checks, that are delayed for weeks with no reason given, and then are found in the bottom of your P.O. box, torn into pieces, wrapped in a clear bag with “We Care” on it, you have to ask yourself is there a better way? Maybe mail can’t be ‘hacked’, but it can be stolen and destroyed by the very machinery that was designed to ‘speed’ up the delivery time. It makes no sense. And I worked for them for over 33 years! Not to throw mud, but buggy whips went out with the dawn of the automobile, and never came back. We need the Postal Service, it’s vital, but changes need to be made to keep it solvent. Nothing remains the same forever. Lte’s just hope that any change is sensible to not only the loyal employees, but the public as well, and not a knee jerk, political bandaid that will come off the first time it gets ‘wet’.
My My not hacked. Imagine a letter being hacked. How would they know?
Fact is the Indemnity Claims refund for a package of value is not up to the “real” value of the article — infact you will not recover the true worth. But you gotta realize USPS does business with outside IT business(s) and just how safe they are is a matter of how good their internet and intranet is. What USPS should have been promoting is a NOTARY service to customers and acting as a middle man for the transfer of legal matter between people. The mail was not delivered again on that one. This dawg nose dont smell anymore and it still throws bones out to the public on what it could be in advertisements. Grand Ma-ma & Paw-Paw dont know squat about internet but they know their money is transferred electronically to their bank each month. Stop spending money on frivolous advertisement – Dont you get it ? Ur the only game in town. BTW who oversees IT audits beyond the USPS ?? Answer – No One — it is all internally. Last weekend I saw a Carrier with a load of mail to be delivered and I was told they have a crap load of mail to deliver each day — so unless the Carriers are dragging their feet to fool the public or USPS Management is lying something is wrong with the picture I am seeing. That brings about the matter of career Post Office folks not having a yearly or periodic criminal, credit and drug check ; and the answer – Hell NO after they are hired and on the job.
The USPS waited to long to bring out this ad. People have been using the internet to pay there bills for years now. What a waste of money they don’t have. All they have to do is put a sticker in every mailbox about there web site. Most people open there mail box 5 or 6 days a week. It would reminded them every time.
Riiiiight. I worked in a Postal Facility once and you don’t even know how much is stolen through the USPS because it is not tracked by them. Crap gets “lost” in the mail all the time.
Hey Lubejob, why don’t you and Edward pull your heads out of your a, I think you’ve both been lubed enough.
Sirs, It is uplifting to hear the PO promote the secure feeling of using the mail. However, then why are the blue mailboxes used for mailing the mail being removed everywhere except in fron of businesses? Why is the Post Office making it harder to mail when this is their own revenue stream?
Don’t they WANT people to use the mail?
Perhaps you would ask Ms Licata that for m.
Let’s all complain about how our personal mail got lost a few times and automatically categorize the Post Office as the most horrible organization on the planet. You know, because it’s not like they are responsible for delivering hundreds of millions of letters/boxes. Maybe we should make sweeping decisions based on one customers experience with a personal letter.
Makes perfect sense.
Typical of HQ, put out an ad that only draws sarcasm, insults and embarassment. The entire building at HQ needs to be cleaned out and replaced with real business graduates. Especially Donanhoe, who is nothing more than a clerk. They are all out of touch with the day to day business of providing a service to the American people. But damn, their own personal bank accounts are looking great. No worries for them about retirement, health care, feeding their families…
Yo DG! When you cant make a sensible comment or valid observation you throw insults. I cant figure if ur a mad/angry Union loyalist, discontent Mgmt employee – or on Workmens Comp?
Setting that aside someone is lying to the public – mail delivery trucks on carrier routes seem to be full – even my mailman is delivering mail faster each day on a schedule – he is a new guy who got the route – dont-cha know. Perhaps that guy on the bike they paid millions who raced in Europe and not the ole US of A could at least help out Donahoe.
Marie they cant clean out the El’fant grave yard in DC cause where would they go? Talk about insecure feelings – all the crew at HQ use electronic means to send in their monthly bill payments and surveys.
You cant talk mail security when you cant track an individual letter and you have to get Paid Tracking for a package.
I will say this – cutting out Saturday delivery needs to happen now not next week, month or year. Give the PMG a deadline or fire him. Either bring the organization up or kick him and all the VPs out. They have a defeatist attitude and all they talk about is getting their hands on the Health and Benefits money.
Ben Franklin would kick the current Postal Management butts. Shame on the Elephant graveyard personnel.
Nice try at with the nostalgia but I will take a fax or more recently a PDF and paperless billing anyday. Eliminate the middleman is what is happening here. Much more economical and timely as well. Save your important email bills on your computer and you will never have to rummage through your desk for the hardcopy. Think of all the trees we will safe so we can print more money……
I will say though that what I do use the Post Office for now extensively is there Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes. Under 70 pounds if it fits it ships……..
Just sent items across the country for $10 and arrived in two days with email tracking and email notifications enabled. Perhaps the USPO should concentrate on the priority mail system which is much cheaper than Fedex and UPS…..
Saturday delivery can be stopped immediately……..no more stupid junk mail….
If you have time to cry like a baby about your mail, you have to be a real looser. The cry babies are usually the laziest and useless employees.
funny when gm got bailed out thy had to stop the buick invitational golf support because it was wasting money now the postal servive gets bailed out every year but now they get to tell it is better to go back to using paper where are the tree huggers