CONTACT:
Sears Public Relations And Communications
(847) 286-8371
Take a Good News Break This Holiday Season
Sears and Yahoo! Launch 'Good News Now' to Promote Uplifting Stories During
Downturn
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a bold move
to dispel the pall overshadowing the holiday shopping season, Sears this
week launched Good News Now on Yahoo! News. Designed to answer shoppers'
call for an antidote to the pessimism served up by the traditional news and
opinion outlets, Good News Now offers Americans a fun new place for a
positive pick-me-up, access to values at Sears.com, and a social network to
share simple ways to navigate the current economic climate.
"Getting into the 'news' business may seem like an unlikely step for a
retailer but we see it as a unique opportunity to create a buzz around the
positive things Americans are doing to make a difference in each others
lives and engage in goodwill, especially as we lead into the holidays,"
said Sears Chief Marketing Officer Don Hamblen. "The Sears Good News Now
Web site also allows us to integrate the positive experiences from
Sears.com and bring them to consumers in a highly relevant and engaging
way."
According to the National Institutes of Health, the best techniques for
managing holiday stress are to plan some fun, take a break and think
positively. "No other major retailer is addressing shoppers' underlying
stress to create a warm, happy holiday, not just for their families and
friends, but also for those in need," added Hamblen. "Over the years, Sears
always has supported Americans through tough economic times, and we are
proud to partner with Yahoo! News to serve local communities today via an
online news network that uniquely delivers value and fun."
"It's critically important to establish deep and positive relationships
with customers and users. We think Sears' decision to send a positive
message this holiday season to Yahoo! News' 40 million consumers is exactly
what Americans need right now," said Joanne Bradford, senior vice president
of revenue and marketing development, Yahoo!. "Given the uncertainty of the
times and what seems like a constant barrage of negative news in today's
current environment, it's great to have a partner like Sears who would
rather remind people of all of the positive things happening in the world
today. 'Good News Now' will be a breath of fresh air for our users."
Good News Now is filled with uplifting stories, a spotlight on military
families through Heroes at Home(TM), as well as opportunities to sign up
for inspirational e-mails and special offers from Sears. It is powered by
Yahoo! http://spotlight.news.yahoo.com/ and includes features to get
visitors thinking about what they are wishing for this holiday season and
what wishes they can grant for others, including an opportunity to vote on
the hottest gift ideas using Yahoo's Bix functionality.
Through a link on Sears Good News Now, visitors also can click onto
http://www.sears.com for a chance to win one of 40 once-in-a-lifetime
'golden wishes' and more than 22,000 prizes in "The Search for the Golden
Wish Ticket" giveaway now through Dec. 24, 2008. LL Cool J, Ty Pennington,
and the Teutuls from the Orange County Choppers, will take players on an
entertaining search for the Golden Wish ticket. Players can simply select
their favorite celebrity character, who "jumps" into the wish bag to help
find the winning ticket. Players pick the ticket they find in the bag or
send them back in for another try. Thousands of tickets reveal instant
prizes and savings coupons on Sears' merchandise. More than 30 million
Golden Wish tickets will be distributed in-stores and online while supplies
last.
About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings
Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing
merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of
home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more
than 2,400 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and
Canada, which includes approximately 926 full-line and 1,100 specialty
stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and
services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears,
Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore,
Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred
brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home
services, with more than 13 million service calls made annually. For more
information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at http://www.sears.com or
the Sears Holdings Corporation website at http://www.searsholdings.com.
SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation
Web site: http://www.searsholdings.com
CONTACT: Beth Pagano of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, +1-847-286-7066,
beth.pagano@eurorscg.com, for Sears Holdings Corporation; or Tom
Aiello of Sears Holdings Corporation, +1-847-286-7387,
taiell1@searshc.com
