Vemma Receives 2013 Direct Selling Association ETHOS Award

SCOTTSDALE, AZ, -- Vemma has been awarded the 2013 ETHOS Award for the Verve Bold product launch campaign in the Marketing & Sales Campaigns: Launches category, and was named a category finalist by the Direct Selling Association (DSA). The award will be formally presented to Vemma on June 11 at DSA's 2013 Annual Meeting at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona. The overall Marketing & Sales Campaigns category winner will be announced during the Awards Gala that evening.

Vemma launched Verve Bold on January 30, 2013, with the most successful product launch in the company's history, selling over two million cans of the healthy energy drink in the first 100 days. The comprehensive launch campaign relied heavily on social media involvement with the company's Brand Partners, bold imagery and an innovative mix of launch activities, all centered around social interactions -- both online via social media platforms and in the real world with Verve Bold launch parties. Events at the US Airways Arena (home of the NBA(R) Phoenix Suns) and the Sundance Film Festival added to the social focus of the campaign. Coverage from Entertainment Tonight and MTV News clips helped create excitement around the launch.

"We are honored and excited to be recognized within the direct selling industry for our efforts in bringing this fresh new product to market. I congratulate the Vemma branding team for using creativity and thinking outside the box to achieve the company's most successful launch to date," commented Mark Patterson, Vemma EVP of Marketing and Brand Development.

ETHOS Awards are given annually to DSA member companies with programs that empower independent direct sellers and fuel business processes. Entries are judged by a panel of industry leaders and outside experts. Criteria for the judging of the award are specific to each category, with an overall focus on excellence, creativity and innovation in the direct selling industry.

"Receiving a DSA ETHOS Award is a testament to the commitment a company has made to being a model for the highest standards in business practices and ethics," said DSA President Joseph Mariano. "I congratulate this year's winners on their achievement."