News America Marketing and IRI Extend Relationship Through 2010

Business Wire, Dec 14, 2006

IRI to Continue as Provider of Key Strategic and Marketplace Information

NEW YORK & CHICAGO -- News America Marketing, the consumer advertising and promotional services division of News Corporation (NYSE:NWS), and Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), the leading global provider of enterprise market information solutions for the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail and healthcare industries, have renewed their relationship through 2010. Under the agreement, IRI will continue as News America Marketing's primary supplier of syndicated sales tracking information and analysis, consumer panel information, and associated Web-based data access solutions.

"In an increasingly diverse retail environment, IRI delivers precise measurement of promotion results, integrating daily, point-of-sale data to provide detail down to a granular level," said News America Marketing president, Chris Mixson. "The relationship will enable News America Marketing to continue to provide specific, in-depth analysis of the impact of its SmartSource in-store and FSI (Free Standing Inserts) promotional programs to its clients."

News America Marketing also uses IRI data in its proprietary FSI planning tool, SmartMatrix. SmartMatrix enables clients to create, analyze and manage optimal marketing plans for FSIs, providing insights into distribution, performance, and costs. News America is currently developing an enhancement to SmartMatrix that will deliver the same analysis for in-store program planning. The enhancement will also incorporate IRI data.

"IRI's comprehensive retail and consumer coverage enable us to further develop consultative relationships with our CPG clients," said Jesse Aversano, EVP, Marketing, at News America Marketing. "IRI's insights help us target promotions and deliver results for our clients at a tremendous value."

"We're thrilled to extend our relationship with News America Marketing," said IRI President and Chief Executive Officer Scott W. Klein. "Our collaboration will empower News America Marketing to deliver even more value to their clients and take the company to greater heights."

In addition to using the IRI census-based data to evaluate the impact of various promotions and plan tactical FSI and in-store strategies, News America Marketing can offer the following key benefits to its clients:

* Identification of key challenges to client brands using IRI InfoScan[R] data

* Development of new insights and best practices related to brand and promotion/advertising strategy for the consumer packaged goods industry.

* Access to the IRI Consumer Network[TM], a 70,000 consumer household panel that will help to determine the impact of News America Marketing programs on household penetration, repeat purchase behavior, and other purchase dynamics.

The agreement goes into effect immediately.

Information Resources, Inc.

Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) is the world's leading provider of enterprise market information solutions and services for the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, and healthcare industries, empowering its clients to grow their business profitably in a complex marketplace. Driving the transformation of the industries it serves, only IRI provides a unique combination of real-time market content, advanced analytics, enterprise performance management software, and professional services. The company's portfolio of services, solutions, and technology enable leading retailers and their suppliers around the globe to see what they are missing, act faster with greater confidence and win at the shelf. Ninety-five percent of the FORTUNE Global 500 in CPG and retail leverage IRI to power their business. For more information, visit http://us.infores.com.

News America Marketing, a division of News Corporation, is the leading single-source provider of consumer marketing services. The company's product portfolio, marketed under the SmartSource brand name, consists of the first branded free-standing insert, known as SmartSource Magazine[R], various in-store marketing products, merchandising services, database marketing tools and online promotions. These products and services allow marketers to deliver a brand message to over 200 million consumers each month via a network of 1,161 newspapers and 34,500 supermarket, drug and mass merchandisers locations across the country, including Albertson's, Kroger, Winn Dixie, CVS, Eckerd and Rite Aid.

News America Marketing's diverse portfolio of consumer-marketing programs includes:

IN-STORE MEDIA
SmartSource(R) At-Shelf            SmartSource Freezer Shelftalk(SM)
SmartSource(R) Bonus Box           SmartSource Freezer Extra(SM)
SmartSource Carts(SM)              SmartSource Price Pop(R) Guaranteed
SmartSource Coupon Machine(R)      SmartSource Shelftake One(R)
SmartSource Floortalk(R)           SmartSource Shelftake One(R) RX
Sampling SmartSource Shelftalk(SM) SmartSource Showcase(R)
SmartSource Shelftalk(SM) Banner   SmartSource Showcase(R) Extra
             SmartSource Electronic Shelf Programs(SM)

HOME-DELIVERED MEDIA
SmartSource Magazine(R)
Partnerships Themed Events
Direct Response Advertising
SmartSource Custom Publishing(SM)

ONLINE MEDIA
SmartSource Online Savings Network(SM)

TRADE MARKETING
SmartSource Price Feature Plus(R)

DATABASE MARKETING
SmartSource Direct

MERCHANDISING SERVICES