Topco Engages Mspark as Its Preferred Direct Mail Provider

HELENA, AL--(Marketwired - January 06, 2015) - Mspark, a results-oriented direct mail and marketing services company with the proven ability to deliver measurable results and positive ROI in rural America, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Topco Associates LLC to deliver direct mail and analytics solutions to Topco's food industry member-owners and customers.

"We are excited about this new partnership with Mspark as it will enable improved marketing reach for our members and customers, especially those with rural area locations. In addition to the extended reach, this new relationship will enable us to offer more targeted shared mail options and competitive pricing to our grocery customers," said Greg Magrisi, vice president of sourcing, Topco Indirect Spend. "Collaborating with Mspark will allow our members and customers to strengthen their strategic positioning with their customer bases."

Some of Topco's largest member-owners and customers already utilize Mspark's analytics, print and distribution services to engage consumers and, ultimately, to drive them to their locations for increased traffic and sales. The new partnership will afford even more Topco member-owners and customers the opportunity to use Mspark for the effective distribution of their sales and advertising circulars.

Mspark knows rural consumers and their spending habits, given its reach of more than 22 million unique households per month and a 98% penetration rate in each of its 550+ markets. With direct mail as its core promotional vehicle, Mspark deploys micro-marketing and segmentation programs that target the right audience with the right value message, driving results and optimizing ROI for the advertiser.

"Engaging today's consumer in a world of fragmented media requires custom distribution. We know the rural consumer better than anyone in our business, and our specialized programs are extremely effective at driving highly profitable growth for our advertisers," said Richard J. (Rick) Hanna, CEO at Mspark. "We're very excited about this new opportunity and look forward to a successful relationship with Topco member-owners and their customers to drive traffic and sales to their stores."

About Mspark
Mspark, a privately held leading provider of marketing services and solutions since 1988, partners with its clients to deliver measurable results and positive ROI. The Company specializes in delivering value to consumers in smaller geographic markets, reaching more than 22 million U.S. households across 27 states and 550+ markets and 98% of the households in each of those markets. The Mspark portfolio of more than 3,000 clients ranges from some of the nation's largest advertisers to smaller local merchants and includes consumer packaged goods manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and service providers. For additional information, visit www.mspark.com.

About Topco Associates LLC
Topco Associates LLC is a $12.3 billion, privately held company that provides aggregation, innovation and knowledge management solutions for leading food industry member-owners and customers. Topco leverages the collective volume, knowledge and commitment of these companies to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace by reducing costs and offering winning business-building capabilities.