REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 2, 2003 — The MSN®
network of Internet services and LendingTree Inc., the leading online lending exchange, today announced a more than $10 million, multiyear marketing agreement. The agreement, designed to utilize MSN and LendingTree tools to identify active financial services customers, will make LendingTree a premier provider of financial lending services on the MSN network. The marketing platform will be evident via integrated placements and advertising across the MSN network, including targeted sites such as CNBC on MSN Money, MSN Calendar and MSNBC.com.
Under the agreement, MSN will host the Web component of NBC’s
“Today”
show money management segments, which LendingTree sponsors. MSN will showcase information and details on MSNBC from the show and offer loan tools by linking to the LendingTree site.
“MSN and LendingTree make a great match,”
said Joanne Bradford, vice president and chief media revenue officer for MSN.
“Both MSN and LendingTree are trusted, respected brands, which is an incredibly important factor in the financial sector for both consumers and lenders. I am confident that bringing together the best of MSN and LendingTree will enable customers and lenders to enjoy a consistently superior experience.”
Consumers who use the LendingTree site can receive multiple responses to a single loan request within 24 hours, and then review, compare and select the loan offer that best suits their needs. LendingTree also gives consumers the opportunity to interact with experts while making financial decisions and transactions.
“We appreciate the value of MSN’s customer reach and of Microsoft® technology in general,”
said Bob Harris, senior vice president of marketing at LendingTree.
“We’ve collaborated to achieve performance and branding targets that meet, beat and support traditional advertising metrics. By working closely with our colleagues at MSN, it has created new and unique opportunities for both of us to connect with customers.”
About MSN
MSN has 9 million subscriptions and attracts more than 300 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 34 markets and 18 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering Web services to consumers and digital marketing solutions to businesses worldwide. MSN 8 is the first Internet software product to have earned the trusted Good Housekeeping Seal. The most useful and innovative online service today, MSN brings consumers everything they need from the Web to make the most of their time online. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com/. MSN worldwide sites are located at h http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx.
About LendingTree
Founded in 1996, LendingTree (Nasdaq
“TREE”
) is the leading online lending exchange that connects consumers, Lenders, Realtors, and related service providers. The LendingTree Exchange is made up of more than 200 banks, lenders and brokers (Lenders) and has facilitated nearly $32 billion in closed loans since inception. More than 7.5 million consumers have accessed the LendingTree Exchange through the Company’s site at http://www.lendingtree.com/ and through online and offline partners. Loans available via the LendingTree Exchange include home mortgage, home equity, automobile, personal, debt consolidation and credit cards. LendingTree is the No. 1 brand in the online lending market for consumers, with 67 percent national awareness. The LendingTree Lend-X technology has been cited as
“the platform of choice”
* for online lending and has been adopted by industry leaders to power their online lending initiatives. The LendingTree Realty Services offering connects consumers to a nationwide network of approximately 7,000 realtors. The Company’s services and products are specifically designed to empower consumers, Lenders and related service providers throughout the lending process, delivering convenience, choice and excellent value.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies 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.
* Resuscitating Mortgage Lending. Forrester Research, March 2001
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