The Postal Service looked toward the future as 2020 began.
In January, the organization showcased Informed Delivery and other technology-driven products and services at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where USPS generated an estimated $32 million in new revenue.
“This is also a good opportunity to show customers that we are innovative and that we can help them grow their business,” said Steve Monteith, the Postal Service’s chief customer and marketing officer, who served as marketing vice president at the time.
The first three months of the year also saw the introduction of several postal innovations, including USPS Premium Tracking, an online tool that allows customers to extend their access to the tracking history, and Intelligent Mail Barcode Accounting, a platform that automates the invoicing of business reply mail postcards.
It was a time of achievements, too: Link’s “Heroes’ Corner” column received the top honor in the article series category in Ragan’s Employee Communications Awards, a national competition for communications professionals.
USPS also began delivering 590 million mailpieces from the U.S. Census Bureau, one of the largest mailings in postal history.
The beginning of 2020 also brought a flurry of new stamps, including Year of the Rat, the first installment in a new Lunar New Year series; Made of Hearts, this year’s Love stamp; a Black Heritage release honoring Gwen Ifill; and a stamp honoring golf great Arnold Palmer.
The first quarter ended on an ominous note, though, when Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan updated employees about the fast-spreading coronavirus.
“The Postal Service is taking this health threat seriously, but we also intend to act calmly and consistently based upon the advice of medical and public health professionals,” she said.
Coming next: Link’s four-part review of 2020 continues Dec. 28 with a look at spring activities.
