"NEWS"!!8/9/00 -
HCI/AND Biometrics Retains Karo
HERITAGE CONCEPTS INTERNATIONAL INC ("HCI-T;HCIFF-L") - HCI/AND Biometrics
Retains Karo - To Create A New Identity For Their Joint Venture
HCI and AND Corporation, through their joint venture AND Biometrics, announce the appointment
of Karo (Toronto) Inc., Canada's foremost design communications firm, to create a new corporate
brand for AND Biometrics. The assignment includes an original name, identity, and communications
materials for launch into the global market.
The retainer will include development of a scalable tradeshow exhibit that will permit us to co-brand
with our strategic partners. Additionally, the new name and visual image will be transferred to a
dynamic Web site that will be developed by Karo. The challenge both with HCI and AND
Biometrics will be to position the corporations in such a way as to leverage the inevitable success
attached to HNet technology, facial recognition as well as speech recognition, when it comes on
stream.
"This exciting opportunity to position a new corporation with truly leading-edge technology is a
branding group's dream", says Stewart Howden, President of Karo. "Our firm's understanding of
technology and global company positioning allows Karo to leverage many of our experiences on
behalf of both HCI and AND Biometrics", Howden continues. This breakthrough technology must
be reflected in all communications initiatives undertaken by HCI/AND Biometrics. "Our future image
will be inextricably tied to this technology", Mr. Janik adds.
About Karo (Toronto) Inc......
As Canada's foremost design, marketing and communications consultancy based in Toronto, Karo
knows what it means to be an industry leader, embracing the tough, complex challenges of the
dynamic and competitive global market. "We understand our special role as both strategic and
creative thinkers, fully devoted to creating, revitalizing and maintaining our clients' unique brands -
whether a company or technology products and services for the new economy. Particularly exciting
is the investment made by HCI in AND Biometrics. This opens up a whole new world of
opportunities for HCI/AND Biometrics, and we at Karo are very happy to be part of this exciting
challenge. Karo brings a wealth of both technology and international experience to this assignment,
as we have for some of our other clients such as Celestica, Cognos, IBM, Sprint Canada, Bell
Canada, Akanda and NCR", says Stewart Howden, President of Karo (Toronto) Inc.
About HCI.....
HCI is a diversified, Canadian-controlled company which operates in this new economy through
autonomous subsidiaries and partnerships. AND Biometrics, the leading-edge provider of neural
technology with applications for the financial, manufacturing, security and medical sectors; Heritage
Concepts, branded restaurant environments, the foodservice and franchise sector; Platinum
Intermedia, growth partnerships in the audio communications industry and internet-related
businesses and Real Estate Holdings, real property investments. HCI shares trade on the Toronto
Stock Exchange under the stock symbol HCI. TEL: (905) 634-4111, ext. 32 Heritage Concepts
International FAX: (905) 634-1101
David Lobb, CMA, Investor Relations E-mail: info@hci.ca |
