Consumers Smell Scentsational! New Vertis Study Reveals That Fragrance Usage Is On the Rise.

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Business/Beauty/Grooming Editors

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BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 7, 2003

Vertis, a leading provider of technology-based integrated marketing and advertising solutions, today announced the results of its Customer Focus 2003: Fragrance study, which reveals that three-quarters of women now wear perfume and more than two-thirds of men use cologne, showing a significant increase from 2002.

"When it comes to fragrance usage the new survey shows a year-to-year increase of 14 percent among women and nine percent for men," said Therese Mulvey, vice president marketing research (see figure 1). "The popularity of wearing a scent waned in 2002, an indication of the general economic and emotional state of the American public a year ago. The good news for fragrance brands and marketers is that perfume and cologne have become more important to consumers."

The Vertis Customer Focus 2003: Fragrance study shows the following additional findings, which provide insight into the differences in consumers' attitudes and actions based upon the individual's gender and age (see figure 2 for generational breakdown):

Women Rely Most on a Fragrance's Scent

-- 65 percent of women said they have purchased perfume in the

past 12 months compared with 60 percent in 2001 and 55 percent

in 2002

-- Gen Y, Gen X and Baby Boomer females are 11-13 percent more

likely to buy a fragrance today than they were in 2002

-- Senior women are the only generation to show a decline in

purchasing behavior, 51 percent in 2002 versus 43 percent in

2003

-- Not surprisingly, smell is most important when women are

selecting a brand of fragrance, followed by price and brand

favorite

-- Hispanic women spent $40 more than the average woman on

perfume and cologne in the last 12 months

Men Count on Others to Help Them Make a Purchase

-- 59 percent of men said they have purchased cologne in the past

12 months compared with 59 percent in 2001 and 47 percent in

2002

-- Gen Y men are the only age group to wear less fragrance than

they were a year ago, 79 percent in 2003 vs. 75 percent in

2003

-- Men are 11 percent more likely than women to allow what others

think of a fragrance to influence their purchasing decision

Scented Magazine Advertisements Drive Purchases

-- Half of women (50 percent) said that in the past 90 days they

had smelled a fragrance advertisement in a magazine, up from

46 percent in 2002

-- 69 percent of women and 71 percent of men indicated that

scented magazine advertisements are "somewhat" or "very

helpful" when deciding which fragrance to buy, an increase of

four percent for females and 15 percent for men from 2002

About Customer Focus

Customer Focus, commissioned by Vertis, is an annual study tracking consumer behavior across a wide variety of industry segments, including fragrance, nonprofit, insurance, automotive and financial. The survey was first conducted in 1998 and, in subsequent years, has been expanded and modified to identify emerging consumer behavior patterns and track shifts in consumer practices and motivations.

Since its inception, Customer Focus has proven to be one of the nation's most comprehensive examinations of consumer behavior. The survey of 2,000 adults -- conducted by Marshall Marketing and Communication of Pittsburgh in April/May 2003 -- measures both general and industry-specific shopping trends, and Vertis provides the valuable data as a value-added service to its clients.

To acquire a customized Customer Focus 2003: Fragrance report or speak to a Vertis executive, contact Donovan Roche or Carla Marshall at 619/234-0345.

About Vertis

Vertis is a global powerhouse for integrated marketing and advertising solutions that seamlessly combine advertising, direct marketing, media, imaging and progressive technology. With headquarters in Baltimore and with production and sales offices throughout the U.S. and United Kingdom, Vertis serves local, regional, national and international companies across diverse industries. Vertis' products and services include: consumer and media research, media planning and placement, creative services, digital media production, targetable advertising insert programs, fully integrated direct marketing programs, circulation-building newspaper products, and eMarketing.

To learn more about Vertis, visit www.vertisinc.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this document, the words "believes, "anticipates, "expects, "estimates, "plans, "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from projected results. Factors that may cause these differences include fluctuations in the cost of raw materials we use, changes in the advertising, marketing and information services markets, the financial condition of our customers, actions by our competitors, changes in the legal or regulatory environment, general economic and business conditions in the U.S. and other countries, and changes in interest and foreign currency exchange rates.

Consequently, you should consider these forward-looking statements only as our current plans, estimates and beliefs. Even if those plans, estimates or beliefs change because of future events or circumstances, we decline any obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements.

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