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Will MySpace save the Post Office?

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Digital, Mel Varley, Latest reporters' blogs January 22nd, 2008 by Melinda Varley

Over the past year the Post Office has attracted more than its fair share of negative publicity. Even it’s Joan Collins and Westlife television campaigns could not bring it back from the brink – will MySpace turn around consumer confidence in the brand?

Last year the Government-owned company closed 2,500 branches to safeguard its financial future, which prompted a staff walk-out in August, followed by a programme of weekly strikes.

The Post Office has the largest retail network in the UK, with more than 14,000 branches - more than all of the country’s banks and building societies put together. But the business is losing about £4 million a week according to reports, not helped by the fact that pensions and child benefits - which previously accounted for 40 per cent of the Post Office’s revenue - are now paid directly into bank accounts.

Last year, marketing director Gary Hockey-Morley said the Post Office was on its last chance with the public and that customer visits were falling as it doesn’t do nearly as much work for the Government it used to.

Hockey-Morley said it had to modernise and improve, and compete hard for income. But will a direct marketing campaign on MySpace be enough to ‘modernise’ the ailing retailer that calls itself the ‘People’s Post Office?’

I personally can’t imagine what I would do without the Post Office – perhaps I’d have to abuse our work mail system. As long as the queues are and as annoying as the ignorant staff are, I will always need them, namely because I’m too lazy to go elsewhere…neither do I know where else to go for that matter.

So despite consumers’ falling confidence in the brand, it is still a well known one and one that many will remain loyal to. The DM campaign aims to change their minds as well as get into the minds of young people to try and build the brand rapport its losing. 

You can’t blame the Post Office for wanting to tap into a different market, but will it work? How many young people will become a friend of the Post Office? I’d hate to see it go under but I won’t be visiting its MySpace page. Why would I, for the sake on an online game or competition? In my opinion the Post Office is going in the wrong direction.

Trying to recruit the younger generation isn’t a bad idea, but using MySpace is perhaps a little too over ambitious. How many people are going to have the Post Office as a friend? It just wouldn’t look cool…would it?