General Motors and BlackVoices.com Form a Three-Year Strategic Alliance
3 October 2000
General Motors and BlackVoices.com Form a Three-Year Strategic Alliance
DETROIT, Oct. 3 General Motors Corporation and
BlackVoices.com, the leading African-American website, today announced a
three-year strategic marketing alliance.
"Our alliance with BlackVoices.com enables GM to establish online
relationships with the African-American community and drive traffic to our
websites," said Tyrone Jordan, director of North America new business
development for e-GM, GM's business-to-consumer e-commerce unit. "Part of
our mission at e-GM is to enhance GM's strong relationship with various
market segments. When we reviewed the options available for reaching
African-Americans, BlackVoices.com clearly stood out as having the most
attractive association with the African-American community."
Under the agreement, BlackVoices.com will create compelling sections,
including:
-- Centerpiece, a rich multi-media look at timely and compelling news
topics for African-Americans. The section will provide original video
footage, reporting and fresh commentary and also will feature a member
feedback area.
-- A GM-sponsored area, GM Spotlight on Excellence, which will showcase
African-Americans leading the way in their professions and the
community.
-- Sports Channel, providing lively updates on sports and lifestyle at
America's historically black colleges and universities, as well as
other sporting figures and events of special interest to
African-Americans.
"We're thrilled about the many opportunities that we can leverage in
alliance with GM, including delivering great content to the African-American
community," said Barry Cooper, founder and chief executive officer of
BlackVoices.com. "GM is the leader in the automotive industry. The company's
commitment to BlackVoices.com underscores the strength of our business and
effectiveness in reaching consumers nationwide."
The BlackVoices.com association is the latest in a series of strategic
Internet alliances that e-GM has formed to generate awareness and
consideration for GM vehicles and enhance relationships among important
consumer groups. Beyond the sponsorship of extensive non-automotive content
within the site, GM will receive exposure through a link to GM BuyPower, an
online automotive shopping service website. GM BuyPower allows consumers to
conduct much of the purchasing process for a GM new vehicle online.
In addition, GM will sponsor Auto Corner, a channel within BlackVoices.com
devoted to automobile owners and enthusiasts. Auto Corner members will be
able to get advice on purchasing and financing a new vehicle, participate in
surveys that will aid GM in developing future vehicles and features, and post
photos of themselves with their cars and trucks. Members will also be able to
participate in live online chats with GM engineers and executives, as well as
share their perspective about vehicles and learn more about the thinking and
engineering that goes into GM vehicles.
GM also will utilize BlackVoices.com's industry-leading BlackVoices Career
Center to identify and recruit African-American professionals, as well as use
the site as a resource for recruiting minority suppliers to General Motors.
About e-GM
e-GM, established in August 1999, is a business unit of General Motors
focused on leveraging the power of the Internet to enhance experiences and
relationships with customers worldwide.
About BlackVoices.com
Launched in 1997, BlackVoices.com, a subsidiary of Tribune Interactive, is
the premier on-line resource providing news, career, entertainment, financial
and community content and tools for African American professionals, college
students and other users.
Tribune Interactive operates leading interactive news and information
sites in major markets across the United States, including New York,
Los Angeles and Chicago. Tribune Interactive is a network of local and
national Web sites and ranks among the top 25 news and information networks in
the United States.
Tribune is a leading multimedia company with businesses in 23
major U.S. markets, including 18 of the top 30. Through its television and
radio broadcasting, publishing and interactive operations, Tribune reaches
nearly 80 percent of U.S. households daily. Tribune has $6 billion in annual
revenues and more than 28,000 employees. Tribune, a Fortune 500 company in
2000, ranked No. 1 among its industry peers in Fortune magazine's list of
most-admired companies in America for the third straight year.
CONTACT: Mike Gardner of General Motors Corp., 313-974-1133, email,
Michael.Gardner@GM.com; or Valerie Childers of BlackVoices.com, 312-222-4131,
email, vchilders@corp.blackvoices.com; or Yvonne Judice of Edelman PR
Worldwide for General Motors Corp., 312-233-1292, email,
yvonne.judice@edelman.com