Mail isn’t going anywhere. For more than 250 years, the Postal Service has connected people, businesses, and communities across the United States and the world.
USPS’s relevance transcends technology and trends. Long before cars, planes, and the Internet existed, USPS pioneered our country’s first communication channel. Today, it delivers roughly 40% of the world’s mail volume – processing and delivering billions of mail pieces each year through an increasingly sophisticated ecosystem of infrastructure, logistics, and technology.
USPS has continually evolved, embracing new technologies and innovations, such as zip codes, automated sorting, and barcode scanning, to reach its ever-expanding delivery network.
Modern direct mail is more dynamic and data-driven than ever before. Its advanced personalization, integration, and automation capabilities blur the lines between physical and digital channels. With a response rate of approximately 15%, no other marketing channel drives action and engagement like direct mail.
As part of our Postal Fix series, we recently sat down with Steve Mills, Director of Product Management, Mailing Services at USPS for exclusive insights on the enduring value of direct mail and what the future may hold. Watch the full Fireside Chat here.
“Physical mail still connects with people,” says Mills. “It still has pretty much one of the highest return on ad spend (ROAS) and total return on investment (ROI) of any channel. And that’s why I think mail is always going to be relevant. Now it’s a matter of how to keep it as relevant, targeted, and useful to the end user as possible.”
To understand where mail is headed, look where USPS is investing: technology, facilities, programs, and other new ways to drive long-term mail performance.
“We’re investing a billion dollars back into the industry every year to keep mail relevant, and to help the whole ecosystem, the whole industry, grow,” says Mills.
For example, the latest USPS promotions and incentives encourage mailers to use features that make mail more relevant and engaging, with discounts between 3% and 7%. The Mail Growth Incentive gives $500 million per year back to the industry. Those like the Integrated Technology promotion and the Tactile, Sensory, & Interactive promotion reward mailers who incorporate augmented reality, tactile treatments, multisensory elements, and other innovative concepts.
The future of mail is already here. And it’s shaped by the people and organizations who use it every day.
“We all need to work together to make sure that mail stays effective and people are making the changes they need to make to keep mail relevant and the industry vibrant,” says Mills.
Stay involved, he recommends. Your voice matters. Join industry associations. Talk to your mail service providers. Connect with industry peers. The most successful teams won’t just wait and see, they’re the ones already evolving with the new mail ecosystem.
Mail has always been about connection. That’s not going to change. While mail volumes ebb and flow, the volume of targeted, personalized mail continues to grow steadily. People respond to relevance. They always have.
The future of mail is still being written
Explore more Postal Fix articles, expert interviews, and USPS insights to stay ahead of industry changes and make the most of your direct mail programs.
Visit lob.com/postalfix to read the full series.
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