The Economist and CMP Media to Underwrite CMO Council's thought Leadership Agenda in 2005
High Profile Media Partners to Help Extend Education and Advocacy Mission for Influential Peer Group of 1,000 High Tech Marketing Execs Worldwide

PALO ALTO January 17, 2005 -- The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, an elite affinity group of chief marketing executives in the high technology industry, today announced that CMP Media LLC and The Economist, have signed as anchor underwriters in 2005 to help drive the organization's aggressive agenda focused on defining, aligning and elevating the role of marketing in global companies.The two influential media and publishing groups will work closely with the CMO Council in 2005 to develop, field and propagate intellectual capital building programs in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

The CMO Council represents more than 1,000 senior marketing executives from companies in the technology and communications industries. These individuals control more than $40 billion in aggregated annual marketing expenditures.

“Our partnership with these two highly respected global news organizations highlights the growing international importance and relevance of the CMO Council as the preeminent network for top technology marketers. We’re gratified to welcome The Economist and CMP Media to our council and look forward to their contributions in 2005,” said Donovan Neale-May , CMO Council founder and executive director. Neale-May is also managing partner of Global Fluency, an international strategic communications and perception management organization running the CMO Council from 84 offices in 65 countries.

“We are impressed with the resources that the CMO Council provides to marketers, and we deeply believe in the organization’s mission to bring clarity to the emerging role of the CMO in technology enterprises,” said Jeff Patterson, executive vice president of corporate sales and marketing for CMP Media. “For more than thirty years, CMP Media has made its own contribution to this initiative so we’re pleased to be aligned with a strong advocate.”

While the CMO Council is focused on technology and communications firms, its championing of the discipline of Marketing Performance Measurement crosses all industry lines, and was a primary factor in attracting The Economist as an underwriter.

“The CMO Council has emerged as a timely and important vehicle for serving the critical strategic information and analysis needs of marketers,” said Humphry Rolleston, marketing and research director for The Economist. “The council’s growing global reach and emphasis on original and independent thinking make it an appealing partner for our publication. We look forward to teaming with the Council to help marketers effectively deliver what their companies require of them to achieve optimal competitiveness and profitability.”  

About CMP Media LLC
CMP Media LLC (www.cmp.com) is a leading integrated media company providing essential information and marketing services to the entire technology spectrum -- the builders, sellers and users of technology worldwide. Capitalizing on its editorial strength, CMP is uniquely positioned to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated media solutions tailored to meet their individual needs. Its diverse products and services include newspapers, magazines, Internet products, research, direct marketing services, education and training, trade shows and conferences and custom publishing.

About The Economist
The Economist is a weekly independent global news and business publication offering concise reporting, analysis and opinion on world politics, business, finance, technology and the arts. Founded in 1843, The Economist is one of the world's most influential publications with a global circulation of over one million copies in more than 180 countries, concentrated in North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. For more information, please visit their web site at www.economist.com.

About the CMO Council
The CMO Council is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to high-level knowledge exchange, thought leadership and personal relationship building among senior marketing and brand decision-makers in the global technology industry. Based in Silicon Valley, the Council works to further the stature, credibility, influence, and understanding of the strategic marketing function among business executives, opinion leaders and critical stakeholders in the technology sector. Nearly 1,000 technology companies are currently represented on the CMO Council, accounting for well over $500 billion in aggregated annual revenues. These include top decision-makers controlling more than $40 billion in global marketing expenditures for many of the world’s foremost computer systems, software, networking, communications, consumer electronics, component, distribution, and consulting brands. For more information, please visit our web site at www.cmocouncil.org.

The CMO Council is represented through regional chapters which convene in technology centers worldwide under the auspices and administration of GlobalFluency, the Independent Network of Influence. Spearheaded by Silicon Valley-based Neale-May & Partners‚ GlobalFluency consists of 84 offices employing over 350 professionals in 65 countries. Together‚ these organizations represent more than $50 million in billings from scores of clients across the information technology‚ communications‚ systems integration and Internet service sectors. More information is available at www.globalfluency.com.