Commercial Printing Industry News Briefs from Printing Impressions’ March 2013 edition, including items on Vertis Communications; EPS-Doublet and Think BIG Solutions; Royal Printing and Modern Printing; Classic Graphics; The John Roberts Co.; the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Valassis Direct Mail; Impressions Plus Printing and Copying; and Eastman Kodak.
The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) filed its initial brief in its lawsuit against the Postal Regulatory Commission regarding that agency’s August 2012 decision to approve a negotiated service agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and Valassis Direct Mail. The lawsuit is being heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Nearly 60 percent of insert users bought a product or service in response to seeing a newspaper insert, and 30 percent searched online for more information about a product or service within 30 days of seeing it in an insert, according to the Valassis survey
Valassis’ net earnings were $36.7 million, an increase of 33.5 percent from $27.5 million in the prior year quarter. Revenues totaled $523.8 million, compared to $528.4 million in 2011. This earnings increase was primarily the result of the previously announced cost reductions and a favorable income tax adjustment resulting from the expiration of certain tax reserves.
Valassis and Rite Aid Corp. have entered into a multiyear partnership to develop and execute in-store marketing and media programs. The new partnership will maximize efficiencies across the Rite Aid network of approximately 4,600 stores and ultimately create a shopping environment that directly meets consumers’ needs.
WASHINGTON, DC—The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) has filed for an emergency injunction against the $107 million contract the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) signed with Valassis Inc. of Livonia, MI. The trade association wants to block the deal pending a full judicial review.
Malin Moench, the Public Representative appointed by the Postal Regulatory Commission to represent the views of the general public in the review of the proposed contract between USPS and direct mail giant Valassis, said the Commission misapplied antitrust principles in approving the $107-million deal.
The deal offered Michigan-based Valassis discounts of at least 20 percent on postage for any additional mailing it carries out for major national retailer advertising beyond existing volumes.
Yesterday, the Commission’s Public Representative...said regulators were wrong to rule that the USPS contract was “fair competition” with the newspaper industry’s advertising business solely because it will be above-cost.
The Newspaper Association of America, representing around 2,000 local and community newspapers across the country, filed on Friday for an emergency injunction on the new USPS contract with Michigan-based direct marketing giant Valassis. The trade association hopes to block the three-year, $107 million contract pending a full judicial review.
The contract proposed by USPS back in April offers discounts of around 20 percent for Valassis if the company sends out at least a million extra mail pieces a year beyond its existing mailing campaigns.
The newspaper industry…says the Postal Service is giving unfair assistance to Valassis to take advertising that newspapers currently
Valassis has been recognized for the third time by the American Advertising Federation with a Mosaic Award for its Workforce Diversity program, “ECHO: Driving Success and Inspiring Cultural Change.” The company is committed to creating a culture where an increasingly multicultural associate population is welcomed.
Valassis revenues for the second quarter totaled 540.2 million, a decrease of 4.4 percent from $565.2 million in the prior-year quarter. Second quarter 2012 net earnings were $21.7 million, a decrease of 28.4 percent from $30.3 million in the prior-year quarter.
