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More on personalised stamps, including a special yuletide version, just in time for Christmas. As reported in our June edition, Dutch consumers and businesses are already enjoying the convenience of creating and ordering personalised stamps online. The service, offered by TPG Post, has proved extremely successful: since the launch of the online service, more than 650,000 personalised stamps have been purchased, with 50% of all stamps dedicated to Dutch tikes The introduction of new services continues. Last month, the ‘ten most beautiful personalised stamps’ were issued (no, ours weren’t among them — shame on TPG!). Naturally, they’re for sale and will gain, in true GRAVANITY-style, a mass audience. TPG Post is also promoting a corporate service, and, just in time for the holiday season, personalised Christmas stamps. Clever. So what about the biggest postal market in the world, the same nation that pretty much invented customised marketing and advertising? What company wouldn’t like to have its own branded stamps, and what GRAVANITY obsessed American could turn down the opportunity to have his or her mug featured on real stamps? Well, good news: the President’s Commission on the US Postal Service has recommended that the USPS sell… personalised stamps!

Opportunities

For consumers and businesses, this is a cool, eye-catching promotional tool. Springwise would not be surprised to see a mini industry emerge in advising and assisting corporations and direct marketing firms in how to put this new advertising medium to best use. Expect some upheaval in the world of stamp collecting as well. (How on earth can you keep your collection up to date if every day sees the issuing of yet another 5,000 unique stamps…?) For postal companies around the world, this may mean juicy revenues in a market severely harassed by email and other digital dangers.