USPS agrees 10-year extension for change-of-address service
The US Postal Service has extended its partnership with the producer of its Mover’s Guide, which helps US residents change address when moving house. The USPS has put pen to paper on a 10-year renewal of its MoverSource Alliance, a service provided by Pitney Bowes subsidiary Imagitas, Inc.
Through the partnership, Massachusetts-based Imagitas produces a range of printed and online materials to provide introductory information to about 44 million people that change address each year in the US.
As well as the Mover’s Guide, which is available in 38,000 post offices nationwide, offering assistance on changing address including the correct USPS form, the service produces an online Mover’s Guide that even allows residents to track the change of address process and correct any mistakes in their applications.
MoverSource also includes a Welcome Kit, which is one of the first items mailed to the resident’s new address, containing helpful local information and retail offers.
The informational side of the service is supported by advertising, which opens up access for marketing to a valuable consumer group.
“Companies want to be in contact with you after you’ve moved, but it’s a time when consumers can drop off the face of the earth. We bridge that gap,” explained Tamara Dukes, Imagitas senior vice president for strategic alliances.
Dukes told Post&Parcel today that the partnership with the Postal Service had generated around $400 million in revenue since it started in 1995.
She said: “In this day and age, the Postal Service is looking for creative partnerships and they certainly want to support things that cut costs and bring in revenue – and MoverSource does both.”
The Postal Service has also benefited since MoverSource has absorbed “millions” of dollars in potential costs from its previous Change of Address program, with Imagitas printing and producing all materials.
On renewing its partnership with Imagitas, the USPS said it sees the MoverSource service as a success, with postmaster-general Pat Donahue stating that he now expects it to “provide excellent service value to our moving customers for many years to come”.
Imagitas, which is based just outside Boston in Waltham and was acquired by Pitney Bowes back in 2005, now aims to expand the online side of its MoverSource service, which is currently used by only 20-30% of movers.
The company also hopes to expand its advertising capabilities to offer advertising with the same kind of local focus that the information side of the MoverSource service currently provides.
Information contained within Welcome Kits can be tailored by zip code, and ultimately Imagitas hopes to be able to offer advertisers the chance to hone their campaigns by a similar zip code basis.
Dukes said: “Our advertising is currently arranged nationally and regionally, through 38 market areas – so it’s not quite the Mom and Pop stores, but we want to get to the point where you might get locally-specific advertising.”
