Postal Service Launches Green Newsroom

22 Apr 2010 | No Comments | posted by admin | in News

(from www.usps.com)

WASHINGTON — On the eve of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the U.S. Postal Service unveiled its green newsroom, a one-stop shop for all its environmental information. Replete with photos of its energy-saving vehicles and facilities, green products and services, and a time-lapse video of the construction of New York’s largest green roof, the Postal Service’s green newsroom is its newest, most informative site to visit on Earth Day.

“At the Postal Service’s green newsroom, every day is Earth Day,” said Sam Pulcrano, vice president, Sustainability. “Our history of environmental efforts goes back more than 100 years and Earth Day is a perfect opportunity to tell Americans about the Postal Service’s planet-friendly initiatives.”

According to Pulcrano, the USPS green newsroom is a robust source of sustainability news and answers key green questions including:

• How big is the Postal Service’s carbon footprint?
• How is the Postal Service decreasing its carbon emissions?
• How many hundreds of millions of dollars in energy costs has the Postal Service saved since 2007?
• How many hundreds of thousands of tons of waste did the Postal Service recycle in 2008? (Hint – enough to fill America’s tallest building.)
• How are expired or unwanted pharmaceuticals safely discarded with the Postal Service’s help without harming the environment?

Visitors to the green newsroom can learn about the Postal Service’s first test of electric vehicles in 1899, when it found that mail could be delivered in less than half the time taken by horse-drawn wagons. They also can find out how many billions of miles were traveled last year to deliver America’s mail, and how many millions of gallons of alternative fuel were purchased by the Postal Service in 2009.

Viewers of the site can expand their green knowledge and Earth Day conversation with interesting facts including: how many tens of thousands of alternative fuel-capable vehicles are in the Postal Service’s fleet; where the Postal Service uses mules to deliver mail; and which mail delivery vehicle has zero emissions, and costs only 2 cents per mile to operate.

“We hope America visits the new green newsroom, and usps.com/green, to learn more about the Postal Service’s commitment to the environment,” Pulcrano said.

The Postal Service has won more than 75 environmental awards, including 40 White House Closing the Circle,

10 Environmental Protection Agency WasteWise Partner of the Year, Climate Action Champion, Direct Marketing Association Green Echo, and the Postal Technology International Environmental Achievement of the Year, 2009.

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

U.S. Postal Service to Test Direct-Mail Product Sampling

12 Apr 2010 | No Comments | posted by admin | in News

(from www.usps.com)

WASHINGTON — Eighty-one percent of consumers will buy a product after they receive a free sample, and most prefer to sample products at home, according to the Opinion Research Corp. This is the idea behind the marketing strategy of a samples co-op box that the U.S. Postal Service plans to market test early next month.

The “Samples Showcase,” to be distributed nationally on a limited basis as well as in larger quantities to consumers in Charlotte, NC, and Pittsburgh, is a box of assorted beauty, health and snack food items from multiple consumer packaged goods companies. The boxes will be branded with the Postal Service logo and include the tagline, “A selection of free product samples.”

Another strategy behind the pilot test is making sure that direct mail is the sampling method of choice. The co-op box concept, which allows candy bars to be marketed with skin lotions, for example, is expected to make direct mail sampling more attractive because it allows multiple manufacturers to share in the marketing and postage costs of the program.

“Consumer packaged goods companies are always looking for new ways to build brand awareness for their products,” said Robert F. Bernstock, president, Mailing and Shipping Services. “One method they often turn to is providing trial-size samples to consumers. A large and growing industry, product sampling offers the Postal Service the potential for millions of dollars of added revenue.”

The Postal Service will conduct research to determine the cost-effectiveness of the program and the value it provides to manufacturers and consumers.

“Mail is the only medium that really enables marketers to do this,” said Bernstock. “It provides access to people’s homes, and it can be tracked to determine if the samples actually convert to sales.”

Earlier this month, Postmaster General John E. Potter outlined an aggressive plan of action that included cost cutting, increased productivity, and an array of legislative and regulatory changes necessary to maintain a viable Postal Service for decades to come. Potter also indicated the Postal Service will avail itself of opportunities under current law to increase revenue and enhance customer service.

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 an image of the Sample Showcase, click here