CHICAGO, IL – November 18, 2014 – Marketing Werks, a leading integrated marketing agency and a division of CROSSMARK, announced today a relationship with AARP to deliver enhanced discount programs to AARP members. The myAFINITI proprietary member rewards platform, provides AARP members access to brand-specific, point-of-sale discounts through the swipe of their card.

AARP members can now use their membership cards to access the myAFINITI platform, which connects brands, retailers and consumers through targeted, brand-specific discounts.  By swiping their AARP cards, members will have access to more value and greater convenience, and can receive instant savings at thousands of participating retail locations, initially including Family Dollar, with Meijer and Fred’s Super Dollar coming soon.

“Benefits for AARP members include making valuable discounts and offers available in the marketplace.  The myAFINITI platform enhances our ability to do so, and we are pleased that our organization will be the first to use this technology to offer dynamic, product level point of sale discounts to our members,” said Angela Jones, Senior Vice President, Lifestyle Products and Business Development, AARP Services, Inc.

Effective this month, through the myAFINITI platform, the new AARP membership card will  give members access to  merchant-level discounts available at participating retailers (i.e., a percentage off all store purchases), and has been enhanced to include access to product-level discounts at participating retailers (i.e., discounts targeted at a particular brand). The enhanced discounts can be focused on specific items purchased across participating retailers. 

“AARP is respected for innovative approaches that deliver value for its members, so we are honored that AARP has selected the myAFINITI platform to help achieve their goals,” said Ed Hoehn, Senior Vice President, CROSSMARK.  “This new member discount program will provide AARP’s 37 million members access to CROSSMARK’s new method of delivering customized, measurable, UPC specific discounts when members swipe their AARP membership cards.”

Taking advantage of the CROSSMARK discounts by swiping the AARP membership card, AARP members can make savings more a part of their daily shopping routine. 

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About CROSSMARK and Marketing Werks

Marketing Werks is a leading engagement marketing agency and the first truly integrated agency that connects brands with consumers and shoppers at every touch point from engagement to loyalty.  Utilizing data, insights, strategy, creative, activation and content creation, the agency builds meaningful brand relationships that can be measured through initial and repeat purchase.  The company, founded in 1987 and based in Chicago, serves a range of industries including telecommunications, consumer packaged goods, healthcare, consumer electronics, and entertainment, and is part of CROSSMARK, a leading sales and marketing services company in North America.   

The Marketing Werks point of sale discounts are powered by InComm Healthcare and Affinity’s Enhanced Payment Platform.  For brands, it creates a new level of integration into the retail experience plus measurable results and in depth insights.  For retailers, the platform can support multiple sponsors, payment types and payers for each program, significantly expanding the scope of their loyalty programs including opportunities for private label products.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity of AARP that is working to win back opportunity for struggling Americans 50+ by being a force for change on the most serious issues they face today: housing, hunger, income and isolation. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

About AARP Services, Inc.

AARP Services, Inc., founded in 1999, is a wholly-owned taxable subsidiary of AARP. AARP Services manages the provider relationships for and performs quality control oversight of the wide range of products and services that carry the AARP name and are made available by independent providers as benefits to AARP’s millions of members. The provider offers currently span health products, financial products, travel and leisure products, and life event services. Specific products include Medicare supplemental insurance; credit cards, auto and home, mobile home and motorcycle insurance, life insurance and annuities; member discounts on rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and lodging; special offers on technology and gifts; pharmacy services and legal services. AARP Services also engages in new product development activities for AARP and provides certain consulting services to outside companies.

Media Contacts:

Cindy Kosydor, Marketing Werks, 312-784-1608, CKosydor@marketingwerks.com
Mark Bagley, AARP, 202-434-2504, mbagley@aarp.org
Russell LaMontagne, 917-744-7957, russell@corinthgroup.com

For AFINITI Sales Inquiries:

Cyndi Dunn, VP Platform Marketing, 312-784-1644, Cdunn@marketingwerks.com