June 10, 2005 — Adweek and Agencyfinder introduce new search service for marketing agencies.

New York, NY – In a move that will dramatically increase the visibility and hiring prospect for thousands of advertising agencies, public relations firms and related marketing companies, Adweek and Richmond, VA-based Agencyfinder have agreed to launch a new service dubbed the “Adweek Agency Namefinder™” and to feature the service on the Agencyfinder website (www.agencyfinder.com). The service will allow marketers looking for a particular agency to use any one of a number of ways to find that agency and retrieve an informative brief about the firm.

Mitch Tebo, Marketing Director for Adweek Directories, commented on the new partnership: “There are multiple reasons marketers research agencies and the Agencyfinder website with its agency recruitment process is an authoritative hub for agency information. For Adweek Directories to provide an expanded universe of agencies to meet the needs of these alternative requests is a substantive solution for the diverse Agencyfinder audience.

The “namefinder” feature is a natural extension of the Agencyfinder service. The online search
consultancy regularly provides a no-cost ad agency and pr firm search and review service, including candidate qualification, selection, invitation and follow-up. As part of that process, clients get detailed profiles of agencies that meet or exceed client-directed search criteria, but those profiles are first presented in a “blind” format, meaning searchers don’t immediately know the name of the agency whose credentials they are reviewing. “When we’re managing the sixty or so searches we run every month, we start by presenting detailed agency profiles without agency names,” explained Agencyfinder’s CEO, Charles Meyst. “We do that to give every agency a fair opportunity for evaluation by a client. Too often clients “think” they know an agency based on something they might have seen or heard and if they have that agency’s brand stuck in their head, they may pass over an equally good or better candidate just because they don’t recognize the name.”

“Ever since we started Agencyfinder nine years ago, we’ve been getting requests from people that just want to find information on one specific agency,” Mr. Meyst continued. “Many of these folks aren’t necessarily looking to hire an agency but rather to do a little due diligence on their own, ask some questions, re-establish old contacts. We hadn’t designed an easy way to meet those requests and since we don’t charge clients for searches, we didn’t want to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary to build a database half as good as Adweek’s. Partnering with Adweek was a logical decision and we’re thrilled they were open to it.”

The Adweek Agency Namefinder™ Search
Once online at agencyfinder.com, searchers will find the new feature conveniently located on the website’s homepage. All that is required is part of the agency’s name and a click of the mouse to initiate a no-cost search for a particular agency. Essential information obtained from Adweek’s Agency Directory or from Agencyfinder’s database is presented – usually name, address, city, state, zip, etc. If the agency is registered with Agencyfinder.com, a more complete profile of the agency may be viewed which provides important credentials, capabilities and narrative essays with case histories.

By searching in both, Adweek and Agencyfinder combined have information on over 10,000 ad agencies, PR firms, marketing agencies, media buying services, associations and specialized boutiques from the US, Canada and other countries around the world.

Once a searcher has reviewed information on an

Adweek agency, a link to the Adweek Directories website (www.adweek.com/aw/directories/afindex.jsp) is provided if the searcher desires more information and is interested in subscribing to any of three on-line directories from the marketing trade publisher (The Adweek Directory, The Brandweek Directory and the Multicultural Directory). The directories are also available in print versions. Information provided in the printed directories and via the online subscriptions goes beyond the information available through the namefinder feature. Data includes web address, e-mail, names and titles, accounts, annual media expenditures, parent companies and subsidiaries, special sections featuring agency rankings, name changes, openings and closings, plus advertising awards, clubs and associations. “You’d be surprised how many people beyond clients and agencies, including media reps, service firms and start-up companies are looking for agency information. Our directories serve them extremely well,” said Mr. Tebo.

“Adding the namefinder feature to the Agencyfinder.com website takes us one step further in our mission to help clients find agencies,” concluded Mr. Meyst. “Thanks to Adweek, we’re able to continue providing a service to clients that is comprehensive, fast and free.”NOTE: An online demonstration of the service and/or an interview with Mr. Meyst can be arranged upon request.

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About Agencyfinder.com – Agencyfinder.com is a service of Business Partnering International, Ltd. and was founded in February, 1997. The service is unique in its match-making process for pairing advertising, public relations and marketing agencies with clients and is intended for use by companies seeking agency support for projects, campaigns or long-term relationships. Searching is free to marketers and supported with complimentary search consulting advice (telephone and on-site consultations) provided by BPI’s executive staff. Advertising agencies and public relations firms pay an annual fee to be part of the online database and eligible to participate in reviews.

About Adweek Directories – Adweek Directories has been the reference directory arm of Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek Magazines for twenty-five years. The authoritative industry source for information on agencies, brands and media it publishes the Adweek Directory of agencies, public relations firms and media buying/planning services; the Brandweek Directory of brands and marketers;

the Multicultural Directory of Hispanic/Latino, African American, Asian American and GLBT advertising, marketing and media communities; and Marketer’s Guide to Media detailing trends, rates and demographics for traditional media.

December 9, 2004 — Agencyfinder study reveals correctable flaws in non-profits’ RFP process.

Richmond, VA – When it comes to finding the right ad agency or PR firm, a recent survey shows that non-profits and foundations that use the traditional RFP as their first step in the agency search may want to re-think that process. Agencyfinder.com, the largest online agency search and evaluation service in the advertising and PR industry, cited findings of a recent survey of over 4,000 firms registered with the service that reveal some problems inherent in the way non-profit organizations and foundations secure the services of marketing professionals. “The results of the study show the traditional method of sending out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to a laundry list of agencies is no longer viable or efficient and could, potentially, do a worthy cause more harm than good,” according to Chuck Meyst, Chairman and CEO of Richmond, VA-based Agencyfinder.

Agencyfinder found that nearly two out of three agencies considered the RFP to be a waste of time and effort. “Sixty-three percent of the agency principals who responded to our survey said they thought most non-profits and foundations had already decided who would be awarded their business before they even sent out their RFP,” says Mr. Meyst. And while he conceded that many of the responses probably reflected small non-profits

rather than the more accomplished and experienced industry giants, Mr. Meyst pointed out that this belief “still results in agencies moving the RFP farther down on their priority list or maybe not even participating in the account review.”

According to Mr. Meyst, this could mean agencies that could possibly be a great match for a non-profit – and in some cases willing to donate their time on a pro-bono basis – pass on the opportunity instead, leaving the charity as the big loser. Reported one respondent to the Agencyfinder survey, “We generally will not answer an RFP (from a foundation or non-profit) since I feel we do not need to compete for free work,”

Agencies report the real problem lies in the traditional concept of what a ‘Request for Proposal’ is in the first place. Experience has shown that many smaller non-profits and foundations ask members or volunteers with limited marketing and advertising experience to draft the RFP. As a result, it’s not unusual for the RFP to be developed without help from a professional search or marketing consultant.

That practice appears to be part of the problem for most of the invited service providers. Nearly all of the agencies participating in the study reported receiving RFP’s from non-profits or foundations that were not well thought-out, confusing, too detailed or asked for wrong, or inappropriate information. To make matters worse, these RFP’s are received with more than their fair share of cynicism. Only one in four agencies said they thought the RFP’s were fair “most of the time” – none said they were “always fair.”

So what’s the rub?

“There seem to be three big issues that bother the agencies who receive these,” reports Agencyfinder’s Mr. Meyst. “Most of these agencies consider themselves to be pretty savvy and feel there’s always an ‘inside track’ – so, in many cases, these RFP’s are seen as a big CYA maneuver on the part of the non-profit or foundation, leaving no chance for the agency to even get the business. You only have to get burned once this way before you start to think every RFP from a non-profit or foundation is a waste of time.”

“The second issue is one that is common to RFP’s written for both non-profit and for-profit clients: Too many times, these documents are written for the primary purpose of collecting information on prospective agencies which the client will use to filter their large list down to that handful of agencies best suited for the assignment. As a result, a good bit of the information requested in the RFP is often

inappropriate and, many times, not even considered if the responding agency is disqualified from the search based on a previous answer.

Finally, the study showed that decision-making deadlines are rarely met by the non-profit making the requests for information. “This practice of “hurry up and wait” is really tough to take in these instances,” says Mr. Meyst. “While you might put up with that for a multi-million dollar account, it’s tough to rationalize expending the effort for something you’re going to do for a much smaller budget.”

“It doesn’t matter what kind of account is looking,” Mr. Meyst continued. “Whether it’s a local, non-profit agency or a large, multi-national corporation, the search process works best when it is broken down into four main steps: qualification, information gathering, site visits/chemistry tests and then the pitch/proposal. And it’s key to make sure the proposal isn’t just a laundry list of price quotes. Non-profits and foundations are no different than for-profit and private sector businesses in this regard – they’re trying to hire agencies that think creatively and strategically, so the process needs to give agencies a chance to demonstrate that ability.”

Agency principals answering the Agencyfinder survey seem to agree. “RFP criteria are usually based on what is needed in very tactical terms,” wrote one survey respondent. “We answered the RFP strategically to address ways to help fund the greater good of the organization, but what (they) really asked for was how to print, fold and mail a cheaper direct mail piece.”

So, how do you improve this situation and make sure non-profits and foundations are getting the best marketing help they can afford? The time seems to call for a significant change.

Meyst outlined the issues. “First, the RFP should not be used to identify qualified candidates. To find qualified agency candidates, the Internet offers immediate and unlimited access to uniquely compiled agency databases designed for just that purpose. Some of the online databases have more information and more current material than what a client is going to get today directly from an agency new business person.”

“Then, to a handful of qualified prospects, send a well-prepared, non-intrusive Request for Information (RFI), asking only for relevant information and that not already found, either in the on-line database or agency web site. From here, it’s possible to continue along the lines of what many do today.”

Respect seems to be a big issue. “Don’t ask for free (spec) creative, media or PR ideas … if you need them, offer to pay for them,” suggests Meyst “Also, be sure to provide feedback on a timely basis.” The Agencyfinder study showed that over 60% of the agencies participating in the study reported that non-profits and foundations took an inordinate length of time to get back with an answer on the award of the account. While these agencies generally considered one to three weeks to be acceptable, many of the search committees took more than a month and several never got back with the agencies at all.

“Along with respect,” says Agencyfinder’s Mr. Meyst, “Comes relationships. A significant number of our agencies said that if the non-profit took some time out to form relationships with a few pre-selected agencies first, then each side would know and understand the expectations of the other. Who knows, a worthy cause may manage to get help from more than just one source?”

“I would insert objectives and accountability into the RFP,” wrote one agency principal. “I would also be less concerned with agency background and history and more concerned with the diagnosis and prognosis of (the non-profit or foundation).

“By using on-line resources first and, where appropriate, engaging consultants, it’s possible for both the non-profit and the commercial enterprise to find a better agency in less time than they’ve been able to, previously,” says Mr. Meyst. “And in this day and age, it’s important to get back up and operating as fast as possible in order to save time and money and preserve market share.”

A comparable survey of the for-profit sector is planned for next month..

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About Agencyfinder.com – Agencyfinder.com is a service of Business Partnering International, Ltd. and was founded in February, 1997. The service is the most comprehensive database of advertising and public relations agencies on the Internet today and is intended for use by companies seeking agency support for projects, campaigns or long-term relationships. The search service is free to marketers and supported with complimentary search consulting advice (telephone and on-site consultations) provided by the BPI executive staff. Advertising agencies and public relations firms pay an annual fee to be active participants in the online database and resulting searches.

May 31, 2004 — Online agency search service now offered as free benefit to BMA membership.

Richmond, VA – The Business Marketing Association (BMA), the venerable trade association for business-to-business marketers and service providers, announced a partnership with Agencyfinder.com that will allow the association’s members to search for advertising and pr agencies quickly and at no charge. Agencyfinder is the largest marketing services search engine of its kind in the world and has more than 2,500 comprehensive headquarter listings of advertising agencies and pr firms. The BMA has over 3,000 members.

“Our association’s membership is made up predominantly of client marketing managers and advertising directors,” explained Rick Kean, Executive Director of the BMA. “We know that it takes a while for agencies and clients to find out if they’re right for each other. The Agencyfinder process helps reduce the possibilities of a mismatch which could save our members thousands of dollars as they transition to a new agency.”

Although Mr. Kean wasn’t able to say how many BMA members intended to search for new agencies over the next year, a recent Agencyfinder

survey indicated that one-third of those marketing managers and business decision makers polled said they intended to hire a new or additional agency sometime within the next twelve months. “That wouldn’t surprise me,” said Mr. Kean. “I don’t think agencies have any idea how deeply in trouble they are or could be on any given day.”

“Agencyfinder is a great fit for the BMA,” explained the company’s Chairman and CEO, Charles G. Meyst. “Of the 4,000+ searches we’ve done since launching Agencyfinder, many of them are for smaller B2B accounts like the kind that make up the BMA membership. These are accounts that aren’t necessarily looking for the big, Madison Avenue agency, but rather for someone who knows the market and understands how to build brands cost effectively. Our database is loaded with those kinds of agencies,” said Mr. Meyst.

Agencies can register for a minimum “maintenance fee” with Agencyfinder, but the company’s business model requires agencies to pay an annual subscription fee in order to actively participate as a contender in a competitive pitch once they’ve been selected and pass their initial “telephone screening interview” with the searching client. For agencies that have paid their annual subscription fee, they receive full contact information for any and all other clients who invite them for a period of twelve months following their subscription payment as part of the Agencyfinder service agreement.

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About Agencyfinder.com – Agencyfinder.com is a service of Business Partnering International, Ltd. and was founded in February 1997. The service is the most comprehensive database of advertising and public relations agencies on the Internet today and is intended for use by companies seeking agency support for projects, campaigns or long-term relationships. Searching is free to marketers and supported with complimentary search consulting advice (telephone and on-site consultations) provided by the executive staff. Advertising agencies and public relations firms pay an annual fee to be part of the online database and to participate in searches. BPI is headquartered at 4327 Cox Road, Vantage Place, Glen Allen, VA 23060. For more information, call 804-346-1812 www.agencyfinder.com

About the BMA – The Business Marketing Association (BMA), established in 1922, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the professional development needs of business-to-business marketing and marketing communications professionals. BMA develops and

delivers benefits, services, information, skill enhancement, and networking opportunities that help its members develop and succeed throughout their business-to-business careers. BMA is headquartered at 400 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1510, Chicago, IL 60611. For more information, call 800-664-4262. www.marketing.org

May 26, 2004 — Agencyfinder survey indicates “credibility” a driving issue in the agency selection process.

Richmond, VA – In a poll of over 4,000 marketing directors and business decision makers, Agencyfinder.com, the largest marketing services search engine of its kind in the world, has found that although advertising and PR agencies may say the right thing, clients are still concerned about the firms’ credibility and truthfulness in the claims that are made.

“Issues of honesty and credibility ranked the highest in our survey,” said Charles G. Meyst, Agencyfinder’s Chairman and CEO. “Clients like what they’re hearing, but they want reassurance that the information is current and accurate. Remarkably enough, the agency’s size in terms of either billings or number of employees, ranked near the bottom of the list in importance.”

Findings from the survey will be used to enhance the Agencyfinder service to allow marketing directors and business decision makers to conduct a fair and impartial evaluation of the more than 2,500 headquartered agencies participating in the service’s database.

What can agencies do to enhance their perceived

credibility by prospective clients? Agencyfinder’s Meyst suggests including third party references in introductory material so prospects can make screening calls in advance. “But if you’re going to do that,” he adds, “avoid setting up a bunch of client-side shills who will only say the good things about your agency. Everyone has warts and if a prospect calls your references and feels they’re not getting the full story, that could actually be worse than not providing any references in the first place.”

The Agencyfinder.com survey was sent to over 4,000 of 9,500 previously registered marketing directors and business decision makers who have used the online matchmaking service in the past seven years. The survey identifies key issues of concern to those contemplating and hiring advertising agencies and public relations firms. Of those participating in the survey, nearly one-third of them reported their intent to hire a new or additional marketing services agency in the next twelve months.

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About Agencyfinder.com – Agencyfinder.com is a service of Business Partnering International, Ltd. and was founded in February 1997. The service is the most comprehensive database of advertising and public relations agencies on the Internet today and is intended for use by companies seeking agency support for projects, campaigns or long-term relationships. Searching is free to marketers and supported with complimentary search consulting advice (telephone and on-site consultations) provided by the executive staff. Advertising agencies and public relations firms pay an annual fee to be part of the online database and to participate in searches. BPI is headquartered at 4327 Cox Road, Vantage Place, Glen Allen, VA 23060. For more information, call 804-346-1812 www.agencyfinder.com

July 7, 2003 — Reasons for Purchasing’s Rise in Agency Reviews Cited in Agencyfinder Report.

Agencyfinder releases executive report defining issues surrounding the increase of procurement department activity in ad agency and PR account reviews.

Richmond, VA – Agencyfinder, the most comprehensive advertising & pr agency search/selection system on the Internet, released its first Special Executive Report today entitled Why Purchasing Stalks Marketing for Agency Control. The report identifies several key issues surrounding the growing influence of purchasing departments on the agency selection process and provides some insights as to how agencies and clients can adapt.

Agencyfinder’s founder, Chuck Meyst, explains why the company went to the effort of researching and publishing on this topic: “Late last Fall, we started to see a fundamental change in who was using our service from the client side. Since that time (over the last 9 months), we’ve seen a ten-fold increase in searches from purchasing and procurement managers on behalf of their employers and brands. We started to wonder why, did our homework and now present the findings in this report.”

The report cites financial pressures and a greater desire for accountability in the marketing spend as two inter-related issues behind the growing influence of purchasing in reviews and compensation negotiations. “But there are other factors, too,” Meyst continues. “Those of us in the advertising, PR and related fields haven’t done a very good job of building trust in how we do business or how we charge for the value we bring.”

In conversations with Al Ries, author of The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR , Ries underscores the point that chemistry alone can’t win accounts anymore and that advertising agencies in particular have done a pretty miserable job of understanding that fact. “You have to have the mindset of the purchasing agent,” Mr. Ries says in the report. “Purchasing people deal in hard values; data, especially prices, terms, guarantees, etc. Advertising people deal in soft values such as creativity which can’t be measured.”

But what are the implications of this trend? The Agencyfinder report sheds light on the impact purchasing and procurement managers have had on the agency search process to-date. In the past year, clients have stepped over the unspoken boundaries of employee compensation and bottom line profitability with their agencies. One client identified in the report even asked pitching agencies for information on how they conducted criminal background checks on their employees.

Mr. Meyst estimates that approximately 7 to 10% of the USA’s more accomplished ad agencies and PR firms are registered with Agencyfinder. “With over 4,000 top-ranked agency offices in the database, we’re able to match just about any sized client with the right kind of agency.” The service has been put to the test over the years, conducting over 3,300 searches since March 1998. “Most of our volume in client searches is in the small-to-medium range,” explains Meyst, “although we’ve seen more than our fair share of larger searches over $25 million. Our largest to date was over $100 million.”

According to Mr. Meyst, “It’s accounts like those – some that are too small to immediately attract the attention of a mega-agency and some too large to be awarded based on a personal friendship – that are the most difficult to satisfy. The Internet and off-line process we provide via Agencyfinder opens the door to new agencies and levels the playing field at the same time.”

Brand Central Station’s Mr. Bawden agrees, “One of the reasons my partners and I have seen the success we have with our Agencyfinder

registrations is that clients understand the power and efficiency of finding the right-sized agency for the right-sized problem. Agencyfinder does that in a way that we wind up talking to and pitching work that’s a good fit – and that is how clients save money in the long run.”

The Agencyfinder Special Executive Report: Why Purchasing Stalks Marketing for Agency Control is available at: www.agencyfinder.com/Special-Executive-Report.pdf

Agencyfinder.com, a service of Business Partnering International, Ltd, was founded in February, 1997, and is the most comprehensive database of advertising and public relations agencies on the Internet today. Intended for use by companies seeking agency support for projects, campaigns or long-term relationships, the company has executed over 3,300 searches in the past five years. Searching is free to marketers and supported with complimentary search consulting advice (telephone and on-site consultations) provided by the executive staff. Advertising agencies and public relations firms pay an annual fee to be part of the online database and to participate in searches.

February 28, 2003 — BPI’s agencyfinder.comTM Introduces ROAI Tools

Richmond, VA – In response to growing client interest in measuring the return on advertising investment (ROAI), agencyfinder.com is introducing additional database attributes and agency essays that address the topic.

Chuck Meyst, CEO and founder stated “today’s economy, coupled with corporate management’s increased interest in measuring for a return on investment spending, has resulted in clients asking agencies for evidence; evidence that marketing expenditures produce some form of measurable positive response as a reward for making that investment. Arguably, experts have varying opinions on the extent to which that is possible, or at least the extent to which measurements can be made.”

Within the agencyfinder.com database, there are already more than 400 fields or “selectable attributes” by which an agency defines itself and by which they are found. Meyst added, “Now, within the section entitled Services Offered, we’re adding additional choices, including “ROAI tools” and others as determined after we conclude our agency and client research. We’re also adding appropriate Essays, where agencies (advertising, pr and other marketing categories) can share their views and opinions on this topic.”

February 4, 2003 — BPI’s agencyfinder.com™ Investigates the Purchasing Phenomena

Richmond, VA – If your company or your agency has not yet been impacted by the growing trend to involve purchasing or “procurement” in the client/ad agency relationship, it’s a trend and it appears that it’s not going to subside. Why has this happened?

Chuck Meyst, CEO and founder of agencyfinder.com commented, “Companies are more and more vulnerable to the near-term success or failure of their marketing programs. Marketing – as in bringing goods and/or services to market (via advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and other such tactics) – is generally contracted to outside vendors. These ad agencies, publicists and consultants are entrusted with hard-earned, precious budgets meant to contribute to the success of these companies. Clients assume these vendors are qualified to do that.”

Yet in a country where accreditation and licensing is required of doctors, lawyers, architects, pharmacists, engineers, dentists, psychiatrists, CPA’s and even “nail technicians”, no such requirements exist for these vendors. So those who purport to know how to craft influential and effective “marketing messages” are held to no minimum standards, nor are they required to be regulated or

licensed. Marketing departments and ad agencies may not yet have definitive standards (methods for specifying, for measurement or evaluating compliance), but purchasing departments HAVE been developing them or at least looking for ways to quantify candidates.

Marketing budgets represent a tremendous expenditure for a company, so the process of selecting a marketing vendor, or “marketing partner,” is presumably no longer entrusted only to the marketing department who depended in-part for agency candidates by searching local yellow page directories or asking business colleagues or media reps for recommendations. Now Procurement wants to bring their precise and meticulous methods to the table. What’s appropriate is the integration of methodical and linear processes including Internet search-engines capable of identifying qualified agencies based on stipulated criteria, coupled with compliance and accreditation issues, then high-touch examinations, as in off-line human assessment of non-technical essentials including “creative” and “chemistry.” “Now, in retrospect,” continued Meyst, “what agencyfinder.com introduced in 1997 is precisely what searchers are crying for today.”

Until and even following some form of testing and accreditation established by the advertising industry, the selection of an advertising, public relations or marketing firm is an even more critical decision for every company and it may call for the re-examination of existing relationships. Procurement departments are getting involved, and it’s not going to go away.

October 4, 2002 — BPI’s agencyfinder.com™ manages DuPont review

DuPont Surfaces Appoints Doner as Advertising Agency Partner for its Corian® and Zodiaq® Brands

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 4, 2002 – After a thorough review process, DuPont Surfaces has selected Doner Advertising in Detroit as its agency of record. Doner will be responsible for the advertising, collateral and promotional activities for DuPont Corian® solid surfaces and DuPont Zodiaq® quartz surfaces, a recent introduction to the luxury decorative surfaces category.

According to Rosanne Miller, global brand manager for DuPont Surfaces, Doner was selected due to its “proven track record in home furnishings and its depth and breadth of resources.” Prior to integrating these services with Doner, DuPont Surfaces worked with several agencies. Porter Novelli, New York City, will continue to manage public relations.

“We are excited to be working with DuPont Surfaces,” said Alan Kalter, chairman and chief executive officer of Doner. “Corian® and Zodiaq® are both aesthetically beautiful and highly functional materials desired by consumers, architects and designers alike. Our goal is to contribute to their growth in an increasingly competitive environment.”

Miller worked with BPI’s agencyfinder in Richmond, VA, to establish a process for reviewing, identifying and inviting agency candidates. After starting with a list of 35 agency candidates, DuPont Surfaces team members selected and visited 11 agencies, then asked three finalists to present their capabilities and strategic thinking to a larger group. Miller indicated that the “process was rigorous and the choice was difficult but, in the end, we’re extremely confident and enthusiastic that our partnership with Doner is the right one.”

DuPont Surfaces is a strategic business unit of DuPont that manufactures and markets Corian® solid surfaces, Zodiaq® quartz surfaces and DuPont Wall Surfaces. DuPont™ Corian® is a well-known global brand in the solid surface category. More information is available at www.corian.com or by calling 800-4-CORIAN. DuPont™ Zodiaq®, a premium surfacing material made almost entirely of pure quartz crystals, was added to the DuPont Surfaces portfolio in 2000. More information is available at www.zodiaq.com or by calling toll-free 877-229-3935. DuPont Wall Surfaces made their debut in 2002. This three-millimeter acrylic surface product is available for shower walls and tub surrounds. More information is available at www.dupont.com/wallsurfaces or by calling 800-426-7626.

Doner, headquartered in Detroit, is the largest independently owned advertising agency in North America, with more than $1.5 billion in combined billings. The agency has offices throughout North America, as well as in London, and does business in more than 30 countries for clients including: Mazda, The May Department Stores Company, Minute Maid, Blockbuster Entertainment, Owens Corning, La-Z-Boy and DuPont.

During 2002, DuPont is celebrating its 200th year of scientific achievement and innovation – providing products and services that improve the lives of people everywhere. Based in Wilmington, Del., DuPont delivers science-based solutions for markets that make a difference in people’s lives in food and nutrition; health care; apparel; home and construction; electronics; and transportation.

October 22, 2001 — agencyfinder.com™ CROSSES THE $500 MILLION MARK AND EXPANDS SERVICES

Richmond, VA – agencyfinder.com, the leading Internet search service to match clients with advertising and public relations firms across North America, announced today that it will cross the $500 Million milestone for client placements by month end.

Chuck Meyst, CEO and founder of agencyfinder.com commented, “When we launched our business-to-business service, some people were speculating we’d go the way of many “dot-coms.” I’m pleased they guessed wrong! Interestingly enough, by the end of October 2001, we will place our half-billionth dollar of new business with a marketing firm somewhere within our membership.”

agencyfinder.com uses a proprietary 450-point system to match agency data with confidential client requirements in a search for the ideal candidate. The sophisticated process is fast, precise and provided at no cost to companies looking to hire an ad agency, public relations or similar marketing company. Each member agency shares the operational costs on an equal fee basis.

Representing more than 4,000 international offices, including more than 95% of the top-ranked agencies and PR firms in North America, agencyfinder.com is the Internet’s first and only on-line and off-line consulting service for client and agency matchmaking. Now in its fifth year, agencyfinder.com is poised for continued growth.

New Service For Smaller Clients

The Referral NetworkSM, another agencyfinder.com placement service, was launched earlier this year. It has seen equally high industry acceptance and success. The Referral Network provides the same search facilities but serves smaller clients… generally those with marketing budgets under $1 million. These clients are directly referred to a highly qualified agency by agencyfinder.com consultants using the same proprietary algorithms that are used for larger clients. “Since May 2001, The Referral Network has seen some $19 million in account placements,” said Meyst. “Companies with lower marketing budgets enjoy the same professionalism and quality service that bigger clients demand.”

Website Re-launch and Marketing Campaign

October also saw the re-launch of an improved www.agencyfinder.com website. agencyfinder.com staff members surveyed clients, conducted internal reviews using data mining, and used that information to undertake the site’s first major re-design in three years. “We’ve definitely enhanced the user-friendly qualities,” said Director of Agency Services, Jay Mangan. “This new site is much more intuitive and easier to navigate and with its re-engineered graphics, improved search algorithms and enhanced operational features, it gets prospects to the needed information with speed and dispatch.”

Over 15,000 invitational mailings announcing the new website and Certified Agency registration options went out to advertising, public relations and marketing firms across North America this month. A larger mailing to prospective clients looking to hire an agency has also been sent.

January 29, 2001 — agencyfinder.com Announces Additional Client Search Attributes

Richmond, VA — Business Partnering International, Ltd., owner/operator of agencyfinder.com, today announced the addition of new attributes by which clients may find suitable candidate agencies.

Clients now define their ideal agency by selecting from among 387 unique fields, including 172 that indicate required vertical market experience; 95 that identify services the client will need; 24 that represent end-user markets; and 9 that represent the agency’s willingness to accept various compensation options. Clients ultimately have access to each candidate agency’s full report, reflecting all their known attributes plus seven (7) 200-word essays and client case history.