I recently bought postage for my tax forms. And I decided to discuss the details of this postage stamp purchase in the context of the product mix (you know the 4 P’s of Marketing: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion). While this is technically a service, I also recognize the physical product being attached to my material. The product was a large sticker that affixed to my envelope. It took up a very large amount of space, which was not convenient since I had already written out the address and had to figure out if I could stick the sticker on the back of the package. (http://faq.usps.com/eCustomer/iq/images/AI4147-1.jpg)
Postage pricing structure is very strange: I could have bought regular stamps but they don’t put a price on the stamps so it’s unclear how much you are actually buying. I think a normal stamp is $.44 now, but they don’t say, and unless you use a current postal scale you don’t know if you’re over paying or (heaven forbid) you underpay and they won’t accept the package. So I always error on the side of overpaying, never being sure how much I’m overpaying. Also pricing is unclear because it seems to be by weight, but you can buy boxes that seem to have given postage price. I’ve mailed books at other locations and they have a category for books which is substantially cheaper, but outside of using their service I would have no concept on how much to pay. Postal prices seems pretty elastic because I just pay whatever the price is and may grumble but I have no concept/evidence that I’m paying too much or too little for the service.
I can buy stamps at a grocery store, warehouse store, a scrap-booking store or directly from the post office via vending machine or standing in line. So I’d say the distribution is “intensive”. What is weird is that I can’t buy from my postal delivery person. When I asked (a while ago) he said it was because they weren’t allowed to carry money for fear of getting robbed. Seems strange that Domino’s can handle the risk of a much higher priced item, but the postal service is worried about muggings which would result in thieves making a getaway with pockets full of nickels and dimes or worse leaving the postal worker and hijacking the vehicle as part of their getaway.
I know that stamps can be collected, so there is some inherent value other than face value. And I know they make a big deal when they release one with someone famous on there (i.e. Elvis stamps can be worth quite a bit). (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/26/AR2006122600415.html) But that’s the only “promotional” activity I’ve heard of. They do have to deal with Public Relations because of a few shooters, so they’ve had to try and build some trust that they’re not all nuts, but that’s not specific to the stamps.
Have you purchased postage on-line? What was your experience with it?
Tags: 4 P's of Marketing, Postage, postage stamps, Postal service, produc mix, USPS
