E-mail or Snail-Mail?

As a recent graduate of an American military training program, I have a very definite fondness for letters, and the United States Postal Service (USPS). There is just nothing quite like mail call at the end of a grueling day. Knowing someone cared enough to put pen to paper, especially nowadays, is truly motivating, I know many of my peers, or myself, would have had a much harder time if not for those letters from home. That being said...

The United States Postal service has been losing a great deal of ground to electronic mail, and it is easy to see why. E-mail is free (usually), relatively secure, and much more convenient. It would seem that for most people, receiving an e-vite is as acceptable as an RSVP card in the mail. In fact, the only thing keeping the United States Postal Service afloat right now, are businesses (Read: junk mail). In keeping with this shift in major consumers, the USPS has started a new ad campaign aimed at those customers.

Here, we see the USPS has a new approach, to emphasize the security, and convenience, of traditional mail for businesses to reach their customers. I think it speaks for itself in terms of simplicity and reminding people that it is, in fact, more secure to use paper over an electronic file.

I couldn't find a way to embed the other video in their campaign, but here's a link to it:

Face to Face Ad

Again, we look at the way "snail" mail can be a point of utility and value for a business in communicating with their customers. And, again, it is presented in a simple manner, that makes sense.

Overall, I think that no one would disagree, a letter in the mail will always be better than an email. But, with the "green," movement, and with people finding emails more and more socially acceptable, snail mail will continue to lose ground. However, I doubt the USPS will ever cease to exist.

Link to Washington Post article:

www.washingtonpost.com