News America Marketing Launches Paperless
Couponing System
SmartSource.com Brings New Technology to Couponing
New York, NY (January 18, 2008) -- News America Marketing’s interactive division, SmartSource.com, has launched an on-line, paperless couponing system in conjunction with Giant Eagle, the leading supermarket retailer in the Pittsburgh and Cleveland markets.
The program improves upon the convenience of standard printable coupons offered through www.smartsource.com, the leading provider of secure, printable grocery coupons, by extending their availability through www.gianteagle.com where consumers can register for the paperless service.
“Rather than printing coupons on their home printer and bringing them to the store, consumers can now load coupon selections directly onto their Giant Eagle Advantage Card®. At checkout, the coupons will be ‘redeemed’ electronically when purchases match up with the coupons they selected,” said Henri Lellouche, SVP of the SmartSource iGroup.
SmartSource.com, has the largest and most diverse coupon offering on the internet. “We are very proud to be working with Giant Eagle on what we believe is the beginning of the next generation of coupon promotion technology,” added Marty Garofalo, EVP of News America Marketing.
Giant Eagle currently offers paperless savings for twenty-plus products, including Minute Maid, Kellogg’s and Kotex, and has plans to increase its offerings to 100 or more as consumer interest grows.
Expectations are that paperless couponing will attract new coupon users, particularly technologically savvy younger shoppers who frequently use the internet to search for savings.
For retailers, the advantages of the new technology are that it drives customer loyalty while simultaneously reducing paper handling and checkout time.
“As the largest distributor of coupons in the U.S. and Canada, News America Marketing continues to look for ways to ensure that its line of products, whether distributed online, in newspapers, in stores, or through the mail, remains fresh and relevant. This paperless couponing initiative is a clear demonstration of that commitment,” said Chris Mixson, president of News America Marketing.
SmartSource.com is in discussions with other retailers in its 40,000-store network to bring the new system to their customers as well.
Mr. Mixson added, “and as new distribution channels become available, be they digital or otherwise, News America Marketing will be there to develop those channels to continue to bring savings to shoppers throughout North America.”
News America Marketing®, a division of News Corporation, is the leading single-source provider of consumer marketing services. The company’s product portfolio, marketed under the SmartSource® brand name, consists of the first branded free-standing insert, known as SmartSource Magazine®, various in-store marketing products, merchandising services, database marketing tools and online promotions. These products and services allow marketers to deliver a brand message to over 200 million consumers each month via a network of 1,300+ newspapers and over 40,000 supermarket, drug, mass merchandisers and dollar-store locations across the country, including Albertson’s, Kroger, Winn-Dixie, CVS, Eckerd, Rite Aid and Family Dollar.
News America Marketing’s diverse portfolio of consumer-marketing programs includes:
IN-STORE MEDIA
SmartSource® At-Shelf Sampling SmartSource Bonus BoxSM
SmartSource CartsSM SmartSource Coupon Machine®
SmartSource Floortalk® SmartSource Freezer ShelftalkSM
SmartSource Freezer ExtraSM SmartSource Price Pop GuaranteedSM
SmartSource Shelftake One® SmartSource ShelftalkSM
SmartSource Shelftalk Banner® SmartSource Shelftalk Banner® Extra
SmatSource Showcase® SmartSource Showcase® Extra
HOME-DELIVERED MEDIA
SmartSource Magazine® SmartSource Custom Publishing®
Direct Response Advertising Partnerships Themed Events
ONLINE MEDIA
SmartSource Online Savings NetworkSM
TRADE MARKETING
SmartSource Price Feature PlusSM
DATABASE MARKETING
SmartSource Direct®
MERCHANDISING SERVICES
News America Marketing—International provides consumer-marketing services in Canada, Australia and New Zealand; in addition, we have a network of advertising and promotion partners in Asia, Europe, South America and Africa.
News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) had total assets as of September 30, 2007 of approximately US$64 billion and total annual revenues of approximately US$30 billion. News Corporation is a diversified entertainment company with operations in eight industry segments: filmed entertainment; television; cable network programming; direct broadcast satellite television; magazines and inserts; newspapers; book publishing; and other. The activities of News Corporation are conducted principally in the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and the Pacific Basin.
Contact: News America Marketing
Laura Richards
212.782.8145
lrichards@newsamerica.com
Rubenstein Associates Public Relations
Robin Wagge
212.843.8006
rwagge@rubenstein.com
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