Student Crew Joins Promotions with Blind Date/Universal Studios

Student Marketing, Inc. recently expanded their promotion program to include an association with Universal Studios and the number one rated reality-based television show Blind Date.

MELBOURNE, Fla. -- September 20, 2002 -- Student Marketing, Inc. recently expanded their promotion program to include an association with Universal Studios and the number one rated reality-based television show Blind Date. Student Marketing, operating as Student Crew, promotes the show by running contests on their interactive website at www.StudentCrew.com for contestants and viewer voting polls. Crew members compete for prizes that include auditions to appear as a participant on the Blind Date television show. Travel accommodations are provided for the Blind Date contestants by Student Crew, which the show frequently credits while displaying video clips and referring viewers to the website.

Blind Date is seen in 95% of the United States & Canada and marks the position of the highest rated reality relationship show in syndicated television. Now in its third season, it boasts a weekly average of 5 million viewers, 2.25 million of these on the weekend alone. Ratings have steadily grown from year to year with the current season rankings up 21% in viewer households and an impressive 40% within key demographic groups. It is also notable that Blind Date delivers an audience composition that is equally distributed between women and men. This is an exceptional statistic in television viewing results.

Using real people, not hired actors, Blind Date takes a humorous look at the uncomfortable mating ritual known as the set-up". During the half hour program, the audience gets a voyeuristic view of strangers, matched according to hobbies, interests and idiosyncrasies, as they set out for a night on the town on an awkward Blind Date.

Blind Date premieres the week of October 3rd with Roger Lodge returning as the host. This season takes the matchmaking game to locations such as New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Vancouver and Acapulco. Student Crew has teamed with Blind Date for ten episodes of exotic dating coverage south of the border in beautiful Acapulco. Promotional consideration and further episodes at luxury destinations are on the agenda for the Student Crew program. In addition, former members of MTVs Real World rumor to be among the singles looking for televised love at first site, according to the September 7-12, 2002 TV Guide Magazine.

Student Marketing, Inc., operating under the name Student Crew, is a privately held company classified as a marketing/sales organization that targets the student demographic. This focus entails an extensive network of colleges, high schools and businesses around the country. Participating retailers act as Crew merchants and honor discounts to Crew members in the form of points. The computer chip embedded Crew Card allows students to receive 5-15% rewards points from purchases that can be redeemed for products available on the Student Crew website, such as vacations, merchandise and tuition assistance. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has over 300 representatives that promote membership and fundraising programs. For more information, visit www.StudentCrew.com or call 321.724.9971.