MediaBuyerPlanner: Marketer Valassis is acquiring direct-mail marketing company Advo for approximately $1.3 billion.

According to the released statement, the acquisition will create the nation's largest integrated media services provider and serve 20,000 advertisers worldwide, including 94 of the top 100 advertisers in the U.S.

The combined company will deliver customized, targeted solutions on a national, regional, zip code, sub-zip code and household basis. Advo's shared mail distribution business reaches up to 114 million households, or 90 percent of U.S. homes, adding substantially to Valassis' weekly newspaper distribution of over 60 million households. The combined company will have 7,900 employees with operations in nine countries.

Related Stories:

Study: Consumers Emotionally Attached to Inserts