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Harte-Hanks: PennySaver Shows Major Readership Growth in Northern California SAN ANTONIO --(Business Wire)-- April 8, 2004 --Regional shopper publication records more than 300,000 new readers per issue Readership in Northern California for the PennySaver, a weekly shopper publication of Harte-Hanks Inc. (NYSE:HHS), increased by an average of more than 40 percent in 2003, according to Fall surveys by The Media Audit, an independent readership auditing firm. The Fall 2003 Media Audit survey showed a significant increase in readership over Fall 2002. In the Bay area, there was an increase over the previous year in single-issue readership of 264,300 more adult readers. In the smaller Sacramento market, PennySaver reached 45,100 more single-issue readers in Fall 2003 than in Fall 2002. Overall, Northern California readership increased by 40.8 percent for a single issue, a total of 309,400 additional adult readers compared to the same period in 2002. Pete Gorman, corporate officer and senior vice president of Harte-Hanks Inc., and president of the Shoppers division of Harte-Hanks, attributed the increased readership to a number of factors. In all of Northern California, there has been a two-year program to increase volume of shopping information by attracting more restaurants and by adding color, Gorman said. The exceptional success of the PennySaver FREE page -- which offers merchandise and services free without purchase -- has attracted many new readers as well. For the last two years, we also have placed more emphasis on community relations, said Loren Dalton, corporate officer and vice president, Harte-Hanks Inc., and president, Northern California PennySaver. That has increased awareness of our product to tens of thousands more people. Now, our advertising clients are seeing the results of this effort. The increased readership coincides with PennySaver's recent expansion in Rancho Cordova, Calif. Late in 2003, we moved into a brand new facility that doubles our office/production capabilities and allows us to pursue an aggressive circulation expansion plan for 2004 and beyond, Dalton said. These new readership numbers are further impetus to expand as we bring even more buyers to sellers in local markets for all of Northern California. About PennySaver and Harte-Hanks Harte-Hanks Shoppers, a division of Harte-Hanks Inc., is a recognized leader in geographic and demographic target marketing solutions. With more than 850 unique community editions, its PennySaver publications reach more than 9 million homes every week in California (covering more than 75 percent of the state's households) and 1.3 million homes each week in South Florida with its Flyer publication. Through the technology of targeted mailing, utilizing zone-specific maps and ZIP Code surveys, advertisers can tailor their marketing message to a particular neighborhood or demographic group in the area of their choice. The PennySaver provides a low-cost, efficient and targeted marketing solution utilizing a wide variety of products such as display ads, classified ads and flyers, delivered weekly via the U.S. Postal Service. Visit PennySaver online at: http://www.PennySaverUSA.com Harte-Hanks Inc., San Antonio, Texas, is a worldwide, direct and targeted marketing company that provides direct marketing services and shopper advertising opportunities to a wide range of local, regional, national and international consumer and business-to-business marketers. Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing improves the return on its clients' marketing investment with a range of services organized around five solution points: Construct and update the database -- Access the data -- Analyze the data -- Apply the knowledge -- Execute the programs. Experts at each element within this process, Harte-Hanks Direct Marketing is highly skilled at tailoring solutions for each of the vertical markets it serves. Visit the Harte-Hanks Web site at http://www.harte-hanks.com or, in the United States, call 800-456-9748. For more information, contact: Chief Financial Officer Dean Blythe 210-829-9138 or e-mail at [email protected]. |
