Livonia, Mich. - Valassis, one of the nation's leading media and marketing services companies,and Alliance Marketing, the nation's largest independent ad group, representing over $2 billion in annualized retail sales,announced today an arrangement to develop and execute in-store marketing and media programs, effective second quarter 2011. Alliance Marketing and its affiliates represent independent supermarkets in 15 states. The new partnership brings over 200 independent retailers to Valassis' In-Store network, representing 70 retail banners. Valassis will help Alliance Marketing emphasize promotional pricing at the shelf, heighten the effectiveness of brand messaging at point of purchase and streamline the way consumers find information about products and how they can be used.

"We are tremendously excited about our partnership with Alliance Marketing and the retailers they bring into the Valassis In-Store network," said Michael Kowalczyk, Valassis Vice President and General Manager of In-Store Marketing. "I would expect that, in combination with Alliance Marketing's creative and analytical prowess, Valassis will be able to deliver an in-store experience previously unavailable to consumers in those respective markets."

"We are excited about our partnership with Valassis," said Joe Wolf, President of Alliance Marketing. "Every week more than 3,500,000 people shop our stores and we represent a great vehicle for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies to reach valued consumers. Valassis brings the tools necessary to help us market on behalf of those CPG companies, but more important, improves the shopping and customer service experience our customers have come to expect daily in our stores."