GeoCities to Launch Major Marketing Campaign

In another sign of the intensifying competition among
the Internet portals, GeoCities Inc. plans to spend up to $20 million on a
new marketing campaign.

GeoCities announced Friday it has tapped New York advertising agency Young
& Rubicam Inc. to spearhead the effort. Various Y&R subsidiaries will work
on everything from advertising and relationship marketing to media research.

“Y&R is able to deliver a custom agency approach that will address our
needs and will work with us on all facets of our marketing efforts. From
strategy development to consumer advertising to design, Y&R will provide us
with a multi-layered approach that will help us effectively deliver all the
possibilities of our brand to consumers,” said Thomas R. Evans, GeoCities
President and Chief Executive Officer.

GeoCities decision to intensify its marketing efforts comes on the heels of
a study by the Gartner Group which projects there will be only five major
portals by the year 2000. The technology research firm said businesses that
want to reach the broadest audience possible will have to find ways to
align themselves with a portal site to advance their marketing strategies.

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