BALTIMORE, Md. (August 27, 2004) – Vertis, the premier provider of targeted advertising, media, and marketing services, announces the recent hire of Carlos Fuentes as ethnic marketing executive, increasing Vertis’ dedication to serving ethnic markets. “Vertis continues to utilize industry and data analysis expertise to improve customer success across all markets,” said Janice Mayo, senior vice president, national sales and marketing for Vertis. “Carlos is being brought on board in response to our clients’ focus on ethnic market segments. He will draw on his experience developing marketing strategies in ethnic markets to assist clients in promoting their services to these underserved business segments. His expertise in employing market research to create strategic plans and direct marketing campaigns will enable Vertis’ clients to build their customer portfolios profitably in these important segments.” Prior to joining Vertis, Fuentes was senior segment manager, emerging markets, for U.S. Bank, where he helped them develop into a leading financial institution serving the financial needs of Hispanic and Asian consumers. Based out of Vertis’ Chicago office, Fuentes also has held the new business development manager position at The St. Paul Companies, where he created, developed and launched new financial services products for global markets. As a recipient of the Direct Marketing Association’s 2002 ARC award, Fuentes was recognized for superior Hispanic direct mail campaign execution. Vertis’ National Financial Account Team provides clients with expert knowledge of the industry and develops campaigns that maximize their ROI. On the path to achieving this goal, Vertis has brought on experts with financial and marketing backgrounds to create and implement strategic campaigns.