In the fast-paced age of email, the United States Postal Service has found itself struggling to survive. While the rise of e-commerce has been a blessing, it hasn’t done enough to counter the losses that the Postal Service has suffered with the declining popularity of first-class mail. As letters and postcards become less common, officials estimate this key part of their business will drop $800 million this year.
Faced with this grim reality, the government is betting on millennials to spur a recovery for the Postal Service. Last month, the USPS Office of the Inspector General released a report entitled “Millennials and the Mail” that seeks to define the illusive millennial and their relationship with snail mail.
Americans are sending less mail than they used to. In 2001, Gen X-ers between the ages of 18 and 34 received 17 pieces of mail per week. By 2017, millennials of the same age range receive 10 pieces per week.
Despite the Postal Service’s struggles, a whopping 80 percent of millennials still said they were satisfied with it, leading bureaucrats to speculate: Could millennials save the ailing Postal Service?
According to the report, 75 percent of millennials said that receiving personal mail (i.e., mail from friends or family) makes them feel special. This stereotypical “snowflake” response has postal workers drooling at the possibilities for mobilizing a younger demographic to buy more stamps. They may write short birthday messages on their friends’ Facebook walls, but they prefer receiving personalized cards in the mail, especially ones with photos or a unique design. The Postal Service hopes to draw more awareness of customization tools to further tap this opportunity. Whether it’s a custom card design tool or custom stamps, USPS already has the products in place — they just need to build greater awareness.
Unsurprisingly, young people also like to save money, which makes them natural coupon clippers. This openness to direct mail is yet another boon to the Postal Service. Nearly seven out of 10 millennials reported that they liked receiving coupons for restaurants in the mail. Millennials aren’t ashamed to whip out the coupons on date night. About two-thirds also said they enjoy getting coupons for retail businesses. When loan payments are consuming much of your budget, you don’t really care if you’re holding up the check-out line with your Cottonelle toilet paper coupon.
As the level of research in this report reveals, bureaucrats are heavily invested in reaching young people as they desperately try to salvage one of the oldest fixtures in society. If they can effectively use technology to tap into millennials’ natural penchant for postage and their love of deals, they might be on to something.
Brendan Pringle (@BrendanPringle) is a freelance journalist in California. He is a National Journalism Center graduate and formerly served as a development officer for Young America’s Foundation at the Reagan Ranch.
