Calgary - Canadians are bombarded with more than 3,500 commercial messages in the course of their day1 - radio jingles, transit ads, email, direct mail, billboards, the list is endless. This over abundance of messaging can often become overwhelming, confusing and even intrusive as consumers are added to countless marketing lists. Today, with the launch of fetchTM, Canada Post addresses the problem with an original new approach. fetch is an innovative way to quickly seek the information a consumer wants while shielding them from other invasive advertising. fetch gives Calgarians the opportunity to instantly respond to various marketing initiatives, or request additional information about a product or service, knowing their privacy will remain protected - even from the advertisers they are approaching. Canada Post developed fetch to help consumers take control of how, when and where they interact with advertisers. Starting today, Calgarians will see the fetch symbol in advertisements in magazines, billboards, television, online and hear the fetch 'sound' on the radio. To request more information about the product or service advertised, or to participate in a special offer, consumers simply look for the fetch keyword (adjacent to the fetch symbol) and call 1-877-FETCH-03 (1-877-338-2403) or text the defined keyword to FETCH (33824) using the text messaging feature on their mobile phone. For an even faster response, Calgarians are encouraged to register as a fetch user via the fetch website www.fetch4.info. "Fetch is one of the most innovative advertising opportunities I've seen in a long time," said Rick Broadhead, one of the country's leading technology experts and authors. "It gives advertisers an exciting new way to build relationships with consumers while protecting - and respecting - their privacy. It's a win-win situation for both advertisers and consumers - everyone benefits." Aside from being instantaneous, fetch is completely anonymous. A fetch user's personal information is never shared with any of the advertising partners. Personal privacy is completely protected by Canada Post, the same organization Canadians have trusted with their personal correspondence for the last 150 years. fetch allows consumers to take immediate advantage of an advertiser's offer without fear of being added to anyone's mailing list. "Consumers told us that the invasiveness of some marketing tactics prevented them from taking advantage of what they recognize as valuable information," said Warren Tomlin Canada Post's director of Marketing and Product Development - Multi-Channel and co-inventor of fetch. "The message was clear: consumers want control over the ads and offers that come into their lives and fetch provides this. As well, advertisers know the huge value of sending a message to someone who has asked for it." To date, twelve organizations in the Calgary area (Shoppers Drug Mart, Safeway, Telus, Domino's Pizza, Royal Lepage Benchmark, Royal Lepage Pinnacle, Royal Lepage Foothills, H&R Block, Whiskey Nightclub, Mynt Ultralounge, CitiFinancial, Pointe of View Development) will be using fetch as an innovative way to speak to their consumers. fetch is the result of three years of work between Canada Post and its development partners: Sun microsystems, Pulse, Impact Mobile, CGI and Innovapost. By working with these industry technical leaders, Canada Post was able to incorporate innovative, interactive technology with the stability, performance and integrity of a 150-year-old company. At the present time, fetch is only available in Calgary. However its anticipated success should have Canadians across the country fetching information and offers in the very near future. 1 "Sales & Marketing: The Battle for Brain Space," by Ted Matthews, Profitguide.com, PROFIT-Xtra, September 23, 2004 - 30 - For additional information about fetch or to arrange for an interview with a Canada Post spokesperson please contact: Capital C Public Relations Wendy Walker (Calgary) 403-813-4180 Jodi Gibbs 416-777-9151 X.270 905-875-7405 (onsite) Canada Post Cindy Daoust 613-734-4258
