Employee-Led Idea Leverages Targeting Intelligence, Digital Ad
Platform to Let No Child Be Forgotten
LIVONIA, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–lt;a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/hope?src=hash” target=”_blank”gt;#hopelt;/agt;–Valassis,
a leader in marketing technology and consumer engagement, harnesses the
power and reach of its cross-channel programs in new ways, inspiring
individuals to take active roles in the recovery of even more missing
children.
As National
Missing Children’s Day nears – marked each year since 1983 on May 25
– Valassis
reaffirms its strong commitment to deliver hope to the families of
missing children with an employee-driven initiative to expand its Have
You Seen Me? ® program, across its digital solutions. The
addition of awareness ads via a host of website and mobile ads, provides
7 million-plus views each month. The company also plans to utilize the
targeting capabilities of its Valassis
Consumer Graph™ and ad-serving infrastructure to generate digital
photos in the area where a child was last seen and is most likely to be
found.
“This idea – the result of a Valassis-sponsored ‘Hackathon’ where
collaboration and innovation drive new initiatives – is about using our
technology to make an impact in the community,” said Jeff Hicks, Vice
President, Engineering, Valassis Digital. “We are pursuing ways to
dynamically build digital ad units to include photographs of missing
children and serve those in the geography, state or ZIP Code where the
child went missing. We would also like to consider how to enable these
types of campaigns in near real-time when an Amber Alert occurs.”
“This team’s vision to further build on an already powerful program that
leverages our solutions to help locate missing children makes me
incredibly proud,” said Cali Tran, President, Valassis. “Our
photo program was initially conceived by our employees, and decades
later, continues to inspire new ways that, together with the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), can empower consumers
in the recovery of a missing child.”
The program began in 1985 in partnership with NCMEC.
Today, the names and faces of 50 children are featured in 50 states
across RetailMeNot Everyday™, delivered in the mail and newspaper.
Additionally, the program is featured across Clipper Magazine’s family
of print publications including Clipper, Mint, Local Flavor and Savvy
Shopper as well as online at LocalFlavor.com.
The program is simple in design, powerful in results and profound in its
impact, directly leading to 161 missing child recoveries.
Underpinning this photo program are four goals to:
- help to locate missing children;
-
raise public awareness and sensitivity to the issue of missing and
exploited children; - serve as a deterrent to would-be abductors; and
- make sure that no missing child is ever forgotten.
About Valassis
Valassis helps
thousands of local and national brands tap the potential of
industry-leading data – understanding, engaging and inspiring millions
of consumers to action with smarter cross-channel campaigns. We’ve been
a part of consumers’ lives for decades, introducing new ways to deliver
offers and messages that activate them – whether via mail, digital or
the newspaper. NCH Marketing Services, Inc. and Clipper Magazine are
Valassis subsidiaries, and RetailMeNot Everyday™ is its consumer brand.
Its signature Have You Seen Me?® program delivers hope to
missing children and their families. Valassis and RetailMeNot are
wholly owned subsidiaries of Harland
Clarke Holdings.
Contacts
Mary Broaddus
Valassis
[email protected]
734
591-7375
