USPS is seeking a new creative and media partner: AI speed, conflict-savvy strategy, and a lobby rethink
The United States Postal Service has issued a request for information for a new creative and media agency partner. The brief points to three priorities: handle the reality that competitors are also customers, accelerate go-to-market with AI, and "reinvent" the lobby experience.
What USPS is asking for
- Conflict-smart thinking: a plan to manage work where competitors are also clients or key account users.
- AI for speed: workflows that short-cycle creative, production, approvals, and media optimization.
- Lobby reinvention: concepts that improve in-person experience, reduce friction, and tie into digital.
What this means for creative teams
This is a call for agencies that can move fast without breaking trust. You'll need clear conflict protocols, an AI-enabled production engine, and service design thinking that connects physical and digital touchpoints.
Build AI speed without losing control
- Set up a content pipeline: brief templates, brand-safe prompts, reusable layouts, and automated versioning by region, offer, and channel.
- Use AI for faster feedback loops: generate multiple creative options, run quick audience tests, and prune to winners within days, not months.
- Guardrails first: pre-approved tone, legal disclaimers, and sensitive-topic filters so reviews stay tight and predictable.
- Close the loop: pipe performance data back into prompts and templates to improve with each cycle.
If your team is formalizing AI skills, this curated list of role-based programs can help standardize workflows and prompts across creative, media, and production: AI courses by job.
Competitors as customers: de-risk the work
- Information firewalls: separate teams, tools, and storage for accounts that compete with each other. Document it and make it auditable.
- Category clarity: define what can be shared (generic insights) and what is off-limits (account-level data, tests, pricing).
- Conflict declarations: require staff to disclose prior engagements and rotate talent as needed.
- Data hygiene: use clean-room or aggregated reporting for any cross-account learnings.
Reinvent the lobby experience: quick wins and pilots
- Queue intelligence: clear digital signage with estimated wait times, service menus, and prep checklists to cut confusion.
- Mobile assist: QR codes that launch forms, label creation, and payment before reaching the counter.
- Wayfinding and zoning: distinct areas for pickup, drop-off, and full-service to reduce congestion.
- Self-service boosts: clear guidance for kiosks and parcel lockers, plus staff "floaters" to keep first-time users moving.
- Measurement plan: time-in-line, throughput, NPS by hour and location, and test/control rollouts to prove lift.
What to include in your RFI response
- Proof you can move fast: a sample 30-day sprint from brief to live creative with AI in the loop.
- Conflict governance: your playbook for firewalls, data policies, and compliance reviews.
- Lobby concept kit: 1-2 modular pilots with expected impact, cost, timeline, and how you'll measure results.
- Team structure: named leads across creative, media, CX, and data, with clear escalation paths.
- Operational detail: tool stack, brand safety controls, asset management, and reporting cadence.
The brief points to a partner that can deliver clarity, speed, and measurable improvements-without risking trust. If your shop has the muscle to ship fast, protect data, and fix real customer pain in the lobby, this is your moment.
Your membership also unlocks:
