The USPS has officially launched a technological effort to modernize the mailing experience by utilizing Pitney Bowes EngageOne Video, a customer engagement solution, for its Informed Delivery campaigns.
With the help of the EngageOne Video platform, the Informed Delivery campaign can integrate the hard-copy mail with a digital experience, by delivering a daily preview about what is headed to their mailbox and providing interactive links with details about the content of the mail.
“For example, a senior in high school may receive hard-copy mail from a college, along with an email providing a link to personalized content,” says David Schwartz, U.S. vice president of sales at Pitney Bowes.
The Informed Delivery notification not only generates a coordinated impression for the intended recipient, it also provides potential additional impressions for other members of the household.
These videos provide marketers and brands with an opportunity to develop a greater relationship with mail owners, whether they are home or not.
“In the past, it was hard to reach those mail owners who were always on the go, if you were a hard-copy mail marketer” says Schwartz. “However, with the delivery service, we give marketers an unprecedented chance to engage consumers and expand their reach.”
Engagement is further encouraged at the end of each video with a call-to-action, where brands can offer mail owners the opportunity to set up meetings, phone calls, or other modes of further communication. The response to Informed Delivery on EngageOne Videos, so far, appears to be successful, as the campaign has reported the following numbers:
- Initial response rate (shared publicly) was 25%, with 79% of those viewers watching the core message (about 4 minutes of content)
- 38% watched all the way to the end (5:30+ minute videos)
- 28% interested in creating a campaign leveraging the technology
Informed Delivery is a nationwide program available for residential mail customers who sign up at InformedDelivery.USPS.com. It is not currently available for mail delivered to P.O. boxes.
