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R.H. Donnelley to Offer Internet Marketing and E-Commerce Services to Small Businesses in Miami/Fort Lauderdale
RHD to Partner with Leading Internet Services Companies, Including IBM, netpropulsion.com, Flycast and Earthlink
PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2000-- R.H. Donnelley Corporation (NYSE: RHD), the nation's largest independent marketer of yellow pages advertising, today announced a new initiative to deliver a comprehensive package of Internet marketing and e-commerce services to small businesses. Called "Get Digital Smart(SM)," the new program will be marketed initially in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area.
The company also announced a number of agreements with leading providers of Internet technology and services, including IBM, netpropulsion.com, Flycast Communications and Earthlink. Through these agreements and others to be announced later, Donnelley's "Get Digital Smart(SM)" Internet sales force will offer small businesses a one-stop shopping solution, including Web-site design and hosting, e-commerce capabilities, services to drive traffic and exposure, and Internet connectivity.
"Donnelley is creating a full-service sales channel to give small businesses easy and cost-effective access to a comprehensive range of high-quality Internet advertising and marketing services," said Frank R. Noonan, chairman and CEO of R.H. Donnelley.
"Understanding the needs of small businesses and developing strategies to meet those needs is Donnelley's core strength," said Noonan. "The agreements we have with leading Internet companies will enable us to help small businesses complement their traditional marketing activities and extend their reach by capitalizing on the power of the Web."
Peter Szalkowski, vice president for Donnelley Internet Services, said, "Small business owners don't have the time or resources to become Web experts. With 'Get Digital Smart(SM)' we've created a solutions-oriented, consultative sales approach that helps small companies establish effective Web sites, and gives them the services they need to draw traffic to their sites, and get the right exposure with the right audiences."
The Donnelley initiative creates an efficient sales channel that enables providers of Internet services to reach the broad, but traditionally difficult-to-penetrate, small business marketplace.
"Donnelley's sales force will be the bridge that brings buyers and sellers together in the small business market for Internet services," said Szalkowski.
Donnelley will work with small businesses to develop the right Web strategies, including guidance on design, content and applications. The companies with which Donnelley has partnered will create and host the sites, and Donnelley will provide ongoing support for updates and changes.
Donnelley said the knowledge gained in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market will be used to develop and refine strategies and techniques for delivering Internet services to small-businesses. The "Get Digital Smart(SM)" sales efforts will commence this month, supported by a local advertising campaign. Expansion into other markets is expected to follow, based on the results experienced in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market.
IBM Provides Key Capabilities
Donnelley will be an IBM Business Partner and the sites sold through "Get Digital Smart(SM)" will be hosted by IBM and created using IBM's Web-site development platform, HomePage Creator(TM). IBM also will provide shopping-cart and catalog e-commerce tools that allow customers to select and securely order merchandise online.
As part of the relationship, R.H. Donnelley joins the IBM Affinity Sales Program, enabling the Donnelley "Get Digital Smart(SM)" sales force to offer small businesses more than 250 IBM products and services. "IBM is committed to helping small businesses grow by effectively leveraging information technology and the power of the Internet," said Mike Braun, general manager, global small business, at IBM. "This initiative gives small businesses a new source for both the guidance and resources they need to achieve this objective."
The Web sites will be designed by netpropulsion.com, an IBM Business Partner that has developed a highly efficient process for building professional, high quality Web and e-commerce sites. netpropulsion.com will use design themes and graphics tailored to individual vertical markets, enabling the customization of Web sites.
Flycast to Drive Traffic and Exposure
Through Flycast, the leading provider of Internet direct-response advertising solutions, small businesses will be able to increase traffic by leveraging a banner advertising network of over 2,100 Web sites. Options include network-wide distribution or targeting by Web-site content and geographic area.
Earthlink to Deliver Connectivity and Hosting Services
Through Donnelley's relationship with Earthlink, a leading Internet service provider, small businesses will be able be able to obtain dial-up Internet access to support their Internet initiatives. Earthlink also will provide Web-site hosting services to "Get Digital Smart(SM)" customers.
R.H. Donnelley, headquartered in Purchase, N.Y., is the largest independent marketer of yellow pages advertising in the U.S. RHD sells approximately $1 billion in yellow pages advertising a year and is the publisher or sales agent for nearly 300 directories with a total circulation of more than 36 million copies. RHD operates in a number of major markets, including New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and Orlando. More information about R.H. Donnelley and "Get Digital Smart(SM)" can be found at www.rhd.com and at www.getdigitalsmart.com.
Safe Harbor Provision
Certain statements contained in this press release regarding R.H. Donnelley's business prospects and other statements not constituting historical fact are "forward-looking statements" subject to the safe harbor created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Where possible, the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "planned," "estimated," "potential," "goal," "outlook," and similar expressions, as they relate to R.H. Donnelley or its management, have been used to identify such forward-looking statements. Regardless of such identifying phrases, these statements and all other forward-looking statements reflect R.H. Donnelley's current beliefs and specific assumptions with respect to future business decisions and results, and are based on information currently available to R.H. Donnelley. Accordingly, the statements are subject to significant risks, uncertainties and contingencies which could cause R.H. Donnelley's actual operating results, performance or business prospects (both in general and with respect to the Internet services described herein) to differ from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. Such risks, uncertainties and contingencies include the following: (1) loss of market share through competition; (2) uncertainties caused by the consolidation of the telecommunications industry; (3) introduction of competing products or technologies by other companies, including those similar to the Internet services described herein; (4) complexity and uncertainty regarding the development and/or deployment of new high technology products, including the Internet services described herein; (5) difficulty or inability to successfully integrate the variety of products, technologies and services contemplated for "Get Digital Smart(SM)" into one comprehensive offering, and uncertainty regarding the acceptance rate of such an offering by the small business community; (6) pricing pressures from competitors and/or customers; (7) changes in the yellow pages industries and markets; and (8) a sustained economic downturn in the United States.
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Contact:
Media Contact: Analyst Contact:
The Dilenschneider Group R.H. Donnelley
Reid H. Gearhart Frank M. Colarusso
212/922-0900 914/933-3178 |
