United States Postal Service spokesman Ryan Claven announced today that the snail mail giant will be unveiling a new procedure that allows customers to keep friends and loved ones abreast of the happenings in their lives the old-fashioned way: with a stamped envelope.

This move comes on the heels of a week in which the USPS has received harsh criticism after its decision to cut Saturday mail service.

“The United States Postal Service has long been this country’s #1 source for communication and we have no intentions of relinquishing that title.  The USPS will one day be synonymous with social media and that quest starts today,” said Claven at a press conference this morning.

While details of the plan are still sketchy at best, it appears that users will be able to drop tweets, texts, IMs, videos and even status updates into the normal blue mail boxes and, provided you have the appropriate postage, the USPS will deliver them in a timely fashion.  Users will also have the option of going into local branches and paying additional fees for such features as “priority texting” or “first class status updates.”  Consumers can even pay to receive confirmation that their IM was acknowledged.

A recent survey conducted by the Center for Social Media Self Assessment shows that 87% of social media users do not care how quickly their information is received but only that it is received at all.

"It will be tough for other companies to compete with our moderately short lines and adequately trained staff,” said Claven, whose sentiments have been echoed across the nation.  “I’d like to see Facebook guarantee that you’ll be able to post a video to YouTube despite rain, hail, sleet or snow.  Every time it rains, my internet goes out,” said Wayne Newman, President of the DC chapter of the American Mail Carriers Association of America (AMCAA).  “Also, why should we be the only federal employees to work on Saturdays?  I like college football just as much as the next guy!"

Representatives from Facebook and Twitter were unavailable for comment.

Happy April 1st everyone…

This is just one of the questions asked in a recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research and commissioned by PAAS and Hunter PR.  The results were showcased in USA Today’s print and online editions.

It’s no surprise that Lady Gaga, the most over-the top celebrity, was favored by 58% of respondents.  We can only imagine her egg being dyed neon colors with sparkles, and maybe too much skin showing.

In a distant second place, 14% of Americans think that any cast member from Jersey Shore would make the most over-the-top Easter egg.  It’s not quite “gym, tan, laundry,” but it has a certain ring to it.  We’re betting that Snooki would color hers a disturbingly unnatural orange.

Our team of PR Polling experts worked closely with the pros over at Hunter PR on this project.  It’s a great example of how survey data can be used in unexpected ways to drive top-tier media coverage.

If you’re interested in working with Wakefield, contact us to learn more.

Consumers are still making changes in response to the economic climate.  That’s no surprise.  Lifestyle choices are being re-examined.  What can we live without?  What can’t we live without?  As consumers examine their spending habits, purchases are often divided into three categories.

1) Necessities - expenses that are unavoidable or "must-have" items.  Things that typically fall into this category include rent. 

2) Essentials - items that are necessary but can vary in style and price.  Clothing is a good example.  Does a consumer need to shop at Bloomingdale’s?  Or, could a more budget-conscious retailer suffice? 

3) Luxuries - items that everyone can live without, though many have difficulty letting go.  Examples include jewelry (by definition, a luxury) and season tickets to sports games (despite what many of us might think).

Perhaps, another item on this list of luxuries is the cup of coffee. 

Gourmet coffee from shops like Starbucks and Caribou Coffee illustrate how this has become a luxury item.  For the same $4.00 spent on one Grande Mocha Latte, a can of coffee from Folgers will yield at least two weeks worth of coffee. 

In a recent survey conducted by Wakefield, more than two in five (43%) consumers had gone to Starbucks less over the past 12 months in an effort to save money.

On the other side of the barista counter, businesses like Starbucks shudder at the thought of losing that amount of revenue.  From 2008 to 2009, revenue dropped 5.8%, or $600M (From $10.4B to $9.8B).  It was the steepest decline in the Seattle-based company’s short, but decorated, history.

In February, Starbucks posted its first quarterly rise in sales in two years.  Is this a sign that gun-shy consumers are beginning to spend more on the daily luxuries they once struggled to let go?  On the heels of this announcement, projections have already been increased to over $12.6B.

Starbucks may be getting ahead of itself.  Looking forward to the next 12 months, nearly one in two (47%) consumers say they will be visiting Starbucks less in an effort to recover from the economic difficulties of the recession and to continue to save money for any future hardships.

As the economy continues to rebound, will all luxury items follow the path of the gourmet cup of coffee?  Will Americans run back to their guilty pleasures or keep moving forward without them? 

Several market research firms have released studies claiming that consumers are ready to start spending again.  According to them, while the economy may still be struggling, things are headed in the right direction…which means expected increases in consumer spending.

These studies oversimplify the consumer mindset.

Consumers are divided, right now, into several different camps.  To understand these camps, one must ask specific, tangible questions about real-world spending choices.  Simply asking consumers if they expect to spend more or less in the coming months is not enough. 

Premium cable (HBO, Showtime, etc.) is a good example to understand how many consumers think about the economy.  No doubt, premium cable channels are a non-essential item - something that’s “nice-to-have.”  At the same time, however, canceling premium cable channels requires effort (calling the cable company, waiting on hold, etc.).  Canceling premium cable channels is a solid indication that a family has had a serious conversation about reducing household spending.   

A recent Wakefield survey showed that, among households with premium cable channels:

- 50% plan to get rid of premium channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.) in the next 12 months

- 50% plan to continue getting premium channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.) in the next 12 months

This figure illustrates how consumers are divided.  They have strong opinions, when it comes to future spending habits.  Those opinions differ based on key demographic factors and attitudes.  They key is understanding which factors serve as accurate trigger-points – and then tying those trigger-points to real-world decisions (like canceling or continuing to get HBO/Showtime). 

This formula provides a much more useful and strategic roadmap than simply asking if consumers expect to spend more or less in the coming months.

Many economic experts claim that we have navigated through the worst of an economic recession - the likes of which we haven’t seen since 1929.  They could be right or they could be wrong.  Either way, it seemed safe to assume that, at some point, the economy in this country would rebound. 

An unexpected twist to all of this is the emergence of the “new consumer.”  No, this isn’t a person who will be making purchases for the first time.  More than likely, this will be a seasoned shopper who will have retired the credit cards for some time and is now finally ready to dust them off. 

This consumer will be wary and more economical with their purchasing for sure, but what else will be different?  Some studies say that this “new consumer” is going to be more open to trying new brands or products.  However, most of these studies stuggle to explain why.  What about a recession would make someone abandon their sense of brand loyalty?  This kind of thinking suggests that consumers, in some way, blame retailers for their economic woes. 

To say that the emergence of the economy from a recession will bring with it a consumer looking to start fresh over-simplifies things a bit.  After all, why would a brief period of economic turmoil generate the desire to find new favorites?  Did times get so tough that you no longer want to eat Cheerios?  Do you think of yourself as more of a Corn Flakes eater now? 

If a consumer chooses to explore other options with regards to their favorite brands, it will not be because the recession “opened their eyes” and made them “see the light.”  It will be because of a new product benefit, a lower price, or a healthier alternative – just like it was before the economic downturn.