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USA RELEASE: NORTH STAR BP LAUNCHES 'ADVANTAGE CLUB' PROGRAM WITH VISIBLE RESULTS LOYALTY PLATFORM

CALUMET, Mich. (10/23/02)

North Star bp today announced the launch of its new customer rewards program, the North Star bp Advantage Club, at three sites in Calumet, Houghton and Allouez, Mich. Part of North Star bp's new branding exercise, the Advantage Club has been established to help reinforce the company's new identity and reward its loyal customers with prizes from a member catalog. Advantage Club members earn one point for every dollar spent on either gas or convenience store products. Double points are accrued for purchases made with BP credit cards.

To celebrate the launch, North Star bp is awarding new members 25 bonus points for enrolling in the program during the first week. The program is based on the revolutionary GraphiCardT loyalty technology and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system from Visible Results USA, an Overland Park, Kan.-based subsidiary of the Visible Results Group of Companies of Auckland, New Zealand. With the patented technology, program members' cards are inserted into a smart point-of-sale terminal during each sales transaction. A cutting-edge thermo-chromic process enables the front of the card to display points garnered through the most recent purchase, along with other personalized data designed to pique consumers' interest. Such data--which is customized for each client--can include highly targeted offers, details of special promotions and sales, advertising messages, particulars of instant win games, and more.

The terminal immediately prints out customized coupons and similar incentives as transactions are completed. A re-writeable magnetic strip incorporated into the back of the card stores specific data about transactions as they occur. It also enables the back of the card to be re-written every time it is presented, turning it into a self-contained database that eliminates extensive, costly systems integration while encouraging repeated use and customer loyalty.

Jon Marson, President of North Star bp, has secured more than 40 types of rewards for the member catalog from local businesses. "We developed the prize catalog with our regular customers in mind, and the response from the community has been fantastic," Marson noted. Points may currently be redeemed for such items as value meals at Burger King, DVD players from Kirkish Furniture, sports equipment from Keweenaw Motor Sports, an oil and filter change from Fast Track Lube Center, six-inch subs from Subway, and branded clothing from Michigan Tech. Additional prizes are available from Deforge Auto, Herman Jewelers, Country Cottage Jewelers, Perkins Family Restaurant, Jim's Pizza in Calumet, Sayen's Auto Sales, and North Star bp. As an extra bonus, members become eligible to win an instant prize every time they use their North Star bp Advantage Cards in-store. Vendors and suppliers have provided over 4,000 prizes for distribution during the first three months of the program, including Pepsi products, Frito Lay chips, Coke products, Nestle brand candy bars, Burger King menu items, cappuccinos, and car washes from Wilderness Car Wash. Wilderness Car Wash is also supplying catalog items.

"The Advantage Club has been designed to say 'thank you' to our regular customers," Marson explained. "We wanted to give them something different and exciting, which is why we chose the Visible Results Platform. Displaying the point totals and results of the instant win games on the card after every transaction adds a lot of excitement to the Club for our members. It also allows us to advertise new products, new rewards and new program partners very easily as the points are updated, which gives extra exposure to the partners that are supporting the Advantage Club."

About Visible Results

Headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand the Visible Results Group of Companies has, since its inception in 1997, emerged as one of the world's leading customer relationship firms, serving a growing client base across convenience, fast food, fuels and the general retail industry. The company currently operates programs in fifteen countries globally, including the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Spain, Columbia and China.

About North Star bp

North Star bp is the consolidation of three Amoco Food Shops in the Copper Country: Allouez Amoco, Houghton Amoco, and Mine Street Amoco. The name change to North Star bp was prompted by BP's decision to re-image all Amoco stations to the new BP look. The re-imaging at the Calumet location is substantially complete and the Allouez and Houghton locations will start showing the new look over the next couple of weeks. Although the stores will have a new look under the BP image, North Star bp remains locally owned and will continue to sell the quality Amoco fuels which drivers across America have rated as #1 in quality for over a decade.

Press Contacts: At Visible Results USA, Brandi Dixon, Vice President, (913) 851-9400, bdixon@visibleresults.com; at Visible Results Group of Companies, Michael Whittaker, President and CEO, 1-800-273-5793; at Atlantis Group News, Sarah Walsh, 1-800-273-5793, email: PR@tag.co.nz; At Parness & Associates Public Relations, Bill Parness or Lisa Kreda, (732) 290-0121