Epsilon to Provide Full Suite of Direct Marketing Agency, Permission-Based Email Marketing Services

DALLAS, Sept. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS), a leading provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, today announced that its Epsilon business has signed an agreement with New York-based Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation to provide integrated direct marketing and permission-based email marketing services through its full-service direct marketing agency Purple@Epsilon.

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Headquartered in Latham, N.Y., Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation, a subsidiary of Hero Group of Lenzburg, Switzerland, has focused on infant nutrition since 1931. Beech-Nut, the number two baby food brand in the United States, is a leader in baby nutrition and offers a variety of infant and toddler foods. Hero Group's sales in 2007 were more than $1.74 billion.

Under terms of the agreement, Epsilon a leading provider of multi-channel, data-driven marketing technologies and services will provide an integrated solution for managing Beech-Nut's entire customer communications stream. Among the services is the development and execution of direct marketing programs, and the management of their eNewsletter program which will expand later this fall to include parents of toddlers. The eNewsletter is filled with education on feeding and development, parenting tips and coupons to incent product trials.

Epsilon's integrated marketing solution includes developing and executing direct mail campaigns that encourage parents to sign-up for Beech-Nut's eNewsletter, in addition to a monthly direct mail campaign designed to build brand awareness, encourage eNewsletter sign up, and incent product trials. Epsilon will also be building a sophisticated customer segmentation model to support and enhance this program.

'Beech-Nut has always been a company focused on innovation and putting parents and babies first. Targeted, one-to-one programs like our eNewsletter has become an ever-increasing, effective way to reach and engage our customers,' said Sumindi Peiris, marketing director, Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation. 'We chose Epsilon for their extensive track record of engaging customers and building world-class brands.