Publisher's Clearing House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Publishers Clearing House (or PCH) is a multi-channel direct marketing company, that offers discounted magazine subscriptions and household merchandise to consumers with the chance to enter to win one of many ongoing sweepstakes. As a direct marketing firm, it has no retail offices; its operations are concentrated in several physical offices, including its world headquarters in Port Washington, New York. It reaches consumers through direct mail offers and on line communications supported by its web site pch.com
[edit] History
Publishers Clearing House was founded in 1953 by Harold and LuEsther Mertz and their daughter, Joyce Mertz-Gilmore. Mertz had worked for Look magazine and believed that magazine subscriptions could be sold in a more efficient manner by bundling them together in a single mass mailing offering the lowest introductory prices. With mailings offering consumers an array of discounted subscription offers, the company soon became the largest magazine circulation agency in the industry.
Following on the success of the famous Reader's Digest sweepstakes introduced in 1963, Publishers Clearing House launched its own sweepstakes in 1967 as a way to draw attention to the magazine deals in company mailings. In the late 1980's the company began awarding sweepstakes prizes in live recorded moments featuring the "PCH Prize Patrol", a team of PCH employees that travels to locations awarding prizes with balloons, champagne, flowers and a big check with cameras recording the event for commercial use.
Starting in 1985, the company’s product offerings were broadened with a wide range of merchandise including household and personal items, home entertainment, collectibles and more. Merchandise now accounts for the majority of Publishers Clearing House sales.
Publishers Clearing House is a limited liability company staffed by 400 employees and is headquartered in Port Washington, Long Island, NY the same town where the company founder Harold Mertz started it all from his garage. The street adjoining the local Post Office in Port Washington, "LuEsther Mertz Plaza", is named after Mr. Mertz's wife. Upon passing of Mertz and his immediate family the company was passed to ownership by a number of charitable trusts. According to Crain's New York nearly 50% of company profits benefit charitable causes ranging from the arts to social services to the environment. The New York Botanical Garden, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the National Audubon Society and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association are just a few of the major beneficiaries.
The company launched its website, [1]pch.com, in 1999, providing online means to enter the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes and shop for magazine and product offerings.
[edit] PCHBlingo
In July of 2006, Publishers Clearing House teamed up with internet search engine Blingo (www.blingo.com), a website that gives away prizes should users enter a search at the correct time.
