USPS Continues To Deliver Strong Service Performance

Fiscal 2021 First Quarter Key Financial Highlights: *Revenues were $2.12 billion, a 10% decline compared to $2.34 billion in the prior year, primarily driven by the sale of News America Marketing *Net income of $47 million compared to a net loss of $(211) million in the prior year, which included non-cash impairment charges of $273 million *Total Segment EBITDA was $268 million compared to $221 million in the prior year *Reported EPS were $0.06 compared to $(0.39) in the prior year – Adjusted EPS were $0.08 compared to $0.04 in the prior year *Segment EBITDA at Digital Real Estate Services grew 45%, with record revenue and profit contribution by Move, operator of realtor.com®, led by its referral model *Segment EBITDA at Dow Jones grew 47%, driven by record average consumer product subscriptions of 3.88 million, led by 29% growth in digital-only subscriptions *Book Publishing saw 13% and 45% growth in revenues and Segment EBITDA, respectively, benefiting from continued strong performance in digital sales

The U.S. consumer magazine industry shrunk by more than 30% in the past five years, due largely to print advertising declines, per PwC data. The rate of decline is expected to slow slightly in the next five years, thanks to new efforts from online media companies to acquire and digitize traditional print brands. Why it matters: "If you make the right acquisition in the right vertical ... it can give you real scale that is meaningful and major clout in that vertical very quickly," said Jason Webby, chief revenue officer at Future.

Email may be more convenient and less expensive for brands, but if you really want your customers to look at a communication, mail is much more effective, according to a new report. A study by automation specialist Quadient has found that almost two-thirds (62%) of UK consumers say they are more likely to open a physical letter than an email, with many citing the fact that letters feel more personal. When asked why a physical letter from a business might be better than email, 39% said letters feel more personalised to them and their needs than bulk email messages, while 42% said there is no risk of hacking, phishing or being infected by viruses. A further 37% said they appreciate the lack of spam messages received through physical mail. “Companies need to think strategically about the different scenarios in which they contact customers and choose the communication channel that best fits the situation.”