After receiving concerned feedback from many mailers, the Postal Service moved quickly to reassure its customers that the re-branding of Standard Mail as Marketing Mail will not harm anyone or reduce the value of mail. At the Postmaster General’s Mailers Technical Advisory Committee meeting on November 1, newly re-titled chief customer and marketing officer Jim Cochrane said they he will do nothing that devalues the mail. If a mailer does not want to print “Marketing Mail” on their envelopes they will not be required to.

Nonprofit mailers who sent 12.6 billion pieces of Standard Mail last year, had reacted to the rebranding with the response that what they do is not “marketing.” Further, they were concerned that recipients of nonprofit mail marked “Marketing Mail” would open and respond at much lower rates. Now they need not be concerned.

Apparently, the main reason for the re-branding is that USPS marketers believe it will help them to sell mail to more businesses that are not currently mailing. If that is the result, and current mailers are not hurt, we all win. And we thank Jim and the USPS for their quick clarification.