Tuesday September 21, 8:33 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
MBT International Announces Immediate Launch of National
Television Branding and Advertising Campaign
CASTLE ROCK, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 1999--MBT International (OTC BB:MBTI - news), owner of the premier Internet web sites focused on e-commerce and auctions for the agricultural, farm equipment and horse industries, today announced the immediate placement of a $1 million advertising buy on the America One Television Network to commence airing the first week of October.
Based in Dallas, Texas, America One (americaone.com) is recognized as the leading provider of television service to rural America through its 24-hour broadcasts of quality, general entertainment programming. Under the ownership of the McMullen Group of Secaucus, NJ, America One has grown over the past 3 years to 130 broadcast television affiliates which currently pass in excess of 38,000,000 homes (including 8,000,000 cable households), located primarily in rural areas of the Unites States. In addition, America One broadcasts in-the-clear on Westar 3, channel 24, thus offering its service to the nearly 2,000,000 backyard satellite dish owners that carpet the landscape throughout the United States and 500,000 in rural Canada.
``This is the perfect vehicle to launch MBTI's national advertising blitz,' stated Andy McKinnon, Chairman and CEO of MBT, International. ``This effort most efficiently puts AgriMall.com and our related interests directly into the homes of our target audience, homeowners and businesspeople residing in C & D counties which traditionally have households of five thousand or less and are located in rural America.'
America One was the first broadcast television network to distribute its programming via the Internet through an exclusive agreement with broadcast.com, an arrangement which continues to date. Continued McKinnon, ``Our strategic goal of creating brand awareness will be furthered through America One Internet broadcasts of MBTI promotions.'
The MBTI advertising campaign will commence the first week of October and extend throughout the year on America One with the rotation of :30 and :60 commercial spots, along with sponsorships of key America One programming blocks. A 30-minute, self-contained infomercial program promoting MBTI and its related companies is now in production to air on America One during the 2000 season.
ABOUT MBT INTERNATIONAL
MBT International Inc. is engaged in the development of industry specific Internet portal sites, which encompass auctions, broker-assisted buy and sell programs, searchable databases and graphic-intense display of products. The Company currently has over 400,000 users and is the parent company of AgriMall.com (www.agrimall.com), HorseNet.com (www.horsenet.com), BookStable.com (www.bookstable.com), and the recently launched LifeatHome.com (www.lifeathome.com), a vertical portal targeted at the home improvement and real estate markets, as well as its latest acquisition of IMall Global and its properties (www.equestrianmall.com), (www.horsechat.com), (www.equiseek.com), and (www.equiauction.com).
MBT International, Inc. has an agreement to work with EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:DISH - news, DISHP - news), the nation's fastest growing direct broadcast satellite (DBS) provider with over 2.8 million customers, whereby MBTI programming and online purchasing capabilities will be offered over a high speed interactive channel. In addition, the Company has signed agreements with the following: Triplus, a Trimac Company, to handle the freight component of certain sales transactions; Texas Equipment, which is in the process of establishing a large storefront featuring John Deere equipment in AgriMall.com; and Silicon Graphics, Inc for technological development. MBT International, Inc. is presently viewing possible strategic alliances with other companies in the communications industry.
Certain statements in this release are forward looking. Although MBTI believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from its expectations. For factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations and underlying assumptions, see reports by MBTI filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact:
MBT International Inc.
Andy McKinnon, 303/688-0244
amckinnon@mailcity.com
or
Phoenix Alliance Inc.
Phil Huss, 970/259-7241
phoenixalliance@frontier.net |
