Blackboard Selects Pappas Group for Marketing Communications

Blackboard Selects Pappas Group for Marketing Communications

DBC Public Relations Experts and DRC Group are Retained for Public Relations and Market Research Efforts

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ:BBBB), the leading provider of e-Learning software and services to more than 2,000 universities and K-12 schools worldwide, has named the Pappas Group (http://www.pappasgroup.com/) as its marketing communications agency of record. The agency will provide creative and production services for a wide array of Blackboard's marketing and communications needs, including the task of redesigning and launching a new Blackboard Web site.

Last fall, the Pappas Group was instrumental in rebranding Blackboard with a new corporate identity and corresponding product identities. The creative focused on a unique way to visually represent a community or a series of communities interacting, sharing, and learning. "Project STAR" symbolizes the numerous interactions that occur between people, places and resources within the Blackboard environment. The Pappas Group incorporated the "STAR" branding across all of Blackboard's products -- the Blackboard Learning System(TM), the Blackboard Community System(TM), the Blackboard Content System(TM), the Blackboard Transaction System(TM) and BbOne(TM). The theme was also carried over to communicate Blackboard's Networked Learning Environment(TM) (NLE) and Networked Transaction Environment(TM) (NTE) -- whereby the integration of Blackboard's products makes teaching and learning possible from practically any location and at any time.

"The new Blackboard brand image and marketing materials, developed by the Pappas Group and launched at EDUCAUSE 2004, have been extremely well received in the marketplace," said Tim Hill, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Blackboard. "We are looking forward to working with the Pappas Group to carry these concepts over to our new Web site, events marketing materials, direct and print advertising and collateral."

"Blackboard is the leading force in the e-Learning marketplace. We are very excited to continue our relationship with them to elevate their brand and communicate their industry leadership position," said Anthony Pappas, founder of the Pappas Group, headquartered in McLean, Virginia.

"We worked very closely with Pappas to help them understand Blackboard's products and services and how they have changed education," said Kevin Alansky, Director of Marketing Communications for Blackboard. "Pappas took this information and developed creative concepts and messaging that truly communicates the central role Blackboard plays at learning institutions."

Blackboard has also retained DBC Public Relations Experts (http://www.dbcpr.com/), Washington, D.C., and DRC Group, Austin, Texas, a market research and consulting agency, to implement a coordinated and strategic marketing and communications outreach plan, across numerous channels and sectors. All three firms will work in tandem to communicate how Blackboard's software and services are revolutionizing teaching and learning.

"Blackboard is embarking on new territory with a very deliberate and concerted effort to integrate all its marketing communications," said Bruce Shuttleworth, Senior Director of Marketing Communications for Blackboard. "By working closely, and in unison with Pappas, DBC PR Experts and DRC Group, we will reach out to all our target audiences with the same messages in a coordinated fashion. Communication is all about clarity and consistency and Blackboard is making this a priority now."

About Blackboard Inc.

Blackboard is a leading provider of enterprise software and services to the education industry. The Company's product line consists of five software applications bundled in two suites, the Blackboard Academic Suite(TM) and the Blackboard Commerce Suite(TM). Blackboard's clients include colleges, universities, schools and other education providers, as well as textbook publishers and student-focused merchants that serve education providers and their students. Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices and staff in North America, Europe and Asia.

Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Blackboard and other statements containing the words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our most recent 10-Q filed with the SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of February 2, 2005. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company's views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to February 2, 2005.


Source: Blackboard Inc.

CONTACT: Melissa Chotiner, Public Relations Manager of Blackboard Inc.,
+1-202-463-4860, ext. 2404, Mchotiner@blackboard.com; or Media Inquiries:
Stacey Finkel of DBC Public Relations, +1-202-298-7600, ext. 219,
Stacey@dbcpr.com, for Blackbaord Inc.

Web site: http://www.blackboard.com/
http://www.pappasgroup.com/
http://www.dbcpr.com/


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