Last year, the U.S. Postal Service lost $3.8 billlion...despite a cost-cutting effort that eliminated $10 billion. Total mail volume in the US was 177.1 billion pieces, a decline of more than 25 billion letters sent during the prior year.
It's not hard to figure out what's happening. E-marketing is much more affordable, easy, and immediate. (More than 210 billion emails are sent out daily, worldwide.) In addition to email, there are all of the other electronic communication mediums. Interestingly, among many in Generation Y, or the Millennial Generation, email is passe. Amongst these trendsters, texting and Facebook is the only way to communicate. If that isn't enough for the beleaguered USPS, Snail Mail poses real environmental concerns.
Notwithstanding this perfect storm of bad news for the Postal Service, they are not dead yet. Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal last week, entitled, "Firms Hold Fast to Snail Mail Marketing - Despite Prevalence of Digital Media, Entrepreneurs Find Old Fashioned Direct Mailings Still Key to Winning Customers."
The article tells a number of anecdotes about smaller-sized business owners who continue to find Snail Mail effective. One such story is about Peter Taffae, an insurance broker in Los Angeles. Every six weeks or so, he would send out a colorful, satirical movie-themed postcard to his mailing list of 2000. (See example) Last year, Mr. Taffae decided to discontinue this postcard campaign, in a cost-cutting move. Within a matter of weeks, he fielded more than 20 queries/complaints wondering if they had "been taken off the list." Thinking that if 1% of his list cared enough to call his office, this must be an indication of a larger percentage who are thinking about it...Mr. Taffae re-started his postcard campaign in November.
More than simply being a retro-throwback, Snail Mail can be effective because it can be: more noticeable than email, more appealing than junk mail, personalized, creative, and selective. The key is finding a message, and a style, that stands out from the crowd. Research has indicated that, on average, the typical American is bombarded with more than 3000 advertising messages over a 24-hour period. With this daily marketing onslaught, it isn't hard to understand why run-of-the-mill is not good enough.
Speaking of old-fashioned, it's hard to beat the story of Amos Miller, an Amish entrepreneur who runs Miller Farm, located in Bird-in-Hand, PA. Miller Farm specializes in nutrient-dense foods, e.g. grassfed beef, milk-fed pork, pastured chicken, and 16 varieties of cultured veggies.Being Amish, Amos Miller eschews many of the conveniences that we take for granted. Consequently, his remarkable success has happened without the following:
- No computer,
- No internet,
- No cell phone,
- No texting,
- No CRM,
- No Blackberry,
- No Facebook,
- No email newsletter,
- No fax machine,
- No copier,
- No car.
Mr. Miller has built a national food retailing business based on mail order and the conventional phone line. His main concessions to modern life are: a generator for refrigeration, a land-line to take orders from distributors and mail order customers (717-556-0672), and FedEx for special orders.
In just four years, Mr. Miller has turned his father's Pennsylvania farm into a $1.8 million national food retailer.
Not bad for someone who doesn't use electricity!
Cheers!
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