SAN ANTONIO — Provide the right product to the right person at the right time, deepen relationships and increase revenue – achieving the business objectives that most financial institutions have these days takes time, resources and a sound marketing strategy. Clarke American, a leading provider of checks and check-related products, contact center services, Internet and direct response marketing solutions for the financial services industry, is helping financial institutions achieve these objectives with greater impact and higher returns.

One of the company’s newest contact center capabilities strengthens a financial institution’s ability to reach their account holders with targeted, one-to-one marketing messages during incoming calls. Janet Sthele, Clarke American director of Partner Development, Contact Center Services, explains: “From our partners’ account holders last year, we received more than 16 million contacts through our contact centers. The majority of them are incoming calls from account holders who need to order checks.” Sthele adds, “These contacts, which have increased in number year over year, give us the opportunity to provide much more than check-related products. We’re taking it a step further by giving them valued information about promotional offers currently available through their financial institution. This translates into added cross-sell opportunities, higher satisfaction ratings and increased revenue for our partners.”

Clarke American’s partners using the service receive a weekly feedback report that outlines their account holders’ expressed interest in key offerings and/or survey campaign results that can generate additional sales leads, define product preferences and identify marketplace trends.

Here’s how it works: at the end of the check order call, a Clarke American contact center professional delivers a short promotional message, conducts a brief opinion survey, and/or sends an informational during an account holder-requested e-mail order confirmation. The messages are based on the financial institution’s specific promotional objectives and can be targeted to key account holders.

Financial institutions are using the service in creative ways, says Sthele. “Our enhanced interaction with their account holders enables partners to collect demographic information, gauge account holder experience, enhance brand perception, redirect promotional strategies and goals, and improve marketing returns.” Referring to the company’s 2004 call volume, Sthele adds: “Clarke American had 16 million ‘moments of truth’ last year. By leveraging our channels to help financial institutions grow their account holder relationships, we’re simply making each contact the most positive and productive experience possible for both the partner and the account holder.”

About Clarke American
Clarke American provides checks and check-related products, contact center services, Internet and direct response marketing solutions for the financial services industry. Each year, the company produces more than 10 billion personal and business checks in a variety of formats for more than 4,000 banks, credit unions and other financial institutions nationwide. The company has more than 3,200 associates and a national network of electronically linked production facilities and customer service centers located throughout the United States.
Clarke American is a recipient of the 2001 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the manufacturing category, awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and is the recipient of the 2001 Texas Award for Performance Excellence given by the Quality Texas Foundation. For more information about Clarke American, visit www.clarkeamerican.com.

For information about this press release contact
Cary Corbin
(830) 609-1932
Debbie Talley
(210) 697-1228