Clif Bar Inc. Web Site Selected as One of the Best Small Business Sites in the U.S. by Inc. Magazine.

BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 22, 1999--

Clif Bar Inc. has been named one of the nation's 20 best small business Web sites by Inc. magazine's first annual "Best Of The Small Business Web" competition. The winners were selected from a pool of more than 400 entries.

Published in the Inc. special Technology issue now on newsstands, the "Best Of The Small Business Web" is an exclusive report on small Web sites changing the face of business and is proof-positive that you don't have to be a dot.com to be successful on the Web.

Clif Bar Inc. recently re-launched its Web site (www.clifbar.com), unveiling a warm, whimsical, interactive design that creates a personal connection with consumers as they learn about the company's wholesome energy and nutrition foods, its unique corporate culture and its dedication to social causes. The site was created with development partner Infinite Information America under the direction of Clif Bar's Webmistress Sarah Wallace.

Visitors to the site are greeted with inspirational stories about Clif athletes and employees, as well as moving testimonials from consumers who express their love affair with the company's products. Inc. calls the result "a work of branding so effective that after just two minutes on the site a visitor who had never heard of Clif Bars could produce a list of flattering adjectives about the company, beginning with authentic."

In addition to delivering informative articles from experts on exercise and nutrition, the Web site entertains consumers with a "Build Your Dream Bar" contest. Entrants are invited to choose from menus of fruits, nuts and spices to configure the energy bar they've always wanted. The company periodically selects the best Dream Bar recipe and bakes a batch that it sends to the winner.

"As a consumer, I always wonder when I'm buying a product whether there's a real person behind it," says Lisa Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Clif Bar Inc.. "On our site, people can see that the Clif Bar community is real; it's not concocted. And they can be a part of it."

Entrants in the Inc. "Best Of The Small Business Web" competition were required to be privately owned, brick-and-mortar companies with $50 million or less in revenues. Since high-tech companies enjoy a number of advantages in such a competition, Inc. discouraged those businesses from participating.

Headquartered in Berkeley, Calif., Clif Bar is a leading maker of great-tasting, all-natural energy and nutrition foods. The company's products include Clif Bar(R), the natural energy bar(R), Clif SHOT(TM), the natural energy gel(TM), and LUNA(TM), the whole nutrition bar for women(TM). Clif Bar Inc. is dedicated to making a positive contribution to society through its community involvement program, which includes partnerships with hundreds of charitable events and non-profit organizations.