America Online and Target, Two Leading Consumer Brands, Join Forces in Unique, Multi-Million Dollar Strategic Alliance.Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers DULLES, Va./MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 13, 2000 Companies Will Launch Range of Innovative Co-Branding Initiatives to Reach Their Combined Customer Base, Offering Special Promotions, Content and Exclusive Benefits Target.com Will Become Premier Retailer Across Several AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. Brands; AOL Will Become Target's Preferred Online Service America Online See AOL. , Inc. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : AOL), the world's leading interactive services company, and Target Stores, the rapidly growing upscale discount retailer, today announced a broad strategic alliance that will combine the companies' complementary sales and distribution channels and marketing strengths to promote a range of distinctive products and services to make the online experience more valuable and convenient for consumers. The unique agreement between these premier retail and online consumer brands contains expansive cross-marketing arrangements that will combine significant off-line co-branding campaigns and in-store offerings with extensive online initiatives and other innovations to leverage the potential of these two powerful brands. Target will become one of America Online's premier retail partners, and Target's differentiated, quality merchandise will be available in the Shop@AOL online shopping destinations and other areas across AOL, AOL.COM, CompuServe, Netscape Netcenter, and AOL Digital City. Through these placements, millions of consumers will be introduced to target.com, which offers exciting merchandise, gift registries and other special services for Target guests. The alliance calls for the creation of a special edition of the AOL service with co-branded features, including new offers for consumers and prominent links to target.com, allowing easier access to Target's name-brand products. Exclusive benefits will be offered to new Target/AOL members who subscribe to Verb 1. subscribe to - receive or obtain regularly; "We take the Times every day" subscribe, take buy, purchase - obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction; "The family purchased a new car"; "The conglomerate acquired a new company"; the service through Target, and members will be able to use their Target Guest Card as a payment option. The service will also include an "e-zine" to inform new AOL and Target guests of the special offers and innovative branding initiatives that will be created through the companies' alliance, and to provide information relevant to Target's unique guest population. With this alliance, America Online and Target will combine their strengths in interactivity and retail to reach a vast customer base. There are approximately 1 billion visits each year to Target's more than 900 stores across the country. AOL and CompuServe have more than 24 million combined members, and AOL's Web-based brands have tens of millions of users. Bob Pittman, President and Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. , America Online, said: "Target has made its name synonymous with synonymous with adjective equivalent to, the same as, identical to, similar to, identified with, equal to, tantamount to, interchangeable with, one and the same as innovation, high quality, value and fun, and is a brand millions of people love and trust. We are pleased to join them in a unique alliance that will offer AOL products and services to Target's millions of loyal guests, while bringing the ability to easily find Target's great selection of goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. to the millions of users of our interactive brands. Our relationship with Target, America's upscale discount retailer, is a significant step in extending our retail presence and providing new shopping opportunities to our users." Jerry Storch, President, Target Financial Services The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. and New Businesses, said: "The Target/AOL alliance is a new standard for how to combine the power of physical retail stores with the power of the Internet to create exciting offerings for American consumers. This agreement is just one more example of how committed Target is to integrating the Internet into the way we do business. This alliance is unprecedented in its depth and breadth. We have explored many options over the last six months and we have taken time to do this right. With AOL, we will be creating compelling new offerings for our guests and introducing more consumers to the Target brand. And, we are extremely excited about the ongoing potential for innovation through the Target-AOL relationship going forward." The overall Target/AOL alliance will be promoted extensively through a wide variety of marketing channels. These include a strong in-store presence at more than 900 Target stores; visibility in all Target marketing channels, including the company's Sunday circular, broadcast and print advertising, and other marketing programs; and promotion of Target across several AOL brands. Target will also reference "America Online Keyword: Target" in its many advertising vehicles. About America Online, Inc. Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia Dulles, Virginia is an unincorporated census-designated place located in Loudoun County, Virginia, part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The headquarters of AOL, Orbital Sciences Corporation and ODIN technologies and the former headquarters of MCI Inc. are located in Dulles. , is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services. America Online, Inc. operates: two worldwide Internet services, America Online, with more than 22 million members, and CompuServe, with more than 2.7 million members; several leading Internet brands including ICQ ("I Seek You") A conferencing program for the Internet from Mirabilis, Tel Aviv, Israel (www.icq.com). It provides interactive chat, e-mail and file transfer and can alert you when someone on your predefined list has also come online. , AOL Instant Messenger See AIM. and Digital City, Inc.; the Netscape Netcenter and AOL.COM portals; the Netscape Navigator An earlier Web browser for Windows, Macintosh and X Windows from Netscape that provided secure transmission over the Internet. Soon after its introduction in 1994, Navigator, or just "Netscape," as it was commonly called, quickly became the leading browser on the Web. and Communicator browsers; AOL Moviefone, the nation's #1 movie listing guide and ticketing service; and Spinner.com and NullSoft's Winamp, leaders in Internet music. Through its strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAVA[3]) is an American vendor of computers, computer components, computer software, and information-technology services, founded on 24 February 1982. , the company develops and offers easy-to-deploy, end-to-end e-commerce and enterprise solutions for companies operating in the Net Economy. About Target Minneapolis-based Target Stores, an upscale discount retailer, serves guests at 921 stores in 45 states nationwide and at www.target.com by delivering today's best retail trends at affordable prices. The largest division of Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT TGT Target TGT Ticket Granting Ticket (Windows 2000 Kerberos security) TGT Target Corp (stock symbol) TGT Turbine Gas Temperature TGT TDRSS Ground Terminal TGT Tank Gunnery Trainer TGT Target Tracker ), Target Stores gives back more than $1 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. , Guests and team members to help meet community needs. Target Corporation news releases are available through Company News on Call by fax at 800-758-5804 extension 342677 or at www.targetcorp.com or prnewswire.com. Note: B-roll available and VNR VNR Video News Release VNR Van Nostrand Reinhold (publishing company) VNR Video Noise Reduction VNR Veranstaltungsnummer VNR VFR Flight Not Recommended VNR Video News Reel VNR Very Nice Roll VNR Variable Navigation Ratio to be distributed: Tuesday, June 13: 10:00-10:30AM C-band: Telstar 4/Transponder 6 2:00-2:15PM C-band: Telstar 6/Transponder 7 Wednesday, June 14 10:30-11:00AM C-band: Telstar 4/Transponder 6 |
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