"
This year's contest marks 21 years of a partnership between the specialty
home furnishings retailer and the international children's organization.
"The annual greeting card contest is a great way for children to
participate in helping their global peers ," said Charles J.
"In fact, 10 percent of respondents said that the fact that they
don't get too much mail from a company encourages them to open the
message," Miller said.2 percent) of respondents said
the reason they opened and read particular messages this holiday
season was because it came from a company they know and trust. The survey includes responses from
723 U.

wonderland refreshes

are being asked to submit creative drawings for the 2006 Pier 1/UNICEF/Weekly
Reader Greeting Card Contest. Fund for UNICEF web site,
http://www.
"Since email works so well as a sales-driving tool, it's tempting
to believe that more email will automatically drive more sales during
the holiday season," says Return Path Chairman and CEO Matt Blumberg.1
percent) of consumers said they were indifferent to the excess email,
claiming no impact on their email habits (they just deleted more
email).

refreshes santas

Return Path Holiday Email Consumer Survey Results: Holiday Email Works Well But Over Mailing + Unclear Permission Practices Put Some Retailers at Risk

"

Key Findings:

Readers may download the full Analysis Report at
http://www."
Retailers who increase the frequency of emails without increasing
the value to the subscriber were not likely to see increases in open
or click-through rates this season, Miller says. Solutions include list maintenance,
deliverability, data acquisition, online sampling, marketing
technology and e-mail strategy.

santa greetings

S.

Editors Note: This is a royalty -free article for use in your publication.

100th christmas

com, unicefusa.
All entries must be hand-drawn and received by Pier 1 Imports' Corporate
Headquarters by April 11, 2006.5 over any
other selection, nearly two thirds (59.

bmi santas

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of all UNICEF cards sold at
Pier 1 go to UNICEF.S. Lyons, president
of the U.

kringle wonderland

com;
or by calling Pier 1's Customer Relations Department at 1-800-245-4595.
Two grand-prize winners will be chosen and their designs will be reprinted
as official UNICEF cards available nationwide at all U. Carr designed a cheerful
snowman under colorful Christmas lights, with a boy hugging the snowman's
tummy; and Hall created a design featuring the bright letters P-E-A-C-E, with
each letter held up by a character from a different part of the world.

Business Editors/Marketing Writers

DENVER----Despite email inbox
overflow this past holiday season, nearly 75 percent of respondents to
a late December survey reported that email influenced their purchase
decisions.
Reputation and Trust Drives Response: By a factor of 1. "We always recommend
that marketers develop a content strategy that balances promotional
emails with information of interest to your subscribers, in order to
become a trusted and welcome sender of email. The
Christmas of the new millennium, however, seems to be mainly focused on
commercial success and business revenue.'

Still, the spirit of Christmas has somehow survived.
founded by entrepreneurial mom, Nancy Vaughan.

Rise and Shine Design has become a pioneer in creating life-enriching
products for families.

lapland carols

weeklyreader. All sixteen magazines have won awards for excellence in
educational journalism. With positive and continuingly growing sales, its
model may become a trend accepted by many other commercial corporations.com.

claus carols

Children Are Invited To Create UNICEF Greeting Cards for the 2006 Holiday Season

pier1. "The real grand-prize at the end of this contest
is that it helps provide for and protect the lives of children around the
world."
For Pier 1 store locations or for further contest information, please call
1-800-245-4595. In everything it does, the most
disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority.6 percent ) consumer surveyed felt they received an
increase in email volume this holiday season, with nearly one third
(31.5 million consumers and business
professionals.

refreshes santa

com. Weekly Reader(R) currently serves approximately nine
million students and 300,000 teachers nationwide.1 percent) said they just deleted the
additional emails unread.
"Deliverability and response are closely tied to frequency, with
the majority of respondents reporting they simply ignored the extra
emails," says Stephanie Miller , Vice President of Strategic Services
for Return Path.
Mixed Reviews on Additional Holiday Emails: 18. To become a member of the SurveyDirect Panel and be
invited to future online surveys, visit www .themagicelf.

sends littlest

school children about UNICEF's important work for children around the
world. If hearing impaired, please call 1-800-754-3251.unicefusa.org or call 1-800-4UNICEF. Almost one tenth (9. "But the bottom line is that consumers define as 'spam'
anything that they don't find interesting.

Return Path is an e-mail performance management company dedicated
to improving the reach, delivery performance and overall success of
permission-based e-mail programs.

"The Magic Elf looks like Santa Claus, however, it has wings and 25
Christmas message cards," says Vaughan. Each morning , children search and find the elf then read his
Christmas message for the day.

claus wonderland

Pier 1 Imports
stores and online at http://www. Fund for UNICEF.
The survey, conducted by email performance company Return Path
using the "Double Opt-In" SurveyDirect panel, aimed to understand
consumer perceptions and reactions to the use of email by retailers
during the holiday season.returnpath. Return Path Delivery Assurance
Solutions are the industry's original and premier e-mail
deliverability tools and services , and remain the only full-circle
solution for solving e-mail deliverability issues.

For more information about Rise and Shine, visit
www.

bmi santa

Entry
forms are available online at pier1.com.org /cards/ and at Weekly Reader's website
http://www.1 percent) feeling the increase was just more spam and not emails
they were interested in. However, more than half reported taking some
action - 27.4 percent hit their ISP "this is spam" button. More than 1,500 companies use Return
Path's services to generate superior results from their e-mail
programs, taking advantage of Return Path's pioneering innovation in
deliverability, ECOA, list hygiene, double-opt-in list acquisition and
best practices strategy. For more information,
please visit info@returnpath. The 'gift of giving' has been transformed into
the 'obligation to buy.

santatelevision betts

In 2004, Weekly Reader, a leader in educational publishing, became a
contest sponsor as a way to encourage their 11 million readers - predominantly
teachers, parents and children - to participate in the greeting card contest. consumers, ages 18-54.com

There are still
businesses that embrace the true meaning of Christmas and incorporate it
into their products. It is through the seeking, finding and
sharing of the message that families grow closer and develop the true
spirit of the holiday season.

fortunate coca

com, beginning September 2006.

The Christmas season, full of "joy," has fallen away to the quest for the
new "toy" or newest gadget .

myra erno

UNICEF is non-partisan and its
cooperation is free of discrimination. Created
in 1902, Weekly Reader(R) publishes 16 magazines and a variety of other
supplemental products that reinforce curriculum , help teachers meet standards,
and engage students. So even permission-based
marketers with an opt-in list can appear spammy if they do not send
relevant and enticing messages. Based in Newport Beach,
California, Rise and Shine has created "The Magic Elf," an educational
product spotlighting the meaning and spirit of the Christmas season.

This area is for sharing information and opinions.

bmi fortunate

Children ages 13 and under are eligible to enter the contest, which was
scheduled to coincide with the start of National Art Month (March 1st). The grand-prize
winners also win a trip to New York for themselves and two family members,
where they will visit the United Nations and attend a Broadway play, among
other seasonal events.
The 2005 grand-prize winners were Adam Carr (age 6) from Tampa, Florida
and Anna Hall (age 12), from Boulder, Colorado. By employing
intelligent segmentation, you may end up sending more messages
overall, but targeting each to smaller lists.

myra lapland

"
Most consumers (60.1 percent unsubscribed to emails that came too often and
23. The
next highest contributing factors were attention-grabbing subject
lines (41. Nearly half (49.net, or call
toll -free 866-362-4577.

midis fortunate

Two winners will be chosen from thousands of
entries and their winning artwork will be reproduced as official UNICEF
greeting cards sold nationwide to benefit children around the world.

ABOUT UNICEF
Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of
children around the world through immunization, education, health care,
nutrition, clean water and sanitation.8 percent) reported the
excess as "overwhelming.
"The great news is that consumers still love email and really want
to hear from retailers and other companies they do business with ,"
Miller says. SurveyDirect is a division of email performance company
Return Path, Inc.surveydirect .

lapland 100th

S.
"However, email overload is a real burden for many consumers, and may
significantly dilute response.
"Success at the holidays is inextricably linked to the success of
your email program all year long," Miller says. One such business is Rise and Shine Designs, Inc. "Every night from December 1 till
December 25, the Elf 'hides' (with a parent's help) in a different spot in
the house."

Each message card has historical facts and information about the true
spirit and meaning of Christmas.

refreshes kriss

org, and weeklyreader. Pier
1 started selling UNICEF greeting cards in 1985 and is now the world's largest
retailer of UNICEF greeting cards, having raised over $22 million for UNICEF .S.S.

ABOUT PIER 1 IMPORTS
Pier 1 Imports, Inc. is North America's largest specialty retailer of
imported decorative home furnishings and gifts with Pier 1 Imports(R) stores
in 49 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico; The Pier(R) stores in the United
Kingdom and Ireland; and Pier 1 Kids(R) stores. Acquired by
Pier 1 Imports in 2001, Pier 1 Kids, previously Cargokids, was best known for
its sturdy wooden crate-style children's beds, bookshelves, chairs and desks.
Pier 1 Kids has now expanded their product line to include exclusive new
furniture groups made from wicker , wood, metal, and other materials, as well
as specialty products such as window treatments, rugs , framed art, and toys. Retailers who benefited most were those recognized and
trusted by consumers , suggesting a need to build a solid email
reputation and relationship well before the holiday season begins.1 percent) and prior relationship with the sender (33.S. The company's
investors include Sutter Hill Ventures, Mobius Venture Capital,
Flatiron Partners, and JP Morgan Partners.

About Survey Direct

Online sampling pioneer SurveyDirect serves the global market
research community with a highly responsive, diverse and fast-growing
Double Opt-In panel of more than 2.

littlest claus

ABOUT PIER 1 KIDS
Pier 1 Kids currently operates 45 store locations in Alabama, Delaware,
Florida , Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.biz

Consumers Take Action Against Too Much Mail

Extra Holiday Email Gets Varied Reviews

Consumers Report Value in Most Messages Received

Brand and Prior Relationship are Key Drivers of Holiday Time
Response

Sending Volumes Generally As Expected

Select Findings Detail and Analysis:

Email Increased Over Holidays: According to the survey results,
nearly every (98.9 percent of
respondents reported they welcomed the extra mail and were glad to
have heard about all the holiday special deals.9 percent ) said that receiving excess
holiday emails makes them wary of signing up for permission programs .
In days gone by, Christmas was proudly
celebrated by expressing peace, love and goodwill towards men. This makes "The Magic Elf" not only a
wonderful gift but also a family heirloom.

santatelevision santa

"Holiday Happiness" Is This Year's Greeting Card Contest Theme

NEW YORK, Beginning today, children in the U. Funds from the sale of cards support UNICEF programs
that provide lifesaving medicines , vaccines, nutritious foods, primary
education, clean water and sanitation and emergency relief for millions of
children and women in 158 countries and territories. For
more information, please visit http://www."

Survey Methodology

The Holiday Email Survey was conducted on December 28, 2004 using
the SurveyDirect consumer panel. The survey was written and analyzed by
Return Path Strategic Services and aimed to understand consumer
perceptions and reactions to the use of email by retailers during the
2004 holiday season (defined as the period between Halloween and
Christmas ).

About Return Path, Inc.

PRESS RELEASE Re-Discovering Christmas

Who is Santa Claus? What are the myths and legends surrounding him?
If you are looking for a product or service, rather than information, please see Shopping: Holidays: Christmas

santa fortunate

Greeting
cards are also available on the U.unicefusa.6
percent). Yet, almost a third (29. Corporate America practically
bypasses Thanksgiving seeking revenue for Christmas as early as October 15.

kringle midis

Entry
forms will also be available at Pier 1 Kids locations and at Pier 1 Kids. The children's artwork will be judged on
artistic quality and the creative interpretation of the theme "Holiday
Happiness.
The card contest started in 1991 as a way to help raise awareness among
U.

ABOUT WEEKLY READER
Weekly Reader Corporation is a leader in educational publishing. "Especially around the holidays with all the
additional clutter, some retailers may be better served by sending
fewer emails, but making each more targeted and relevant.