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Post by dmikester on Aug 13, 2018 10:57:18 GMT -5
www.citylab.com/life/2018/08/millennials-arent-killing-mail/566585/I found this article very intriguing. It suggests that snail mail and mailings with personal touches a la the MPC still hold a lot of power and interest today, and that the United States Postal Service (USPS), which has been taking a big financial hit in recent years, is relying on this to try and bounce back.
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Post by Geodus on Aug 13, 2018 13:59:30 GMT -5
I think mail would feel a lot more personal if I received less junk. Every day, I check the mail, and discard most or all of what arrives in my mailbox into the recycle bin before I even reach the kitchen. The USPS has devalued their service by being a conduit for unwanted advertising. They would do better, IMO, by charging more for bulk-rate mail, or eliminating it altogether.
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Post by dmikester on Aug 13, 2018 16:58:09 GMT -5
I completely agree. I used to collect the mail for a business and it was astonishing how much junk there was. It must work in some way, but it sure does feel impersonal. My favorite generic addressee that we ever got? "IT Decision Maker".
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Post by Todd on Aug 13, 2018 21:07:04 GMT -5
As far as the USPS goes, marketing letters not only cover their own costs, but also subsidize the cost of providing universal service. While it is the cheapest product the USPS sells, it still accounted for about 25% of the USPS' revenue stream last year.
Since I work in the print and mail industry, I actually discovered the MPC back in early 2015 while looking for companies doing creative things with mail. Right now, two of the big growth sectors in the mail industry are collateral fulfillment, including the Box of the Month variety, and parcel return processing.
As long as somebody in one location needs to get a thing into the hands of someone at another location, there will be courier services. But the universal service offered by the USPS, where a $0.50 stamp will get your letter across the street or across the country, alas needs to be subsidized by Marketing Mail.
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Post by squirrel on Aug 14, 2018 8:04:37 GMT -5
I completely agree. I used to collect the mail for a business and it was astonishing how much junk there was. It must work in some way, but it sure does feel impersonal. My favorite generic addressee that we ever got? "IT Decision Maker". I got one for a cable tv package addressed to 'The pants wearer' That went in my Nope-bin fairly quickly.
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Post by Geodus on Aug 15, 2018 1:42:29 GMT -5
I got one for a cable tv package addressed to 'The pants wearer' That went in my Nope-bin fairly quickly. No one wears pants in your household either?
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Post by squirrel on Aug 17, 2018 12:12:00 GMT -5
I got one for a cable tv package addressed to 'The pants wearer' That went in my Nope-bin fairly quickly. No one wears pants in your household either? Nah, that's too close to being responsible.
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