|
Press Release
AUDIBLE
AND RECORDING FOR THE BLIND & DYSLEXIC
ANNOUNCE CO-MARKETING AND FUNDRAISING PROGRAM
Award-Winning Internet Audio
Service to Reach Reading Disabled Population and Related Donors
at www.audible.com/rfbd
WAYNE, NJ and PRINCETON, NJ - November 2003-Audible,
Inc. (OTC BB: ADBL) and Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic®
(RFB&D®) announced today a co-marketing initiative that
will generate funds for RFB&D and generate sales for the award-winning
Audible.com® Internet audio service among people with print
disabilities.
Audible.com
is the leading provider of digitally-delivered spoken word audio.
RFB&D, a national nonprofit organization, is the leading provider
of accessible recorded textbooks and educational materials for
students of all ages with disabilities that make reading challenging
or impossible.
"Audible
has wonderful spoken word content that our members and donors
appreciate and desire. We're pleased to feature Audible as a convenient
and value-priced way to bring this wonderful content to anyone
using a computer. Our members and donors win by helping RFB&D
when they purchase an AudibleListener plan," said Barbara
Vanderkolk, Senior Vice President of Development at RFB&D.
"Audible
and RFB&D are mutually committed to using the power of spoken
word audio as a learning tool for people with disabilities who
cannot read standard print effectively," said Matt Fine,
senior vice president, Enterprise Development, Audible, Inc. "We
are pleased to work with RFB&D to help raise money for this
extraordinary one-of-a-kind organization and to build Audible's
growing customer base. We consider this type of agreement as part
of our company mission, to engage the non-profit community in
mutually beneficial growth initiatives."
Under the agreement,
Audible will pay RFB&D a customer acquisition royalty for
each new AudibleListener member referred by RFB&D that remains
an AudibleListener® for more than three consecutive months.
AudibleListener plans are priced at $14.95 per month, for a choice
of one audiobook and one audio periodical, or $19.95 per month
for a choice of any two audiobooks per month from Audible's 6,000
title catalog from virtually all major publishers.
Marketing plans
include exposure of Audible.com's services at the RFB&D web
site as well as outreach to its 117,000 members and more than
140,000 donors. The AudibleListener offer and fundraising message
will also be used by RFB&D in its newsletters and other publicity
vehicles. Audible will similarly promote RFB&D on Audible's
website and through various marketing media.
About Audible, Inc.
Audible® (www.audible.com®) is the Internet's largest,
most diverse provider of premium spoken audio services for content
download and playback on personal computers, CD or AudibleReady®
computer-based mobile devices. Audible has more than 34,000 hours
of audio programs and 135 content partners that include leading
audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and
newspaper publishers and business information providers. Audible.com
is Amazon.com's (www.amazon.com) exclusive provider of spoken
word products for downloading or streaming via the Web. Additionally,
the Company is strategically aligned with Random House, Inc.,
to pioneer the first-ever imprint to produce spoken word content
specifically suited for digital distribution, Random House Audible.
Among the Company's key business partners are Apple Corp., Casio
Inc., Handspring, Hewlett-Packard Company, Microsoft Corporation,
Palm, Inc., Royal Philips Electronics, RealNetworks, Inc., Sony
Electronics, Texas Instruments and VoiceAge Corp.
About
RFB&D
RFB&D is the nation's educational library for people with
print disabilities such as visual impairment, learning disability
or another physical disability. Founded in 1948 to assist blinded
World War II veterans access their rights under the GI Bill, RFB&D
now serves 117,000 students in kindergarten through graduate school
and beyond with its unique collection of 93,000 textbooks on CD
and four-track cassette. For more information about RFB&D
and ways to support its Learning Through Listening® programs
and services, please visit www.rfbd.org.
Audible, www.audible.com, Audible Otis, AudibleListener,
and AudibleReady are registered trademarks of Audible, Inc. and
all are part of the family of Audible, Inc. trademarks.
Other product or service names mentioned herein
are the trademarks of their respective owners.
additional
media inquiries:
RFB&D News Desk 1-800-803-7201
media e-mail inquiries
###
This press release contains information
about Audible, Inc. that is not historical fact and may be deemed
to contain forward-looking statements about the company. Actual
results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking
statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including,
without limitation, Audible's limited operating history, history
of losses, uncertain market for its services, and its inability
to license or produce compelling audio content and other risks
and uncertainties detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange
Commission filings.
|