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National Prostate Cancer Coalition
Washington, DC

Grassroots
Why the Prostate Cancer Awareness Stamp Isn't Selling - USPS Explains
by
Steve Corman

29 Feb 2000. On Friday February 25th, Ed Colloton and I met with officials from the United States Postal Service USPS in Representative Christopher Shays' (R - 4th CT) office. In addition to the two of us, there were several other local survivors, plus: Chris Boynton, an American Cancer Society New England Division Executive Vice President; Karen Charest, a key aide for Representative Shays; Dana Williamson, USPS Public Relations Representative, Washington, DC; Cindy Tachett, USPS Manager of Retail Sales, Washington, DC; and, George Fisher, USPS Postmaster of Stamford, CT (the 180th largest US City). This meeting was a follow up to a meeting held with Rep. Shays himself in November.
        Early in the meeting it was made fairly clear that most of us who have been active in attempting to publicize this stamp had received a fair amount of misinformation over the past nine months. The figure of 78.1 million stamps printed was correct. However this was not more than triple the number of stamps printed for a normal commemorative issue as we had been led to believe. We were told that the average number of stamps for a commemorative issue is 75 million.
       While we tend to compare things with the effort that the USPS has put behind the marketing of the Breast Cancer Research Funding Stamp, no such comparisons can be made. That stamp is the only semi-postal stamp (a stamp with a premium above the first class postage) ever authorized by Congress. While the wording of the bill (HR 1585) that authorized the Breast Cancer stamp did not specifically mention marketing, the postal officials told us that they had been mandated to make the sales of this stamp be successful. The Prostate Cancer Awareness stamp received similar amounts of pre-release publicity, first day of issue coverage, and background info provided to postmasters as most other commemorative stamps. Indeed, because of this stamp's announcement at the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and because Lance was the leader of the US Cycling team (which was sponsored by the USPS), it may have received more than the usual first day of issue publicity.
       We had been told in the past that there was no way of tracking sales of this stamp apart from any other commemorative stamp. This seemed illogical to those of us whose backgrounds were in the business world. Lack of inventory control would make it difficult, if not impossible, to track down fraud or theft. We were right on that point.
       However, without a major amount of work, it is not possible to determine how many unsold stamps are still in the stamp drawers of the thousands of individual post offices (in the long run, this will change since the USPS is implementing the use of point-of-delivery terminals with built in bar code readers). Therefore, they could only track the remaining stamps that are still at Stamp Delivery Offices. That number is 51 million.
       So 28 million stamps have been shipped to individual post offices. When asked if they could estimate how many of those might have been sold, they told us that since we are telling them that most post offices seem to be out of them, their assumption would be that most of those have been sold. When asked for a comparison with other commemorative stamps 9 months after release, they responded that they would classify this as "not a big seller."
        We asked why so many post offices have run out of the stamps and have not reordered or may never have ordered them in the first place. We were told that they are like any other commodity. There are lots of stamps issued each year, only so much space, and in order to have adequate supplies of stamps that customers want, the poorer selling stamps do not get ordered and restocked at the local level. Unless they are directly involved with or touched in some way by Prostate Cancer, nobody wants to use a disease oriented stamp. They are much more apt to ask for a pretty stamp (birds, flowers, etc.) or a humorous stamp (movie stars, cartoon characters, etc.). If a customer does not specifically ask for a particular stamp, and the clerk pulls out Public Service Announcement stamps, these are usually rejected by most customers.
       Finally, we asked what could we do to help get more stamps sold. We were told that with most "public service stamps," organizations that pushed for that stamp's release usually got behind the stamp and publicized it. The USPS usually "rubber stamps" any request to use the stamp image for publicity (posters, web sites, shirts, caps, etc.). And they will almost always honor any requests for the USPS to be involved in meetings, conferences, and symposia, related to the reason for the stamp. Usually this means that they will be glad to set up a table in the "exhibitor" area, staff it with a postal clerk or two, and sell the stamps. In addition, they will work with groups that want to create special "local event" covers (envelopes with specially designed cachets) and cancel those at the event. These covers may be used just for publicity or for fund raising.
       I know this to be true because I was heavily involved in preparing for the Connecticut rollout of the Prostate Cancer Awareness stamp last June, a few days after the official first day of issue. The wife of a PCa Survivor (a man I counseled when he was first diagnosed) is a graphic artist. She agreed to design the cachet and I designed the cancellation postmark. We included this "cover" in the goody bag given to all attendees at Yale Cancer Center's all day Cancer Survivor Day event. The USPS special events coordinator for Connecticut was a key member of the committee that prepared for all of the events for that day. During the lunchtime activities, we honored the USPS for supporting the Breast cancer, Prostate Cancer, and Hospice stamps.
       Speaking of the Hospice stamp, The USPS officials used that as an example of what groups do to help get a stamp sold. They stated that hundreds (if not thousands) of hospitals and hospice centers held special events at which the stamp was featured. That stamp sold out in about 6 months.
       There was one interesting development that may be at the heart of the relatively low sales of the Prostate Cancer Awareness stamp. The USPS officials stated that they are more apt to work harder with local groups when they see major sponsorship and support from national groups. In the case of cancer related stamps, they stated that this is usually the American Cancer Society. This put a fair amount of pressure on the ACS VP who was at the meeting. The survivors in the room all knew that the reason for the lack of support from ACS (and unfortunately other national organizations as well) is the wording "Annual Checkups and Tests" in the lower right corner of the stamp.        Now that the ACS has lowered their mortality figures for PCa by almost 20% this year, perhaps it is time for us to push the point that those words do not call for "mass screening" (which they do not approve), nor do they say that the patient and doctor should not discuss the issue before testing takes place. ACS guidelines DO encourage testing for all men over 50 (45 in high-risk situations). By creating awareness, this stamp would encourage the education and information that the ACS want to see precede testing.
       We all need to pressure the ACS into seeing this truth and getting behind the stamp. Many people do not know the stamp exists. At best we only reach a few thousand people on our mailing lists and web sites. It will take a lot more publicity to sell the rest of these stamps. If the most powerful cancer organization (ACS) got behind this stamp we could probably get 50 or 75 thousand posters printed up for a fraction of the current $2 per poster. Also, if the ACS were behind this, we would probably have no trouble getting these posters into every post office, every hospital, and every urologist's office. I believe this would make all the difference in the world.
        The ACS in Connecticut generously paid for enough posters for all of the post offices in Connecticut. The CT USPS Special Events Coordinator agreed to distribute them. Unfortunately, when we tried to extend this to the rest of New England, we were told that the USPS district managers turned this down. Many of you have reported that directives from Atlanta HQ to the local ACS divisions have resulted in active DISCOURAGEMENT of any publicity or support. How much influence has this had on such decisions? This needs to change.
       I also want to encourage any and every group that puts on any PCa conferences or symposia to take advantage of the USPS's offer to participate by staffing a table to sell the stamps and/or participate in specialty "covers" for the events. In addition, any professional groups or medical conventions that involve cancer in general (this would include such things as ASCO, AUA, Oncology Nursing Association, etc.) should take advantage of the same offer and extend it to include sales of ALL current cancer related stamps.
       I was fairly convinced by the USPS people at our meeting that they are not treating us unfairly. As with so many other issues, we largely have ourselves to blame.

Stephen Corman is a colon and prostate cancer survivor, a full-time activist, and a founding board member of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition. He served as Connecticut co-chair for THE MARCH, a 1998 national campaign to increase research funding for ALL cancers. He is the webmaster of PCAN, the Prostate Cancer Action Network.