Whenever you make an offer, potential buyers always wonder why. This is part of what makes the "reason why" offer so popular. The problem is that many of this kind of offer makes no sense. Labor Day sales, Christmas savings and Washington's birthday deals certainly work, and consumers look forward to them. But since they're so routine, they lack power. Miss one sale, and you know another will roll along soon enough.

E-mail has matured and gained popularity among marketers, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it completely beats out postal mail. Two experts take sides in the debate

Postmaster General John Potter took on proponents of do-not-mail legislation last week, saying that mailed ads help fund the USPS.

UPS is using an e-mail marketing effort to promote an initiative to offset carbon dioxide emissions generated by the transport of packages. The shipping company is targeting environmentally conscious consumers and businesses with the campaign, which launched October 6. UPS began offering some US shippers the opportunity to pay a small fee to offset the environmental impact of their shipments this week.

The US Senate approved legislation on September 30 that allows the US Postal Service to delay $4 billion in payments to a retirees' healthcare fund. The measure, passed by a 62 to 38 vote, was added to legislation that extends funding federal programs at current levels and raises Congress' budget by 6%. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill.

Direct Brands, a direct marketer of books, DVDs and recorded music, has named Deborah Fine president and CEO. Direct Brands and sister company Bookspan, owned by Najafi Companies, include the Book-of-the-Month Club, Columbia House, Doubleday Book Club and The Literary Guild. Previously, Fine was president of NBC Universal's iVillage Properties, a group of online communities including iVillage.com and YourTotalHealth.com with 27 million members.

The cities of San Francisco and Newark, NJ, signed this month as the first municipal clients of Web-based mail delivery system Zumbox. The two cities are using the platform, which Zumbox calls a "paperless postal system," to save on printing, paper and postage costs and to reduce their environmental impact.

UPS stuck its toe into the direct marketing industry on September 28, beginning a test of its insert marketing service in five US metropolitan areas. Industry executives reacted to the program by saying that they do not feel threatened by the move, but are hopeful that UPS's brand cachet creates opportunities for them.

The US House of Representatives passed legislation on September 25 that would allow the US Postal Service to cut the amount of money it is required to pay to its retirement account this year by $4 billion. The continuing resolution, which passed the House by a vote of 217 to 190, was awaiting action in the Senate as of press time.

A US Postal Service proposal to close office branches to cut costs at the financially troubled agency is making news headlines and has resulted in small uproars on the local level.