ADA, Okla., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As the centerpiece of the 2009 Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, Pre-Paid Legal Services (NYSE: PPD) announced the re-launch of its marketing program through a unique and innovative partnership with Blastoff Communications, LLC of Dallas, Texas. Pre-Paid Legal will be the first company -- and the exclusive direct selling organization -- to utilize the Blastoff online platform, which incorporates customer rewards (discounts and cash payments for online purchases) with social networking and marketing opportunities for members.
Members who join the free, online Blastoff network are eligible for discounts from more than 400 major retailers included in the Blastoff online platform. In addition, members accrue cash payments from the purchases by other members they bring into the Blastoff network (out ten degrees). This online marketing platform offers members a fully customizable homepage populated with applications for news, music, games, widgets and other personal applications.
Pre-Paid Legal Services' special partnership agreement with Blastoff will allow Pre-Paid Legal Services to leverage the power of its large existing network of independent sales associates with the new online Pre-Paid Legal/Blastoff network, creating an unprecedented opportunity to reach an untapped market of millions of potential Pre-Paid Legal Services members and associates.
"The Blastoff online marketing platform provides a perfect fit with the Pre-Paid Legal Services direct selling business model," said Harland C. Stonecipher, Founder and CEO of Pre-Paid Legal Services. "When you combine the rewards-based, 'viral' nature of the Blastoff platform with the large, well-developed and powerful direct selling organization of Pre-Paid Legal Services, it's a combination that offers incredible potential."
As part of an exclusive contract arrangement, Pre-Paid Legal Services is the only company utilizing a direct selling business model included in the Blastoff network. Pre-Paid will be prominently featured on the Blastoff home page. In addition, each Pre-Paid Legal Services associate has their own homepage that offers a personalized online marketing platform and a comprehensive contact and network tracking system.
Blastoff Founder and CEO William Rodgers participated in the Pre-Paid Legal/Blastoff announcement, addressing an enthusiastic audience of more than 12,000 Pre-Paid Legal Services associates at the 2009 Leadership Summit on September 12.
Commenting on the marketing partnership, Rodgers said, "The addition of Pre-Paid Legal Services offerings to our own Blastoff suite of products adds tremendous value to our online members. In addition, the integration of the Blastoff marketing platform with one of the most dynamic sales forces in the U.S. has the potential for massive success."
The Pre-Paid Legal Services network of more than 400,000 associates is now linked with the Blastoff network and the associates are already actively expanding their sales networks. As part of this special partnership, Pre-Paid Legal Services associates will receive cash back rewards, based on the online purchases by their existing network connections (out 20 degrees). The agreement with Blastoff provides a limited, exclusive opportunity for Pre-Paid Legal associates to build upon their network prior to the public launch of blastoffnetwork.com on October 12, 2009.
In addition to the formal announcement, the marketing re-launch also included presentations by Pre-Paid Legal Services Independent Associates Darnell Self and Brian Carruthers, an in-depth Q&A, a re-launch micro site, collateral and a planned webinar.
More information on the re-launch is available at:https://www.prepaidlegal.com/blastoff/
About PPD
Pre-Paid Legal Services was one of the first companies in the United States organized solely to design, underwrite and market legal service plans. We provide legal services to more than 1.5 million families across the U.S. and Canada. Plan benefits are delivered through a network of independent provider law firms. Members have direct, toll-free access to their provider law firm. Provider firms are carefully selected and quality of service is closely monitored to maintain the high standards of Pre-Paid Legal. The company website is: www.prepaidlegal.com.
About Blastoff Network
Blastoff is a Texas-based LLC, founded in 2007 to provide a fun, convenient, and free means to experience the best of the internet. Members of a large and expanding community each receive a customizable homepage and enjoy cash-back shopping from over 400 leading retailers, like iTunes, Walmart, Travelocity, and Gap. Members also earn rewards as they invite friends and their network grows. Featured products, such as Blastoff wireless, as well as home and legal services, contribute to the excitement and positive atmosphere offered by the company, its employees, and the personalized service they offer. The company website is:http://blastoffnetwork.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, regarding our future plans and objectives and expected operating results, dividends and share repurchases and statements of the assumptions underlying such statements, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain assumptions that may not be correct. They are subject to risks and uncertainties incident to our business that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the reports and statements filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including (among others) those listed in our Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, and include the risks that our membership persistency or renewal rates may decline, that we may not be able to continue to grow our memberships and earnings, that we are dependent on the continued active participation of our principal executive officer, that pending or future litigation may have a material adverse effect on us if resolved unfavorably to us, that we may have compromises of our information security, that during an economic downturn in the economy consumer purchases of discretionary items may be affected which could materially harm our sales, retention rates, profitability and financial condition, that we could be adversely affected by regulatory developments, that competition could adversely affect us, that we are substantially dependent on our marketing force, that our stock price may be affected by short sellers, that we have been unable to increase our employee group membership sales and that our active premium in force is not indicative of future revenue as a result of changes in active memberships from cancellations and additional membership sales. Please refer to pages 15 - 17 of our 2008 Form 10-K and pages 7 and 8 of our June 30, 2009 Form 10-Q for a more complete description of these risks. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements in this release.
No comments:
Post a Comment