Going Postal.

Yesterday's NYTimes ad column was about Campbell-Ewald's efforts to update the image of the US Postal Service. "Post Office Aims to Leave Yesterday’s Image Behind"

There is so much wrong with that headline. The USPS will never leave yesterday's image behind because everyday but Sunday 700,000 indolent postal workers remind you of the reality and the oxymoron-itude of the words Postal Service. Image is nothing. Service is everything.

I think the problem with the post office goes way beyond one advertising can solve. Simply put, they are not a "customer first" organization. The in-store experience is lousy, and at least in the city (which I know is anomalous) mail delivery seems capricious if not arbitrary. I'm afraid people perceive the USPS much like they look at telcos--well maybe they don't hate the postal service as much as they hate Verizon, but you get the idea.

Advertising can help fix this image, but really, only a change in performance will really remedy the USPS's woes.