Tag: UPS

The challenger came on strong last year with a splashy, USD150 million ad blitz that portrayed its bright yellow fleet as a reliable alternative to UPS and FedEx. DHL, long the dominant small-package carrier outside the United States, was determined to break into the domestic duopoly of UPS and FedEx which, together, control 80 percent of deliveries in the world’s largest market. It’s been a bumpy road so far. A series of breakdowns in DHL’s domestic delivery network stranded huge numbers of US packages last fall, lowered on-time deliveries to levels company officials called “totally unacceptable” and cost UD280 million in lost revenue. Now, with its infrastructure problems apparently fixed, DHL plans another major ad campaign during the Winter Olympics aimed at wresting market share from its American rivals. “Our strategy going forward is totally unchanged, and it’s beginning to bear fruit,” said John Pearson, DHL’s executive vice president. “We’re challenging the duopoly here with a flexible, responsive and more human approach – and the reaction from customers has been very favorable.”