The Tray Way: Can Social Media Save the Post Offices?

Despite the recent news that online advertising spends will surpass print advertising spends in 2012, there is a bit of irony that arises in relationship to how the use of the internet could potentially help the postal mail community.

It has been made quite clear – even beyond the direct mail trade circles – that the inevitable closing of a number of postal branches is looming, with May 15th being the date circled on the calendar. If you have read some of our posts last week, you may have learned that there is an opportunity for some branches to be saved through public petitioning. As Ruth Y. Goldway, Chairman, Postal Regulatory Commission said in a press release last week:

“It has been thirty-five years since the Commission first adopted post office closure appeal rules. As the Postal Service has moved forward to reduce its retail network, and the Commission has received an increasing number of appeals of post office closings, it is important to simplify the process and to make it easier for the public to participate in and to understand our decision-making process. The new rules will allow postal customers to submit their petitions and supporting documentation in plain language. In addition, these changes will save the Commission money.”

Based on the Commission’s Order Adopting Final Rules Regarding Appeals of Postal Service Determinations to Close or Consolidate Post Offices, the process for starting an appeal is:

• A Postal Service decision to close or consolidate a post office may be appealed only by a person served by that office. An appeal is commenced by submitting a Petition for Review to the Postal Regulatory Commission. 
• The Petition for Review must state that the person(s) submitting it are served by the post office that the Postal Service has decided to close or consolidate. The petition should include the name(s) and address(es) of the person(s) filing it and the name or location of the post office to be closed or consolidated. A petitioner may include other information deemed pertinent.

The question becomes, “how can the public take advantage of the opportunity for their voice to be heard?” While there is some debate on what effect the petitioning process will have as it relates to the other criteria that will be used to make final determinations, whatever weight it does carry, it goes without saying that multiple petitions for one branch will be more favorably viewed than a single petition. 

So how can you encourage a locally-based group to become involved? Ironically, the best method could be through a campaign using a medium that is an indirect cause for why some of these closures are happening in the first place: Social Media. 

Many have blamed social media channels (as well as email and other person-to-person communication technologies) as the reason postal mail is diminishing. However, because social media has the capability to find and connect with like-minded individuals almost instantaneously, it may be the ideal way to gather petitions for this cause.

As experts in integrated marketing, if saving a local post office were our project, we would conduct some simple research through Facebook, create a Fan Page, fill it with both factual and persuasive content, promote the page and urge individuals in the branch’s territory to petition the commission. The page could have tabs that provides instructions and criteria, as well as best practices on how to word your explanation. Everything that a potential petitioner would need could be found in one place. 

Will a campaign like this work? It is unknown at this point because of the number of moving parts that still exist in this decision-making process. However, a group of voices can be a powerful thing, and if May 16th comes, and your post office still has its doors open and its employees are still working due to your efforts, you will know the answer.

The Tray PML Way is the blog for Tray, experts in the printing, mailing, logistics and promotional products. You can learn more about our capabilities by visiting our website, as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages.
information about the company and its successes, visit www.traypml.com