Boston.com and Agency ComPile Announce Partnership

Business Wire, March 7, 2001

Business/Technology Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2001

Boston.com, New England's largest regional Web site, has joined forces with Pile and Company to bring the media industry the most comprehensive directory of advertising agencies on the Web today (www.boston.com/agencysearch). In addition to advertising agencies, the service also provides in-depth profiles of Public Relations, Interactive, Direct Marketing, Design and Sales Promotion agencies. Users have free access to information about thousands of agencies, including hundreds in the New England region.

Marketers are able to find agencies that best fit their needs by searching the directory based on specific criteria including agency size, location, industry experience and core capabilities. In addition, many agencies showcase their best creative work in all media, including print, television, radio and interactive. This allows marketers to keep current on breaking creative in their fields of interest while becoming familiar with the agencies that are responsible for that work.

"The addition of the AgencyComPile.com search tool on Boston.com is a win for both our clients and our users," said Lisa DeSisto, vice president and general manager of Boston.com. "Marketers can connect with agencies to execute their vision for building innovative interactive advertising programs, and with the integration of the tool into our content areas, users can check out creative portfolios of leading agencies that are in the news."

A unique addition to Boston.com, the directory is just a click away from Boston.com's most compelling content. After browsing through online articles in digitalMASS and Boston.com's Business section, or after reading "The Pitch" column by Boston Globe columnist Chris Reidy, users may click on the Agency Search link to access more information on the particular agency mentioned in the article.

Skip Pile, chairman and CEO of Pile and Company, states "Boston.com was the pioneer in regional news-oriented content sites and remains the national leader in terms of continuous improvement, innovation and utility. We feel many of these same attributes are associated with our site and we are delighted to be working in partnership with Boston.com."

Some of the New England-based agencies showcasing their creative work in the co-branded directory include: Arnold Worldwide, Hill, Holliday, Greenberg Seronick O'Leary & Partners, Holland Mark Advertising, Haggman, Connelly Partners, Leo Burnett Technology Group, Mullen Advertising, Cronin and Company and Allen & Gerritsen.

About Agency ComPile

Agency ComPile, launched in 1999, is an independent subsidiary of Boston based Pile and Company (www.pileandcompany.com). Pile and Company is the nation's leading management consulting firms specializing in the business of marketing communications. Founded in 1987 by agency veterans Skip Pile and Rick Hooker, Pile and Company and its subsidiaries manage agency reviews and performance evaluations, undertake executive searches and contract negotiations and provide category-defining, Internet-based services, tools and information to the entire marketing communications community. Leading companies such as 3M, Mitsubishi, Avis, Fidelity, EMC, Raytheon, Monster.com, Fleet, TJX, State Street Corporation and Hewlett-Packard are among Pile and Company's clients.

About Boston.com and New York Times Digital

Boston.com, one of the most visited regional portals in the U.S., is part of New York Times Digital, the Internet division of The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT). New York Times Digital (NYTD) is a premier news and information network for individuals who want a unique perspective on their world. By bringing together the industry's most trusted editorial content, a high-quality, knowledge-hungry audience, and proprietary filtering technology, NYTD and its properties comprise one of the world's most powerful environments for news, information and interaction. By leveraging the vast and legendary resources of The New York Times Company, NYTD aims to redefine traditional notions of media and marketing by using digital channels to transform content into experience. New York Times Digital is comprised of NYTimes.com, Boston.com, newyorktoday.com, GolfDigest.com, WineToday, Abuzz, and a Digital Archive Distribution business.