TSIG.com Joins with Tour Operator Affinity Group to Offer Travel Services and International Vacations
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2000-- TeleServices Internet Group Inc. (OTCBB:TSIG - news), known as TSIG.com, today announced that it has reached a multi-faceted agreement with The Affinity Group (``Affinity'), an affinity marketing company that is a tour operator for international vacations. Under the agreement, TSIG and Affinity will provide a broad range of travel-related products to TSIG's established marketing partners via TSIG's various Internet sites. The offerings will include international vacation tours that are custom-designed for the customers of TSIG and its partners, including especially the disability community, currently a market that is very under-served by tour operators. In addition, TSIG will provide call center services for Affinity's discount travel membership program. To enhance its offerings, Affinity will promote TSIG.com's myCard programs.
The Affinity Group projects year 2000 sales above $40,000,000 and is growing at a better than 30% annual growth rate. Affinity markets and processes thousands of pre-packaged international vacation tours and discounted travel membership portfolios weekly using a variety of direct contact marketing techniques. Currently, Affinity is servicing over 20,000 family vacations booked from international destinations to the US.
Earlier this month TSIG began providing Affinity with call-center services in connection with its customer service operations. The initial staffing level to provide these services is 30 agents, and eight more agents will be added during the next 30 days. Revenues are estimated at $30,000 per month. Within the next 30-45 days, TSIG will begin adding its myCard(TM) to The Affinity Group's 5000+ packages distributed weekly. The myCard(TM) program offers discounted Music CDs and Film Processing, two of TSIG's main products.
``With the help of The Affinity Group, TSIG will now be able to provide specially designed travel programs to our top corporate and non-profit partners,' stated Robert Gordon, TSIG's Chairman and CEO. ``For our myCard(TM) program, this is another important step towards offering our partners a wide variety of the products and services their customers want most.'
Added Scott Roix, Chief Executive Officer of The Affinity Group, ``We are very excited about our partnership with TSIG and confident the extensive product offering we have will add real value to TSIG's programs.'
About The Affinity Group
The Affinity Group strives to exemplify affinity marketing at the highest level. Affinity looks to partner with other successful companies in an effort to create synergies, which makes it possible to offer the best products to the most customers at attractive margins for Affinity and its partners. Affinity currently markets its services and travel products in the United States, Europe, Australia, Latin America and Canada. The Affinity Group is based at 100 Second Ave. South, Suite 302 North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701.
About TSIG.com
Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, TSIG.com created the My MusicCard program (http://www.mymusiccard.com) to enable consumers to purchase CDs and cassettes at the lowest prices, and to develop revenue-generating programs with corporations and non-profit organizations that drive consumers to customers' Internet sites for the lowest cost in the industry. Similarly, TSIG.com's My PhotoCard programs provide the lowest cost film processing and Kodak film. These unique marketing programs provide high margin returns and develop strong brand loyalty and awareness within target communities. TSIG.com also provides customer service and support with its Web-based call center and related services.
This press release contains ``forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the 1933 Securities Act and Section 21E of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. Actual results could differ materially, as the result of such factors as (1) competition in the markets for the products and services sold by the company, (2) the ability of the company to execute its plans, (3) the availability of financing at favorable terms, and (4) other factors detailed in the company's public filings with the SEC.
Contact:
TSIG.com, St. Petersburg
Paul Henry, phenry@tsig.com
Richard Wheeler, dwheeler@tsig.com
727/897-4000 |
