BrandStamp Launches the First Online, Point-of-Purchase Product Registration System.

Business/Technology Editors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2000

New Technology Offers Privacy-Assured System That Increases Customer Loyalty and Drives Repeat Sales for Manufacturers and Online

Retailers

BrandStamp Inc., creators of the first online, point-of-purchase product registration system, today announced that they have launched a pilot with Babygear.com, a leading online retailer of baby products, as well as several leading manufacturers of juvenile products, including Safety 1st and The First Years.

BrandStamp's system is the first to enable consumers to register their products immediately at the point-of-purchase versus traditional card mail-in, through an easy-to-use, privacy-assured process. Through the BrandStamp system, manufacturers and retailers can increase customer loyalty, leverage additional marketing opportunities, and maximize one-to-one relationships with their customers.

"BrandStamp takes the traditional product registration process and optimizes it for e-commerce," said Keith Waryas, research manager for Consumer eCommerce at IDC. "By partnering with BrandStamp, online retailers and manufacturers can build stronger partnerships with each other, and work in tandem to more effectively market to consumers."

In an industry where product safety is of paramount importance, consumers buying BrandStamp partner maunfacturers' products through Babygear.com will benefit from the ability to instantly register with multiple manufacturers with a single click; receive timely product recall notification; create a centralized repository for warranty and product information; and gain access to exclusive offers on related products. The pilot program will last through June, and marks the first step in BrandStamp's rollout to multiple vertical markets, including consumer electronics, toys, appliances, sporting goods, outdoor equipment, and computer hardware.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for us to provide a valuable service to customers that is not available through bricks and mortar retailers," said Marjan Ghara, Vice President at Babygear.com. "BrandStamp has built a unique system to foster stronger relationships among manufacturers, retailers and consumers, and we are excited to be an integral part of this pilot program."

"We are thrilled to be working with top manufacturers and retailers such as The First Years, Safety 1st, and Babygear.com in launching our pilot program," said Sean Brown, president and founder of BrandStamp. "This is a critical step in establishing BrandStamp as a trusted infomediary and facilitating stronger relationships among manufacturers, retailers and consumers. We feel this is an excellent opportunity to clearly demonstrate the tremendous benefits we offer to all parties."

The inconvenience of filling out and mailing a traditional registration card has led to average consumer response rates of less than 5 percent. In a recent survey, over 80 percent of consumers said that they would register with manufacturers at the point-of-purchase if given the opportunity(a). The traditional product registration process is also ineffective and costly to manufacturers, who must rely on large third party processors to enter the information from these cards into a customer database. In return for providing this service, such processors are given permission from the manufacturers to rent out the consumer information contained in the cards to direct marketers. Unless consumers specifically opt out, they will likely receive unsolicited communications from third parties, also known as junk mail.

In contrast, BrandStamp registrants' private information is protected and never sold to third parties. Acting as an infomediary, BrandStamp enables online retailers and manufacturers to engage their customers in a responsible and cost effective dialogue, all without the need to introduce third parties that have no prior relationship with the consumer.

About BrandStamp

Founded in 1999, Cambridge, MA-based BrandStamp has pioneered an online registration system that dramatically improves and simplifies the product registration process for purchases made via the Web, protecting consumers' right to privacy while helping manufacturers and retailers develop low-cost, electronic one-to-one relationships with end consumers. For more information, or to view a demo, please visit www.brandstamp.com.

(a)Caravan Research Study, March 2000