Valassis Communications
Encyclopedia
Valassis Communications, Inc. is a publicly traded U.S. Corporation with subsidiaries that provide various media
and marketing
services in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Canada, and one of the largest coupon
distributors/processors in the world.
Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan
with approximately 7,000 employees in 28 states and nine countries, Valassis is recognized for its associate and corporate citizenship programs, including its America’s Looking for Its Missing Children program. Of the 2,000 children featured in programs such as the "Have You Seen Me?" photo program that appears across the RedPlum portfolio, more than 1,200 have been recovered. Valassis companies include Valassis Direct Mail, Inc., Valassis Canada, Promotion Watch, Valassis Relationship Marketing Systems, LLC and NCH Marketing Services, Inc.
Valassis has relationships with more than 15,000 advertisers worldwide in various industries. Categories in which the company has relationships include automotive, consumer electronics, consumer packaged goods, financial services, franchise food, grocery, specialty retail, and telecommunications. Valassis has four primary operating segments: Shared Mail, Neighborhood Targeted, Free-Standing Inserts, and International, Digital Media, and Services.
. In 1992, CPH took the company public, on the New York Stock Exchange
, as Valassis Communications, Inc. (VCI). In 1997, CPH, which had kept 49% ownership in 1992, divested its interest in VCI, making the company fully independent.
In 2001, Valassis closed Save.com, an internet coupon website that had launched in September 1999, saying that Save.com was unable to gain a "critical mass of advertisers interested in an Internet couponing vehicle." In 2003, Valassis acquired NCH Marketing Inc., a coupon clearing and marketing services company with offices in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, England, United States and Mexico making Valassis an international company.
In early 2006, Valassis settled a complaint by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that it had attempted to collude with News America Marketing
, its top rival, to eliminate competition between the two. Under a consent order, Valassis was barred from engaging in similar conduct.
In 2007, Valassis’s purchased Advo, a direct-mail marketer, for $1.2 billion purchase. Valassis had sued to get out of the acquisition, saying it had found problems with Advo’s financial figures, but the purchase did happen.
In 2010, the News Corporation
paid $500 million to settle a case brought against it by Valassis, after Valassis had won a $300 million verdict in state court in Michigan against News America Marketing. The lawsuit by Valassis was based on claims that News America had gained market share
by forcing its packaged-goods customers to sign long-term insert contracts or risk huge price increases on their in-store advertising displays. The settlement included News America entering into a 10-year shared mail distribution agreement with Valassis Direct Mail, a Valassis subsidiary.
of Valassis.
Redplum.com is a savings and lifestyle site launched in January 2008. The site is targeted at women ages 25 to 50. Registered members receive a bi-weekly e-newsletter featuring deals and offers.
(NCMEC) and the U.S. Postal Service, Valassis distributes pictures of missing children as part of its "Have You Seen Me?" picture program. The program was launched on May 24, 1985, featuring missing Pennsylvania
girl Cherrie Mahan
on their first flyer. Approximately 2,000 photos have been featured in this program since 1985 and 1,162 children have been recovered.
The "Have You Seen Me?" program is currently responsible for 87% of the leads called in to NCMEC. According to NCMEC, photos are the number one tool that parents and law enforcement officials have in their search for missing children. By featuring recent and/or age-progressed photos of missing children, and their alleged abductors when possible, Valassis empowers the American public to take part in the effort to help safely recover these children.
Goals: Help to locate missing children; to raise public awareness and sensitivity to the issue of missing and exploited children; to serve as a deterrent to would-be abductors; and to make sure that no missing child is ever forgotten.
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
services in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Canada, and one of the largest coupon
Coupon
In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions...
distributors/processors in the world.
Headquartered in Livonia, Michigan
Livonia, Michigan
Livonia is a city in the northwest part of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Livonia is a very large suburb with an array of traditional neighborhoods connected to the metropolitan area by freeways. The population was 96,942 at the 2010 census, making it Michigan's 9th largest...
with approximately 7,000 employees in 28 states and nine countries, Valassis is recognized for its associate and corporate citizenship programs, including its America’s Looking for Its Missing Children program. Of the 2,000 children featured in programs such as the "Have You Seen Me?" photo program that appears across the RedPlum portfolio, more than 1,200 have been recovered. Valassis companies include Valassis Direct Mail, Inc., Valassis Canada, Promotion Watch, Valassis Relationship Marketing Systems, LLC and NCH Marketing Services, Inc.
Valassis has relationships with more than 15,000 advertisers worldwide in various industries. Categories in which the company has relationships include automotive, consumer electronics, consumer packaged goods, financial services, franchise food, grocery, specialty retail, and telecommunications. Valassis has four primary operating segments: Shared Mail, Neighborhood Targeted, Free-Standing Inserts, and International, Digital Media, and Services.
History
Valassis began in 1970; it purchased its first printing press in 1971. In 1986 it was acquired by Consolidated Press Holdings (CPH) of Sydney, Australia, owned by Kerry PackerKerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
. In 1992, CPH took the company public, on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
, as Valassis Communications, Inc. (VCI). In 1997, CPH, which had kept 49% ownership in 1992, divested its interest in VCI, making the company fully independent.
In 2001, Valassis closed Save.com, an internet coupon website that had launched in September 1999, saying that Save.com was unable to gain a "critical mass of advertisers interested in an Internet couponing vehicle." In 2003, Valassis acquired NCH Marketing Inc., a coupon clearing and marketing services company with offices in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, England, United States and Mexico making Valassis an international company.
In early 2006, Valassis settled a complaint by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission that it had attempted to collude with News America Marketing
News America Marketing
News America Marketing, often referred to as just News America, is a marketing business owned by the News Corporation. It is one of three companies in the United States that control almost all the in-store ads and grocery coupons in the United States.One major division of the company is...
, its top rival, to eliminate competition between the two. Under a consent order, Valassis was barred from engaging in similar conduct.
In 2007, Valassis’s purchased Advo, a direct-mail marketer, for $1.2 billion purchase. Valassis had sued to get out of the acquisition, saying it had found problems with Advo’s financial figures, but the purchase did happen.
In 2010, the News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
paid $500 million to settle a case brought against it by Valassis, after Valassis had won a $300 million verdict in state court in Michigan against News America Marketing. The lawsuit by Valassis was based on claims that News America had gained market share
Market share
Market share is the percentage of a market accounted for by a specific entity. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 67 percent responded that they found the "dollar market share" metric very useful, while 61% found "unit market share" very useful.Marketers need to be able to...
by forcing its packaged-goods customers to sign long-term insert contracts or risk huge price increases on their in-store advertising displays. The settlement included News America entering into a 10-year shared mail distribution agreement with Valassis Direct Mail, a Valassis subsidiary.
Key awards and recognition
- FORTUNE magazine Fortune (magazine)Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
's "Fortune's 100 Fastest Growing Companies" 2010 - date= September 2010}} - FORTUNE magazineFortune (magazine)Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” (1998–2006) - FORTUNE magazine’s “Hall of Fame” (2005)
- American Advertising FederationAmerican Advertising FederationThe American Advertising Federation , headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the oldest national advertising trade association, representing 50,000 professionals in the advertising industry. The AAF has a national network of 200 ad clubs located in ad communities across the United States...
(AAF) Mosaic Award for Diversity (2006,9) - The Black Collegian’s List of Top 100 Employers (2009)
- Publishing Executive and Printing Impressions magazines Gold Ink Awards (1992-6,8,2001,2008, 2009)
- Ranked 25th on Advertising AgeAdvertising AgeAdvertising Age is a magazine, delivering news, analysis and data on marketing and media. The magazine was started as a broadsheet newspaper in Chicago in 1930...
’s 100 Leading Media Companies List (2008) - Great Start Collaborative, Award of Excellence (2008)
- USPS Corporate Business Achievement (2008)
- Caleidoscope of Culture Award (2005)
- Charles B. Wang International Children’s Award (2005)
- Web Marketing Association’s WebAwards (2005,7)
- “Metropolitan Detroit’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” (2002,4-7)
- “Cool Places to Work” sponsored by Crain’s Detroit Business (2005,7; previously “Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan” 1999,2001,3)
RedPlum
RedPlum, launched in January 2008, is the consumer-facing brandBrand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of Valassis.
- Reaches more than 100 million households each week
- Reaches 9 out of 10 U.S households via the mail
- Provides consumers an opportunity to save money using coupons and special offers
Redplum.com is a savings and lifestyle site launched in January 2008. The site is targeted at women ages 25 to 50. Registered members receive a bi-weekly e-newsletter featuring deals and offers.
America’s Looking For Its Missing Children Program
In partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited ChildrenNational Center for Missing & Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:...
(NCMEC) and the U.S. Postal Service, Valassis distributes pictures of missing children as part of its "Have You Seen Me?" picture program. The program was launched on May 24, 1985, featuring missing Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
girl Cherrie Mahan
Disappearance of Cherrie Mahan
Cherrie Ann Mahan is a missing person from Pennsylvania in the United States. She disappeared on February 22, 1985 after getting off a school bus along a road in rural Winfield Township, Butler County. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which opened in 1984, featured Mahan as...
on their first flyer. Approximately 2,000 photos have been featured in this program since 1985 and 1,162 children have been recovered.
The "Have You Seen Me?" program is currently responsible for 87% of the leads called in to NCMEC. According to NCMEC, photos are the number one tool that parents and law enforcement officials have in their search for missing children. By featuring recent and/or age-progressed photos of missing children, and their alleged abductors when possible, Valassis empowers the American public to take part in the effort to help safely recover these children.
Goals: Help to locate missing children; to raise public awareness and sensitivity to the issue of missing and exploited children; to serve as a deterrent to would-be abductors; and to make sure that no missing child is ever forgotten.
History
- Inspired by the emotional September 1984 premiere of the TV movie Adam, the company developed a public service program plan to assist local and national efforts to locate missing children through the mass distribution of pictures.
- The U.S. Postal Service changed its postal regulations in March 1985 to allow pictures and data of missing children provided by the NCMEC to appear on detached address labels.
- In an effort to remember all children still not recovered, the company initiated a white ribbon campaign on May 25, 1992 – now designated as National Missing Children’s Day.
- In January 1997, the company secured the participation of its regional direct mail companies to expand the program’s reach to 17 million additional households.
- The company began targeting its photo distribution in April 1998 to leverage the NCMEC’s and the FBI’s intelligence, when possible, on the likely whereabouts of a missing child. A child’s photo can now be targeted to any one of six regions of the country, or distributed nationwide over a six-week period.
- On Sept. 19, 2000, the 100th safe recovery was celebrated with an event hosted by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Dennis HastertDennis HastertJohn Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
on Capitol Hill. Attending were John Walsh, host of America’s Most Wanted, Members of Congress, representatives of the U.S. Postal Service and the NCMEC, as well as the 100th recovered child and her mother. - In May 2007, the photo program moved from the detached address label to a full-color position on the direct mail piece itself.
- In January 2008, the program expanded from the RedPlum Direct Mail Package to also include the RedPlum Free-standing Insert, increasing its reach to potentially 130-140 million households as well as online.
External links
- Yahoo! FinanceYahoo! FinanceYahoo! Finance is a service from Yahoo! that provides financial information. It is the top financial news and research website in the United States, with more than 23 million visitors in February 2010, according to comScore....
profile for VCI, http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=VCI - Valassis Communications, Inc. web page, http://www.valassis.com/
- Redplum.com web page, http://www.redplum.com/
- NCMEC web page, http://www.missingkids.com/