Imation Internet Studio and WBK Marketing & Design Form Internet Marketing Alliance; "Webs That Work" Combines the Best of Direct Marketing with Full-Service Web Development

Business Wire, August 3, 1998

OAKDALE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 1998--Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) and WBK Marketing & Design today announced "Webs That Work," a long-term business alliance focused on helping companies deliver a powerful return on their investment in Internet technology.

The combination of Cincinnati-based WBK -- one of the top 50 promotional marketing and design agencies in the United States -- and Minneapolis-based Imation Internet Studio, Imation's full-service web development and integration business, places "Webs That Work" among the larger interactive resources in the United States. With more than 80 marketing and Internet engineering professionals, the "Webs That Work" alliance will offer clients a unique combination of direct marketing strategy and creative execution joined to Internet software development and site development expertise.

Scott Litman, founder and director, Imation Internet Studios, notes that many Web sites don't deliver the kind of return on investment that companies should expect, serving solely as "electronic brochures" when, in fact, they could have a much more profound positive impact on the bottom line.

"Our alliance with WBK in Webs That Work allows us to use the power of the Internet to make it significantly easier for our customers to communicate with their customers, helping to increase revenues and lower their cost of doing business," Litman said. "We want to help customers focus less on a Web site's technology and more on its ROI."

WBK President Dale Wolf sees the Web's ability to help companies get closer to customers as a key to driving sales and lowering costs. "The Internet is one of the most powerful direct marketing mediums we've ever had available," Wolf said. "It is the perfect one-to-one way of communicating to decision-makers and end-users. Our alliance with Imation Internet Studio now enables us to offer all of our clients the full marketing benefits of this new medium, backed by the software expertise needed to allow them to build cost effective Internet applications -- without the need of full time Internet staffing."

Webs That Work combines two areas of expertise in a seamless organization:

-- Deep understanding of branding, direct marketing and database technology to create one-to-one marketing programs -- Webs That Work has strategic and creative resources to help motivate customers to action across the Web, over the phone, in stores, on the shelf and face-to-face.

-- Experienced software engineers and site developers -- Imation Internet Studios brings a team of experienced Web developers, conversant in enabling business databases that drive e-commerce solutions. Imation has alliances with key e-commerce companies, as an IBM "BEST Partner," a Lotus Premier Partner (Notes/Domino), a member of the Oracle Alliance program and a member of the Hewlett-Packard Covision program.

WBK's direct marketing and design clients include Procter & Gamble, Florida Power & Light, Imation, Tropicana, Ceridian, Pepsi and Frito-Lay. Imation Internet Studio has worked with such companies as 3M, Goodyear, Pillsbury, ValueRX, Chronimed and National City Bank. For more information on Webs That Work, visit www.websthatwork.com.

Imation Internet Studio is a full service Web developer that is uniquely positioned to provide clients big-business solutions like e-commerce, digital asset management and remote content management. To view samples of the work done by Imation Internet Studio, go to www.imationstudio.com.

Imation supplies a variety of products and services worldwide for the information and image management industry, specializing in imaging and data storage solutions. In 1997, the Company generated revenues of approximately $2.2 billion. Imation employs approximately 9,500 people worldwide and is based in Oakdale, Minn. Additional information about Imation is available on the Company's Web site at www.imation.com, or by calling Imation toll-free at 1-888-466-3456.

Imation and Imation Internet Studio are trademarks of Imation Corp. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

    CONTACT: Imation Corp.
              Jason Thunstrom, Public Relations Manager, 651/704-3164
              jsthunstrom@imation.com
                    or
              Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. for Imation
              Ken Kadet, 612/573-3108
              kadetk@fleishman.com