Image Makeover: Indian Postal Service

UPDATE: Thanks to Copyscape, I’ve once again found somebody copying the exact content of my blog without mentioning the source as my URL, for e.g., this post is replicated ditto here, so much so that they have used this image as well which was actually clicked from my TOI newspaper by my camera. Any idea what is this Traders Group and how can I stop them for copying without acknowledging the source? Any help regarding this would be greatly appreciated. Infact these copying websites go upto the extent of changing the dates as well and post it on dates prior to the post, really sad and shameful

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While flipping through yesterday’s TOI, happened to glace through the advertisement of Indian Post Service. To be honest it was a pleasant surprise to see the two half page teasers followed by one full page advertisement of Indian Post. Not only the messaging and communication was looking fresh, rather they had changed their logo as well. The logo clearly looks like an envelope and at first quick look itself one can establish the connect between logo and nature of service. Infact I think this envelope kind of design looks bit modern and stylish as compared to their old logo. The communication ends with this interesting and self-explanatory message “DAK SEVA, JAN SEVA”. First of all it’s really good to observe this re-positioning exercise taken by Indian Post Department. I liked the communication which is very much based on emotional connect, O&M has done it once again very rightly as they have done for lots of other brands in past . Here is a peek at the new logo and the TOI creative:

Like many other Govt. organization, even Indian Post was badly in need of an image makeover. Definitely it looks like a new journey for Indian Post. But is it really a new journey? Will just a brand campaign and full page advertisements in main media lead to re-establishing the impact of Indian Post in minds of Indian Consumers? Now let me narrate two of my very recent personal experiences with Indian Post.

• Last month I had received a letter from Indian Post mentioning a speed post had come for me, it was some bank letter and it’s lying at their office. And I can come and collect that letter from their office between 10 am to 5 pm within 3 days. If I’m not wrong I got this message on Monday evening. No further details and no phone numbers left on that slip. Now in today’s professional lifestyle, how is it possible for us to collect the parcel between 10 to 5 on a normal weekday? We tried to think of some other possible alternatives, but well its Govt organization so we had to succumb to their rigid rules and regulations and resultantly my husband decided to go to office late next day and collected the post from the address mentioned in the slip.

• Two weeks back, we again received a slip mentioning some speed post is waiting in their office and we need to collect the same. My first reaction – Oh god, not again! No normal Indian Consumer uses the speed post from Indian Post Dept anymore, why can’t these banks also stop using it and shift to some private courier service??? Husband was not in town, so I decided to pick it up, and hence next day decided to go to office late. I reached post office at sharp 10:00 am, waited patiently for the post office to open and lo’ nobody turned up on time. To add to that the place was really very shabby with dogs roaming around, it was so difficult to stand over there and wait for it to open. Finally one gentleman turned up and on asking he replied without even looking at my face, “madam this is not my department, wait for XYZ to some and he will give you the same”! Waited patiently for 45 mins but then when Mr. XYZ didn’t turn up till 10:45, I decided to give up on the same as 12 o’clock I was having some meeting at office. And sadly my office is quite far from my residence and it takes me good one and half hour to reach my office on any normal day. Neither I was able to collect the letter nor I managed to reach on time . Its more than two weeks now and we have not managed to collect the letter till now, I’m sure it would have returned back to its place of origin by now.

While image makeover and re-positioning exercise in terms of communication and advertising is all very good but first thing which departments like Indian Posts should do is overhaul their overall delivery and customer service system to suit the need and pace of today’s Indian consumer. Gone are the days when consumers were dependent on Govt. organizations, today consumers have enough alternatives available to fulfill their needs. So, if Indian Post Department really wants to go for image makeover, they should first of all invest in good technology, customer care department, infrastructure and delivery options. Then only they will be able to compete with private players and hopefully win back their old customers. We had seen some of the very famous Govt organizations like BSNL, SBI, LIC etc going in for image makeover and spending huge money on brand campaigns, some of it yielded good results and some not. Just advertising and promises through communication doesn’t make any sense if the organization is not having the backend to deliver the promise to the customer. Let’s see what’s in store for Indian Post Department ahead. Hopefully they are trying to buck up their overall system as well along with this interesting brand campaign.

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