AOL goes MLM? Bwahahahahahaha....

[Robbie Honerkamp <robbie@opus.shorty.com>]

On one hand, this really scares me. On the other hand it makes
me laugh my tail off.

Robbie

---------- Forwarded message ----------
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2187388,00.html

   NEW YORK -- America Online Inc., in a move to increase sales for
   itself and its retail partners, is taking a cue from Tupperware and
   Amway.

   AOL said on Wednesday it had reached a deal with a private marketing
   firm to sell products and services available on AOL through a network
   of home distributors.

   The program, called AOL Select, will be run by Monument
   Communications, a McLean, Va.-based company.

   Both AOL (NYSE:AOL) and Monument said the plan will be formally
   unveiled sometime in the next few weeks.

   Commission-based marketing
   AOL, which became the world's leading online service by using mass
   market mailings of its computer disks, said it plans to use the new
   promotional technique to supplement its existing advertising and
   marketing.

   The new program uses a system known as multilevel marketing in which
   members earn commissions on their own sales as well as sales of
   representatives they recruit into their selling network. Well known
   examples of the method include Amway, Tupperware and Mary Kay
   cosmetics.

   AOL Select will operate a network of product distributors selling
   AOL's own online service, and products and services offered by
   companies that have merchant partnerships with AOL, for instance,
   paging systems and long distance telephone service.

   The pilot program will involve 200 distributors, an industry source
   said.

   A distributor network
   AOL said it might recruit distributors from areas of its subscriber
   service like the Workplace channel, which focuses on small business
   interests.

   Monument's president, Rich Warren, said AOL Select will operate
   independently of America Online.

   Monument is at work developing a distributor network. More information
   on AOL Select is available at http://www.aolselect.com.

   AOL, which earlier announced its entry into the high-speed Internet
   access market through a deal with local telephone giant Bell Atlantic
   Corp., saw its stock slide $7.87 to $145.75 in composite New York
   Stock Exchange trading.


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