Valassis Technology Powers Next Evolution of Its Missing Child Program

Business Wire
21 May by Vitaliy Dadalyan

Valassis Technology Powers Next Evolution of Its Missing Child Program

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

This article published with permission from Business Wire

ByVitaliy Dadalyan