Chicago Tribune Media Group and Valassis are partnering to provide advertisers with a new alternative for reaching their audiences in the Chicago market.
The Chicago Tribune‘s midweek ShopLocal mail program will combine advertising inserts from Valassis’ RedPlum Direct Mail Package, creating a single, shared offering that will reach 3 million households weekly in the Chicago market. The package will be co-branded Chicago Tribune/ShopLocal and RedPlum.
Through the program, the Chicago Tribune will continue to deliver preprinted insert advertising in its Wednesday edition, and Valassis will continue to deliver to these Chicago Tribune subscriber households in the RedPlum Direct Mail Package. The new program is scheduled to begin in November.
As a result, in the households where two mail packages are currently delivered, consumers will now receive one package.
“Combining inserts that go to non-subscribing households will streamline efficiency while providing richer content and greater consumer appeal,” said Jack Whisler, VP of advertising at the Chicago Tribune, in a statement. “At the same time, both companies will retain their own proprietary targeting options and compete as before in the marketplace.”
“Our advertisers also benefit from this joint distribution plan that maximizes response through both the power of newspaper and the mail,” said William Blackmer, senior VP, strategic sourcing at Valassis, in the statement.
The new combined midweek mail program will be produced at Tribune Direct Marketing, a subsidiary of the Chicago Tribune Media Group. The advertising wrap that carries the advertising inserts will be produced and printed by Valassis.
