Valassis Communications Inc. and the Rebate Group said yesterday they will partner with Tribune Media Net, the Tribune Company’s national sales organization, to launch a free-standing rebate insert program. The initiative will run through the Tribune’s 11 major-market newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Newsday.
Rebates offered in the free-standing insert Fat Cat program will include computer hardware and accessories, appliances, toys and electronics, as well as automotive, food and household products. The program is expected to generate more than $1.2 million in incremental revenue for Tribune. It will launch in the fourth quarter of 2000.
In addition, this Valassis announced its acquisition of Alternate Marketing Networks Inc. The purchase allows Valassis to offer several in-home sampling distribution options, which include newspaper sampling, direct mail and door-to-door sampling and other advertising services. Valassis, Livonia, MI, said the purchase gave it better capability to handle bulkier and more fragile samples for door-to-door sampling than it had before. With the purchase, the company also obtained two Internet-based software products: itrack-samples.com, an Internet tracking system designed to allow clients to audit, verify and track their sampling programs; and Media Optimizer, which analyzes customers’ sampling and distribution needs and recommends methods and targeted markets.
