SAN JOSE, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Hello Direct, Inc. (Nasdaq: HELO), the
leading developer and direct marketer of desktop telephony and equipment
interface products, and performance marketing leader Be Free, Inc.
(Nasdaq: BFRE), today announced an agreement to collaborate on building and
managing the Hello Direct E-Business Group affiliate program.
Hello Direct is currently running an Internet affiliate program, with more
than 700 affiliate partners to date. With the growth of this affiliate
program and an increased emphasis on affiliate marketing as a strategic
business objective, Hello Direct will outsource its affiliate marketing
program with Be Free, the leading provider of performance-based marketing
infrastructure and solutions. Implementation for the Be Free e-nabled(SM)
affiliate sales channel is underway and is scheduled to launch in Q2 2000.
"Hello Direct is uniquely attractive to affiliates because our average
sale is much greater than most Web merchants and delivers commissions that
justify prime placement on the affiliate's Web site," said Michael Young, VP
and Chief E-Business Officer of Hello Direct. "We evaluated Be Free
thoroughly and are delighted to be working with them. Be Free is a critical
element in our plans to reach thousands of new affiliates and achieve mutually
profitable relationships with them."
Be Free will act as a full service performance marketing partner,
providing the infrastructure needed to develop and manage Hello Direct's
affiliate program, track each sales transaction and handle reporting
functions. In addition, Be Free will assist potential affiliates with
application completion, support link generation and maintenance, and respond
to affiliate inquiries.
"Be Free's revenue and profits come from making its partners successful,"
said Gordon Hoffstein, Chairman and CEO of Be Free, Inc. "We are extremely
pleased to team with Hello Direct because they have already demonstrated a
commitment to the development and ongoing support of their affiliate sales
channel."
Special Affiliate Sign-up Promotion
Registered Hello Direct affiliates regularly earn commissions on net sales
from all purchases made through a targeted advertising link from the
affiliate's web site to the Hello Direct web site. For a limited time, Hello
Direct will offer a special commission rate to accelerate affiliate sign-ups
through Be Free. In addition Hello Direct will offer customers who link from
any affiliate site a powerful promotion on the hot new Motorola Talkabout 250
2 Way Radio. Customers will receive one free Talkabout with any order of $295
or more, and two free Talkabouts with any order over $500. The retail price
of the radio is $124.99.
Reports Profitable Sales & Marketing Alliances
Hello Direct recently reported that Internet sales for the quarter ended
December 31, 1999 were profitable, grew by 125 percent over the same period a
year ago, and represented 16 percent of total fourth quarter 1999 sales, up
from 9 percent for the same period a year ago. In recent months, Hello Direct
has formed marketing alliances with Go2Net, deltathree.com, the FairMarket
Network, SmallOffice.com, ShopNow.com, and TelStreet.com, and is on the verge
of announcing several more of significance.
About Hello Direct, Inc.
Hello Direct, Inc. (Nasdaq: HELO) is the leading developer and direct
marketer of desktop telephony and equipment interface solutions, including
headsets, teleconferencing, wireless, and related desktop products. Through a
combination of distinctive catalogs, outbound telemarketing, and internet
sales channels, the Company offers a broad selection of commercial grade
solutions to its customers' evolving communications needs. For more
information on Hello Direct, Inc., please visit http://www.hellodirect.com the
leading online source of telecommunications information, products and
services.
About Be Free, Inc.
Be Free, Inc. (Nasdaq: BFRE) is the leader of performance marketing -- the
next generation of online marketing. Be Free helps its customers build and
manage uniquely branded online sales channels, e-nabling(SM) these sites to
capture revenue by driving site traffic, generating qualified leads and
selling products in context on locations throughout the Web. Be Free's
customers include some of the Internet's leading merchants, online services
and portals such as America Online, Inc., barnesandnoble.com, GoTo.com,
Mercata, Travelocity, Reel.com, C|Net, PC Connection, Priceline, About.com and
Yahoo!(R) GeoCities.
Collectively, Be Free's customers have more than 2.8 million affiliates in
their sales channels. Affiliates can enroll in performance marketing programs
using Be Free's technology with a streamlined application form called FastApp,
located at http://www.reporting.net/networks/affiliates/bf_fast_app
Founded in 1996, Be Free has offices in Marlborough, Mass., Pittsburgh,
Pa., Atlanta, Ga., Chicago, Ill., Los Angeles, Calif., Campbell, Calif. and
New York, N.Y. For more information, visit http://www.befree.com.
For more information on Hello Direct, Inc. via fax at no cost, dial
800-PRO-INFO (732-544-2850 outside the U.S.), ticker symbol: HELO
SOURCE Hello Direct, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.hellodirect.com
CONTACT:
Michael Young, Chief Information Officer and
Chief E-Business Officer of Hello Direct, 408-363-6185; general
information, Chris West, or analyst contact, Paul Levy, both of
The Financial Relations Board, 415-986-1591, for Hello Direct
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