Valpak Celebrates 46th Birthday with $5k Birthday Prize Pack Sweepstakes and a Look Into Party Planning Habits

More than 40% of respondents say they “always” look for coupons for gifts; 1 in 5 say they’ve turned down a birthday invitation because they didn’t want to buy a gift

Valpak,  the company that sends The Blue Envelope each month filled with savings and coupons, is turning 46! To celebrate, they’re throwing a P-A-R-T-Y all month long with a sweet little sweepstakes. Consumers can register for a chance to win a $5,000 party prize pack or one of 46 other prizes (worth up to $100 each) for tweeting about their favorite party memories on Twitter.

Envelopes mailing now through Sept. 15 will invite consumers to join the party at Valpak.com/party, where they’ll find saving on food, entertainment, venues, flowers, décor and more.

To start the birthday festivities, Valpak polled consumers* and asked what they spend on parties, what are the best parties and some other nosey questions about how they really feel about parties:

Keep the food coming: Nearly 9 in 10 of people spent most of their party money on food & drinks

We like convenience: Panelists most often purchased party supplies from:

• 49% big box retailers
• 37% from party supply stores

We like to save money: When shopping for gifts, panelists looked for coupons and discounts:

• 40% always
• 35% if they could find one
• 22% sometimes
• 6% never

We can be cheap: Of panelists, 1 out of 5 had declined a birthday party invitation because they did not want to buy a gift.

It’s my birthday so let’s party:  In the past 12 months, panelists have thrown parties for:

• 36% birthdays
• 14% Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa
• 14% Fourth of July
•   8% Super bowl

We still like to spend:   When throwing parties panelists spend:

• 29% $50 to $99
• 40% $100 to $249

Get out of my home! 67% agree that most children’s birthday parties nowadays are held at a venue as opposed to someone’s home

Kick it up a notch! Panelists believe children had the most fun at birthday parties when the party included:

• 26% sports event/activity
• 23% organized party  experience (i.e. game center, salon, craft center)
• 22% bounce house

For more facts about Valpak, its history and culture, please visit the Behind the Blue blog, along with creative birthday ideas:

• Do it yourself party décor
• Creative party ideas anyone can afford
• Nighttime ring toss and other DIY party games

Valpak has been in the business of helping people save money for more than 45 years and is known for its local coupons in North America. Recently, Valpak has been leading the industry in mobile couponing, serving up mobile savings through apps and incorporating the latest technology. Valpak has shown an ongoing commitment to be on the forefront of technology with its mobile app presence in the mobile environment and its first-to-market integration into four mobile wallets, including Passbook, Microsoft, Samsung and Google.

*Responding panelists from the Opinion Connection^® July 2014 were primarily female, age 35+ and had an annual household income of $35,000 or more.

About Valpak®

Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America, is owned and operated by Cox Target Media. With nearly 170 franchises across the United States and Canada, the signature Blue Envelope® delivers coupons and savings to nearly 40 million households each month. Annually, Valpak will distribute some 20 billion offers inserted in more than 500 million envelopes. Valpak also offers digital solutions online through http://www.valpak.com and http://www.valpak.ca, sites offering free coupons, e-commerce and coupon codes. Additionally, the Valpak coupon mobile coupon app for smartphone platforms delivers easy to find savings for consumers. For more information about advertising with Valpak, please contact 1-800-676-6878.

About Cox Media Group
Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of CoxReps.  Additionally, CMG owns Cox Target Media, which operates Valpak, one of North America’s leading direct marketing companies, and Savings.com, a leading online source for savings. The company’s operations currently include 14 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 57 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services.  CMG currently operates in more than 20 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million Americans weekly, including more than 30 million TV viewers, more than 3.5 million print and online newspaper readers, and more than 14 million radio listeners.  For more information about Cox Media Group, please check us out online at www.coxmediagroup.com.

For further information: Marsha Strickhouser: marsha_strickhouser@valpak.com