REDMOND, Wash., and WOONSOCKET, R.I., Feb. 14, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) and CVS/pharmacy (NYSE
“CVS”
), America’s No. 1 drugstore chain, today announced the signing of a multimillion-dollar online advertising deal providing CVS.com ( http://www.cvs.com/ ) with exclusive sponsorship elements within areas of MSN.com TM ( http://www.MSN.com/ ), one of the top three most visited Internet portal sites.
CVS.com ads will run throughout the MSN TM network of Internet services and will also target areas that reach consumers as they look for health-care information or shop for health-related products. CVS.com will be featured on the MSN Health Channel, Pharmacy Quicklink from the Hotmail® Web-based e-mail service, MSN Search and WomenCentral’s Health Section. The MSN eShop Health & Wellness Channel will feature links to CVS.com’s Pharmacy Counter, Vitamins and Herbs and Health & Wellness sections.
“MSN will work with CVS.com to accomplish several key goals through online advertising, including increasing brand awareness, generating traffic to the CVS.com site, and building repeat customers,”
said Jed Savage, Eastern Sales Manager for MSN.
“With one of the largest Web audiences and highly targeted content, MSN is well-positioned to help CVS.com achieve these goals.”
“MSN provides an excellent platform for CVS.com to deliver prescription medicines, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, herbal products, and health-care information to millions of consumers every day,”
said Larry Zigerelli, executive vice president of Corporate Development for CVS/pharmacy and chairman of CVS.com.
“Our agreement with Microsoft is another step in our strategy to offer our customers a seamless destination for an entire range of health-care services.”
About CVS Corp.
CVS/pharmacy is the nation’s largest retail provider of prescriptions. The company is the No. 1 drugstore chain in the United States with approximately 4,100 stores in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Midwest regions of the country. General information about CVS, including corporate background and press releases, is available at CVS’ Web site at http://www.cvs.com/ .
About CVS.com
CVS.com is the nation’s first complete Internet pharmacy. Launched in January 1999 as soma.com, CVS.com provides 24-hour-a-day access to registered pharmacists via the Internet or toll-free telephone number. CVS.com also offers standard or next-day delivery of quality prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and health and beauty products. CVS.com is an online destination for health-related purchases and information on health conditions and issues authored by leading medical authorities. CVS.com provides customers the best-of-both-worlds convenience of online and offline pharmacy shopping. CVS.com accepts thousands of third-party plans and offers thousands of over-the-counter items at highly competitive prices, online or via telephone ordering, in-store pick-up or home delivery of prescriptions, and direct toll-free access to CVS.com pharmacists at (888) 607-4CVS. A CVS.com online media kit is available at http://www.businesswire.com/cnn/cvs.shtml .
About MSN
MSN is the network of Internet services from Microsoft that helps people better organize the Web around what’s important to them. The network of MSN services, located on the Web at MSN.com ( http://www.MSN.com/ ), helps people easily stay in touch with friends and colleagues, make smart and secure purchasing decisions, and get more done. MSN offers award-winning e-mail functionality; personal communications services; wireless services information; customizable access to news; popular sites for health, personal finance, traveling, investing, automotive services, shopping and more; an online community; a Web search engine and directories; and top-rated Internet access.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, MSN.com, MSN and Hotmail are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
