NEW AND NOTEWORTHY TOOLS

DECEMBER 2000 Habla Espanol? Orange, CA-based direct marketing company Experian introduced a new Spanish-speaking consumer database that lets brands target 4.5 million households in the top 10 Hispanic designated marketing areas. The new product goes beyond standard surname overlays to target Spanish-speaking consumers based on their language preferences. More information: 847-619-7268.

Group Rate.com Livonia, MI-based Valassis Communications rolled out The Most Wired Press, a program that allows dot-com clients to place print ad buys in multiple newspapers nationwide. Valassis set up a coalition of newspapers that agreed to pre-negotiate placement costs. Internet-based clients can cherry-pick ad buys in as many as 50 wired markets at a pop, leaving behind the time-consuming practice of setting up print ads with each paper. More info: 734-591-3000.

No Snow Days Allowed UV/FX Scenic Productions, Los Angeles, introduced an Outdoor Scenic System that allows custom-designed or painted scenic P-O-P of any size to be used outdoors - even during inclement weather conditions. The company is known for its innovative Day to Night offerings, which appear to show different images under daylight and streetlight. The new outdoor system recently debuted in New York City's Chelsea district. More info: 310-392-6817 or uvfx.com.

Premium Extrava-ganza American Express Incentive Services, St. Louis, introduced a new Extrava reward card for use as a premium incentive. The stored-value cards are available in $25, $50, $75, and $100 denominations and are accepted by 100 merchants. AEIS is pitching the cards for use as one-time incentives like completing a test drive at a car dealership. The cards can be imprinted with brand logos or messages. More info: 212-687-3700

Tattoo You New York City-based Swarovski recently unveiled a new custom crystal tattoo teen-targeting brands might want to check out. Brands can go beyond traditional four-color tattoos and serve customers individual crystals arranged in customized patterns that are applied directly to skin. Crystals can be aligned to form company logos, icons, or words. Ten colors are available. Universal Studios and Nine West have already used the items - which are quickly becoming must-have fashion accessories at retail - in marketing efforts. More info: 212-421-9770.

Web Guide Meets Snail Mail Cox Target Media, Largo, FL, launched CyberValuz.com, a printed online shopping guide packed into mailings via the company's Carol Wright direct-mail subsidiary. The site receives more than 2.5 million page views per month. The colorful guide features ads that direct shoppers through the Internet and reaches 11.5 million homes in the top 20 U.S. Internet markets. More info: 800-67-TARGET or cyber-valuz.com.

Let Your Fingers Do the Earning PhoneCard Services, Miami, borrowed a page from the airline industry with Rewards Minutes, a program that gives bulk purchasers of promotional phonecards free time based on the order size. An order of $1,000 in cards earns the buyer 100 minutes of talk time. Larger purchases up the ante - as much as 800 minutes can be earned. More Info: 305-933-5485.

Autowraps, Inc., San Francisco, is asking Floridians to serve as mobile auto billboards. The company is paying drivers in Florida $400 per month to cover their personal automobiles with advertisements, a' la NASCAR vehicles. The company checks the condition of ads each month before making payment. Autowraps already offers the service in California, Oregon, and Washington. Ads match drivers according to demographic profiles. Consumers can't pick which ads get stuck on their cars, but they can refuse certain themes such as sex or alcohol. Cost for client is $1,000 to $2,500 per car. More info: 415-558-8622 or autowraps.com.