BALTIMORE (October 11, 2005) – Vertis announced today the launch of ¡Alcance!, a suite of marketing tools to help retailers and marketers reach and establish relationships with Hispanic consumers in the U.S. The new products will enable Vertis clients to identify and connect with the most viable prospects through highly targeted direct marketing programs. Additionally, Vertis’ clients will receive insight into the creative design and messages Hispanic customers respond to best.   “The Hispanic consumer has become an important market segment with purchasing power reaching $675 billion and strong projected growth in the U.S.,” said Ann Raider, chief strategy officer at Vertis. “We have developed a suite of products that speak to the Hispanic consumers in their voice and can be implemented by clients in any industry to ensure they are marketing effectively to this influential audience.”   ¡Alcance!  features three different products:   ¡Alcance! Market Focus helps marketers identify Hispanic customers in their current database and can determine the number of Hispanic households and sub-segments within a market or store area. This is beneficial for those retailers that have a limited Hispanic marketing budget and want to allocate marketing dollars more strategically, while increasing retention and cross-sell.   ¡Alcance! Data-Driven Design and Delivery targets Hispanic consumers with versioned inserts and/or direct mail, based on known customer behavioral data and information on demographic, lifestyle, and sociodynamic data. Through this program clients can increase store traffic and sales, and build relationships with targeted sub-segments.   ¡Alcance! Reach and Deliver features ¡Alcance! Door-to-Door, a polybag door-hanger that is effective at grasping the attention of Hispanic consumers with offers and samples relevant to this audience. Targeted direct mail and inserts are also available to reach specific sub-segments. Materials are available in English and Spanish and are culturally appropriate to meet the specific needs of Hispanic consumers.   “Marketers are seeking more sophisticated strategies and tactics that go beyond the basics of translating copy and presenting different photos and color palettes to complement their Hispanic marketing initiatives,” added Carlos Fuentes, director of multicultural marketing at Vertis. “They want measurable strategies that are cost-effective and can be tested against existing marketing campaigns.  Vertis’ Alcance! products achieve these goals by targeting key Hispanic segments and providing cost-effective tactics to increase consumer response, and build brand awareness among U.S. Hispanic consumers.”