Quebecor World merges catalog, direct mail divisions

Quebecor World Inc. has merged its US retail insert, catalog, Sunday magazine division and direct mail division into a new integrated marketing group.

By bringing these divisions under one operating structure, the company “will be able to more effectively partner with its customers and provide them with integrated marketing solutions that target the end-consumer or client more effectively,” said Jacques Mallette, president and CEO of Quebecor World, in a statement.

The move is also a response to how customers are positioning their marketing and advertising programs, according to Brian Freschi, who is heading up the new group. For the past six years, Freschi has been president of the US retail, catalog and Sunday magazine group. Quebecor World's “customers want to work with a partner that can provide integrated solutions,” Freschi said in a statement.

The marketing solutions group will have revenues of approximately $1.8 billion and a coast-to-coast network of 20 facilities in the US.

In January, Quebecor World filed for creditor protection in the US and Canada. Earlier this month, it signed a definitive agreement to sell its European operations.