The United States Postal Service is airing a TV commercial featuring Lorenzo, an employee shown accepting packages from customers. He explains those customers can pay, print and have USPS pick up packages from home businesses.
We like how the video focuses on Lorenzo, personalizing the service. But the video is a better morale booster or employee recruitment tool than a customer recruitment tool. The video displays the U.S. Postal Service as a fun and rewarding place to work. We would rather see the video focus on a home business owner. The home business owner is the target audience. Personalize the video around one home business owner who can explain the advantages of the Postal Service’s perks. How about a home business owner who works with family photos in the background, symbolizing the balancing act such business owners face every day? Show us a home business owner packing up her shipment, opening the door and handing the package to Lorenzo on her front porch? Even better, share the story of a customer who tells of a particular time the Postal Service saved the day. That approach inspires trust. Then ask other customers out in TV land to share their Postal Service stories on social media.
And let’s hear from a real customer who shares a story of how the Postal Service impacted his business. We don’t want to see another actor portrayal who may not know the first thing about running a home business. Show us someone thoughtful and genuine.
The video also does not help demonstrate the Postal Service’s leadership. We don’t know if the services highlighted in the commercial separate the Postal Service from the competition. For all we know, the video offers solutions we could also find elsewhere.
People often choose businesses after reading reviews and checking out the competition. They don’t read reviews from employees. Lorenzo seems like a nice guy. But he’s not the guy we want to hear from.