BzzAgent to Expel 10,000 ''Pests''; Revamped Rewards System to Follow.

BOSTON -- BzzAgent, Inc., the industry's fastest growing word-of-mouth marketing and media firm, is preparing to implement a two-phased initiative to better match consumer volunteers with appropriate campaigns. The company will begin by expelling up to 10,000 "pests," or BzzAgent community members who have violated the company's terms of service, from its network. It will follow with an overhaul of its rewards system.

By removing pests, the company is strengthening an earlier policy in which BzzAgents found to register multiple accounts, file false reports or commit similar infractions were blocked from joining word-of-mouth campaigns, but permitted to remain community members. According to Michele Pearl, BzzAgent's network general manager, "Our highest priority is to ensure our 180,000 honest volunteers can join as many relevant campaigns as possible. By ending our relationship with the deceptive minority, we will be able to increase campaign opportunities and provide more timely services to the honest majority."

BzzAgent will notify all participants found to be in violation of its terms of service of their expulsion over the next few weeks. "Honest BzzAgents are eager for us to take more decisive action against rule violators," said BzzAgent Founder and CEO Dave Balter. "In fact, just last week a BzzAgent wrote on our blog, 'The pests or cheaters spoil many things for everyone. We are all affected by their actions ...'"

The second phase of BzzAgent's network enhancement initiative will involve revamping its rewards system to attract fewer pests. The current program, in which volunteers earn points for reporting their word-of-mouth activities, has been undersubscribed since its inception. Reward redemption rates have dropped from 33 percent a year ago to 13 percent today. Further, when asked to cite the best part of being a BzzAgent, respondents ranked "earning reward-redeemable points" next to last, while "experiencing new products" was rated highest. According to Balter, "It is clear that product-oriented rewards are not the primary motivator for the majority of the BzzAgent community. Our network places a far greater value on the 'social currency' of being among the first to experience new products."

BzzAgent expects to announce the reengineered system later in the year, but assures community members it will honor all points it has awarded to date. The company will continue to supply participating BzzAgents with the opportunity to experience a product personally at the start of each campaign.

Policy-related opinions of BzzAgent staff and others will be published on Inside BzzAgent, the company's blog (blog.bzzagent.com) throughout the coming week.

About BzzAgent, Inc.

BzzAgent Inc. is a word-of-mouth marketing and media firm that helps companies to organize and manage honest, real-world conversations among everyday consumers. BzzAgent's innovative process, platform and programs enable the acceleration and measurement of word-of-mouth as a marketing medium. Using such systems, BzzAgent's clients can generate awareness and shape perception about their products and services either via BzzAgent's growing community of 190,000 trained, volunteer brand evangelists or by way of their own client-branded word-of-mouth networks that are customized, hosted and built by BzzAgent.

BzzAgent is a registered trademark of BzzAgent, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.