The Changemakers: The United States Postal ServiceThe Changemakers: The United States Postal Service

The licensing industry has global influence; consumers flock to buy the products the industry creates, and the revenue driven at retail is a substantial driver in a brand’s power to implement change. Some executives harness the power of their position to become what License Global calls a changemaker, meaning that to create the change they want to see in the world, they are uncovering licensing’s potential as a catalyst.  

To celebrate the initiatives and individuals behind change, License Global explores how the licensing industry impacts sustainability, diversity and inclusion through a monthly insight column called “Changemakers.”

This month’s column highlights United States Postal Service’s sustainability initiatives, licensing deals and how they aim to be an affordable and accessible service to everyone. Amity Kirby, manager, licensing, United States Postal Service, sat down with License Global to discuss all things USPS.

License Global: For our readers who don’t live in the U.S., can you tell us a bit about who USPS is and what it sets out to do?

Amity Kirby: The United States Postal Service is an endlessly fascinating organization, which plays a vital and valued role in the daily life of the American public, and in the life of our nation. We visit 167 million addresses six days a week – serving every residence and business. We operate in every American community via our 31,000 Post Offices. We process more than 340 million pieces of mail and packages a day, connecting every American to one another and providing a cornerstone of America’s economic infrastructure.

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Overseen by a bipartisan board of governors, the Postal Service is in the midst implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America (DFA) – a $40 billion investment aimed at revitalizing and modernizing the national postal network, restoring long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improving service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintaining the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.

Throughout 2024, USPS has been relentlessly working toward the objectives of its DFA plan by harnessing the power of network modernization, an upgraded delivery fleet and the successful launch of the USPS Ground Advantage and USPS Connect services. Thanks to the substantial progress USPS has made under Delivering for America, the Postal Service has rapidly advanced its goal of building a reenergized, nationwide integrated mail and package network that is logical, efficient, cost-effective and reliable, ensuring dependable and affordable service for all Americans.

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How does USPS fit into the licensing business? Why has this public service decided to get into licensing?

United States Postal Service has a long history of connecting people and enriching their lives, and licensing is a natural extension of that mission. In fact, USPS was the first federal agency sanctioned to own copyrights and trademarks, and has been licensing since the 1980s. 

Licensing offers an opportunity to further develop the strong USPS affinity many Americans feel, as we expand the brand into new products and categories.

This helps us support our mission of delivering affordable, reliable service to every household across the nation while celebrating the unique aspects of our culture that resonate with Americans everywhere.

The USPS acts as both a licensor through the USPS brand as well as a licensee through its stamp options. How do those two ends of the USPS licensing business differ, and what do they have to offer consumers?

As a licensor, USPS leverages the strength of our iconic brand to bring USPS licensed products to consumers in innovative and engaging ways. This helps amplify our heritage and presence beyond traditional postal services, connecting with the public in their everyday lives.  

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On the other hand, our stamp program is executed through philatelic agreements and managed by our Stamp Development team. The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), which serves the Postmaster General (PMG), selects subjects for recommendation as future stamp issues, made with all postal customers in mind, including stamp collectors. U.S. postage stamps and stationery will primarily feature American or American-related subjects. Other subjects may be considered if the subject had significant impact on American history, culture or environment. 

Together, these two aspects of our licensing efforts enrich the customer experience, offering unique products and memorable ways to celebrate the USPS brand and the stories we tell.

Tell us about your latest licensing deals. What USPS-branded products have recently hit the market?

We’re excited about the recent additions to our USPS licensed products. Just in time for Halloween, we launched a range of fun costumes for both kids and pets, including an exclusive mail truck costume at Target that even featured working truck lights. 

Our 6-volt ride-on mail truck, also available at Target, has been generating a lot of positive buzz on social media.

The children’s category has been an exciting focus for us, with the introduction of Mr. ZIP and Friends plushies and children’s books like “Mr. ZIP’s Windy Day” – available online at Amazon – with even more coming in 2025. Plus, we’re gearing up for another kid-friendly product launch later this year that celebrates children’s love for our delivery vehicles. 

These products allow us to engage with younger audiences and their families in a unique and memorable way.

The USPS has branched out into NFTs. What has made that a worthwhile venture?

USPS entered the NFT space early on, moving more quickly than usual to capitalize on this new trend. The decision was driven by our commitment to offering innovative products that resonate with both our dedicated stamp collectors and a broader audience. 

Stamp collectors are incredibly passionate about their hobby and often express a desire to engage younger generations. NFTs provide an exciting new way for collectors to expand their collections digitally, bridging the gap between traditional collecting and modern interests. 

This venture also allows USPS to connect with new customers who are drawn to the concept of digital collecting, further diversifying our audience and ensuring that our brand continues to evolve in a rapidly changing landscape.

USPS is passionate about sustainability efforts. Tell us about that. 

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at USPS. Our 10-year Delivering for America transformation and modernization plan provides the foundation for the Postal Service to continuously improve the sustainability of our operations. As the largest mailing operation in the world, we deeply appreciate the impact we have on the communities we serve six, and often, seven days a week and are committed to environmental sustainability. 

To fulfill our objectives, we established an Environmental Council, chaired by the Postmaster General, to align our sustainability initiatives to the aspirations of the Administration and Congress without compromising our mission and cost reduction initiatives. We set firm emission reduction targets, defined robust sustainability measures and started deployment of electric vehicles into our fleet. We continually optimize our logistics and processing operations to reduce wasteful trips and inefficient practices. The Biden Administration recognized these efforts when we received the Presidential Federal Sustainability Award in 2024. 

We remain steadfast in our commitment to champion sustainable practices and achieve our ambitious sustainability targets in a manner that makes both business and environmental sense. We will continue to reduce emissions throughout our operations, electrify our fleet, and deploy technology to optimize delivery routes and improve asset utilization. 

One additional point I’d like to highlight is the importance of innovation in everything we do at USPS. We’re committed to expanding our reach and diversifying the ways we connect with customers. These efforts are part of our larger strategy within the Delivering for America plan to transform and modernize the Postal Service.

Licensing’s goal is to deliver meaningful experiences that reflect the evolving needs and interests of our communities.  As we get ready to celebrate the Postal Service’s 250th anniversary next year, we’re excited to continue exploring new opportunities that build on our proud history while embracing the future.