Genius Brands International and relentlessGENERATOR Partner to Create Online Store for Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club
E-Commerce Platform Launches During April's "Financial Literacy Month," Offering a Variety of Merchandise to Inspire and Entertain Children
BEVERLY HILLS, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 22, 2014) - Genius Brands International, Inc. ("GBI") (
"Secret Millionaires Club makes it relevant and fun for kids to learn about the importance of financial responsibility and good money management through entertainment and interactive play," said Heyward in announcing the new online venture. "Now, with relentlessGENERATOR's commerce platform, parents will have a one-stop resource to access all the great content we have created with Mr. Buffett to help nurture the next generation of business creators, product inventors and service innovators."
"Secret Millionaires Club has a strong track-record of developing superior financial literacy materials for young people, while relentlessGENERATOR has a proven approach for selling and delivering unique media and merchandise to consumers across the globe," said Pelson. "Together, we'll make it easy for parents of the world's future leaders to find, purchase and share these great products."
The Secret Millionaires Club online store provides direct access to various products developed as extensions of the popular brand, including:
- Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club -- Business in a Box ($19.99). This interactive play kit empowers children with everything they need to create their own business venture, be it a car wash or lemonade stand. The kit includes toys, activities and DVDs, as well as a booklet with business tips from Mr. Buffett himself.
- The book Secret Millionaires Club: Warren Buffett's 26 Secrets to Success in the Business of Life ($24.95) by Amy Heyward and Andy Heyward, co-authors and co-executive producers on the animated series. Published by Wiley, the book features all of the same lessons featured in the animated series. Chapters include, "Don't Be Afraid to Make Mistakes;" "Love What You Do;" "Protect Your Reputation;" "If You Fail, Try Again;" Confidence Comes With Understanding," and many other lessons from Mr. Buffett, which he credits for his own success in life.
- Secret Millionaires Club - DVD Volumes 1 and 2, ($14.95 each) are comprised of episodes and lessons from the online webisodes and television series.
Secret Millionaires Club, created in partnership with and starring an animated Warren Buffett, features a group of kids who have adventures in business. Secret Millionaires Club empowers kids by helping them understand the world they live in, teaching them about the impact their decisions have on their own lives, and encouraging them to have the confidence to be the best they can be. The series airs on the Hub Network.
Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club has also spurred the Grow Your Own Business Challenge, a national competition open to kids 7-14 years old. The competition invites young people to use what they've learned from Secret Millionaires Club to create a new business idea. The contest is sponsored by the Fairholme Foundation to further its mission of improving [financial] education. It reaches over 100,000 classrooms and youth organizations, with free tools and lessons for teaching good financial habits to youth.
In May 2014, five individuals and three team finalists in the competition will be flown to Omaha, NE to present their winning ideas to Mr. Buffett and a panel of VIP judges. One Grand Prize individual and members of one Grand Prize team will each be awarded $5,000. The finalists will be invited to nominate a teacher who was most inspirational in the process to join them in Omaha and win up to $1,000. For more information, please visit www.SMCkids.com. A new addition to the final event this year is the University of Miami's Launch Pad Entrepreneur Team. The team will host a workshop at the event to offer advice and guidance to the finalists.
About Genius Brands International:
Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Genius Brands International (
About relentlessGENERATOR
Sony DADC's relentlessGENERATOR provides direct-to-consumer marketing and commerce solutions to the entertainment industry, leveraging advanced platforms, proven processes, and skilled people to create profitable solutions for clients. Many of the biggest names in media rely on relentlessGENERATOR to build and maintain their online presences and successfully engage, activate, and sell directly to fans. relentlessGENERATOR provides these services on a global basis as an enterprise-wide solution for media brands that are embracing new, digital business models driven by rapidly changing consumer habits. For additional information, go to http://www.rgenerator.com
Forward Looking Statements:
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), not limited to Risk Factors relating to its business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Three.Sixty Marketing + Communications
Michelle Orsi
310-418-6430
michelle@360-comm.com
Carol Holdsworth
805-252-1848
carol@360-comm.com
INVESTORS RELATIONS CONTACT:
Victor Roberts
RedChip Companies
victor@redchip.com
407.644.4256, ext. 111
Released April 22, 2014