Consumers Find More Ways to Save via Downloadable Coupons on Redplum.com

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