Can the Postal Service Do Direct Mail for Itself?

In order to promote its buy stamps by mail program, the Postal Service sent out a direct mail piece promoting its holiday stamps.   Only problem with the mailing is that it arrived too late for customers to order by mail or internet and receive the holiday stamps before the deadline for mailing Christmas cards passed.

While buying stamps by mail may be a great program, this mailing was a waste of money in the same way that advertising that arrives after a sale (or an election)  is a waste.  When this happens to an advertising mailer every vendor from the advertising agency to the printer to the Postal Service is challenged to find out why the mailing did not arrive in time to have the appropriate impact.  If there is evidence that the Postal Service did not meet its obligation, especially in the case of political mail, there are usually news stories that get picked up by many national media outlets.  

The marketing office that paid for the mailing should find out where the failure in the mailing process occurred.    Finding out why the mailing arrived late, and how Postal Service operations may have caused the late delivery, might help Postal management understand how service needs to improve to ensure that advertising mail remains a competitive mode for delivering advertising.