LIVONIA, Mich., Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/
-- Valassis (NYSE: VCI), one of the nation's leading
media and marketing services companies, announced today that
coupon-to-card/ID functionality, delivered via its award-winning
proprietary technology platform, has been extended to redplum.com
where consumers can easily download coupons direct to their store
card/ID good at nearly 20 regional grocery chains representing over
4,000 stores.
On redplum.com, this functionality is known as "Clip-free
Coupons." Clip-free Coupons offer consumers an additional way to
save, and for retailers, benefits include: greater visibility and
awareness for special offers, including private label promotions in
their stores and opportunities for new customer acquisition and
activation to their store loyalty programs.
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers also benefit from
the additional consumer engagement; enhanced security; ability to
integrate Clip-free Coupon downloads into brand exclusive programs;
and incremental insight into digital coupon usage behavior as
consumers download and redeem select offers via their retailer
shopper cards/IDs.
"This advanced technology is a prime example of the
sophisticated multi-media solutions we offer our clients to reach
today's consumers who are looking to find value how, when and where
they want," said Alan F. Schultz,
Valassis Chairman, President and CEO.
Here's how Clip-free Coupons work: Consumers visit redplum.com
and click to join Clip-free simply by providing their name, e-mail
address and Zip code. First-time users are prompted to register
their participating retailer card(s), and once the account is
registered, the savings begins. They can browse and
download the coupons that are most relevant to them directly from
redplum.com. Consumers can view their downloaded coupons; send a
list via e-mail; and check the status of the coupons. Once
downloaded, to redeem, they simply present their card at check out
and the savings will automatically be deducted from their shopping
bill based on eligible purchases.
According to research Valassis conducted with BIGinsight, over
80% of consumers have one or more retailer frequent shopper cards.
Additional findings include:
- Two out of three consumers have expressed an interest in trying
to load coupons to their cards;
- Over 80% of consumers who have downloaded coupons to their
cards have redeemed at least one; and
- 71% of consumers go to coupon sites for offers.
The Valassis coupon-to-card/ID network includes nearly 8,000
stores across 47 retail banners from coast to coast where digital
coupons are published on retailer websites and accessible for
download by millions of frequent shopper cardholders.
The company's technology platform – DigitalOfferExpert™ is a
smart system that manages digital distribution across secure print,
coupon to card/ID, mobile devices and more. Valassis was recognized
this year on the InformationWeek 500 list as an innovator
for this technology, which enables it to securely manage and
distribute digital coupons to consumers with ease.
Valassis continues to develop optimal digital media solutions
and coupon functionality that empowers its clients and their brands
to better reach, engage and activate consumers across today's
ever-changing digital landscape. At the same time,
these advancements increase the availability of coupons for today's
deal seekers and create the simplest, most reliable and most
efficient way for consumers to print and download digital
coupons.
About Valassis
Valassis is one of the nation's leading media and marketing
services companies, offering unparalleled reach and scale to more
than 15,000 advertisers. Its RedPlum® media portfolio delivers
value on a weekly basis to over 100 million shoppers across a
multi-media platform – in-home, in-store and in-motion. Through its
digital offerings, including redplum.com and save.com, consumers
can find compelling national and local deals. Headquartered in
Livonia, Michigan with
approximately 7,000 associates in 28 states and eight countries,
Valassis is widely recognized for its associate and corporate
citizenship programs, including its America's Looking for Its
Missing Children® program. Valassis companies include Valassis
Direct Mail, Inc., Valassis Canada, Promotion Watch, Valassis
Relationship Marketing Systems, LLC and NCH Marketing Services,
Inc. For more information, visit http://www.valassis.com,
http://www.redplum.com and http://www.save.com. To learn about
advertising opportunities with RedPlum, please call
1-800-437-0479.
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-looking
Statements
This document contains "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause our
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such
factors include, among others, the following: price competition
from our existing competitors; new competitors in any of our
businesses; a shift in client preference for different promotional
materials, strategies or coupon delivery methods, including,
without limitation, as a result of declines in newspaper
circulation; an unforeseen increase in paper or postal costs;
changes which affect the businesses of our clients and lead to
reduced sales promotion spending, including, without limitation, a
decrease of marketing budgets which are generally discretionary in
nature and easier to reduce in the short-term than other expenses;
our substantial indebtedness, and ability to refinance such
indebtedness, if necessary, and our ability to incur additional
indebtedness, may affect our financial health; the financial
condition, including bankruptcies, of our clients, suppliers,
senior secured credit facility lenders or other counterparties;
certain covenants in our debt documents could adversely restrict
our financial and operating flexibility; fluctuations in the
amount, timing, pages, weight and kinds of advertising pieces from
period to period, due to a change in our clients' promotional
needs, inventories and other factors; our failure to attract and
retain qualified personnel may affect our business and results of
operations; a rise in interest rates could increase our borrowing
costs; possible governmental regulation or litigation affecting
aspects of our business; clients experiencing financial
difficulties, or otherwise being unable to meet their obligations
as they become due, could affect our results of operations and
financial condition; uncertainty in the application and
interpretation of applicable state sales tax laws may expose us to
additional sales tax liability; and general economic conditions,
whether nationally, internationally, or in the market areas in
which we conduct our business, including the adverse impact of the
ongoing economic downturn on the marketing expenditures and
activities of our clients and prospective clients as well as our
vendors, with whom we rely on to provide us with quality materials
at the right prices and in a timely manner. These and other risks
and uncertainties related to our business are described in greater
detail in our filings with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission, including our reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q
and the foregoing information should be read in conjunction with
these filings. We disclaim any intention or obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Valassis