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1)
Is Couples Company a religious organization?
No. On morality, value and theological issues, our direction and activities embrace the following values and principles: The Ten Commandments, The Constitution of the United States and its Amendments, The Federalist Papers and other writings of our founding fathers, The Declaration of Independence, the tenants of British Common Law, The Rome Statutes, The Geneva Conventions and the values promoted in the Gospels of the New Testament, (do unto others, love thy neighbor, respect for humanity and nature, optimism, forgiveness, personal accountability, learning from mistakes rather than playing the victim, justice rather than revenge, proactive rather than reactive, etc...).
Our expert’s opinions
and articles may include references to prayer, testament entries or
these teachings to illustrate a point. Couples Company’s feature
Inspirations is where
you will find most of our content relating to spirituality. Our
staff, experts and contributors are a mixture of various Protestant, Catholic and Jewish churches and
temples. Spirituality and faith are one of the foundations of a
healthy relationship and the tone of our content may reflect this to
varying degrees. TOP
2)
Where does Couples Company stand politically?
Our experts, staff and contributors range from
ultra-conservative to ultra-liberal, with most being middle of the
road like most Americans. This will be apparent, especially in our
Feature’s sub-category,
Couples Politics.
Politically and morally, our values and principles are the following: The Ten Commandments, The Constitution of the United States and its Amendments, The Federalist Papers and other writings of our founding fathers, The Declaration of Independence, the tenants of British Common Law, The Rome Statutes, The Geneva Conventions and the values promoted in the Gospels of the New Testament, (do unto others, love thy neighbor, respect for humanity and nature, optimism, forgiveness, personal accountability, learning from mistakes rather than playing the victim, justice rather than revenge, proactive rather than reactive, etc...).
Our political commentaries take positions espousing and supporting the aforementioned values and principles, which surprisingly given the current status of affairs especially in the United States, tend to go against the grain of accepted political correctness and ideas.
All of the editorials and opinions presented in Couples Politics are
the opinion of writer and not generally agreed upon by others within
the company. Given our broad latitude of political and sociological
beliefs, it would be impossible to have all members of the team
agree on all issues. The purpose of this area is to promote debate
and focus attention on issues we feel should be discussed are the victim of intense propaganda or under-reported in the mainstream. We
encourage our team members and Couples Club
members to submit rebuttals or differing viewpoints for publication
on any opinion presented.
We do not endorse any specific party but lean toward the true conservative platforms that seem to be forgotten today supporting small federal government, decentralized and empowered only to protect our borders and secure Interstate commerce and continuity. The bulk of legislation and laws should originate at the state and local level and these rights supersede federal authority, civil liberties, fewer laws, autonomy and greater personal accountability.
In other words we believe the individual is the best steward of his or her destiny and the State's job is to provide that which cannot be provided by charities and corporations. We also believe the principles of the US Constitution extend beyond the borders of the United States and as a nation we should never support actions by other nations or peoples which diminish these values. To do so in hypocritical. These are the principles the United States was originally founded on; our
commentary supports returning to these values as the majority of problems facing America today resulted from straying from these principles. The closest party platform to this would be the Libertarian party. TOP
3)
Why does Couples Company focus on adults
25+?
We
know that there are many people between 18 and 24 that are married,
have children and/or divorced and the information on Couples Company
will be pertinent to them. The 25+ focus is meant to
guide our content away from teen and collegiate issues and toward
more adult issues. Many in this age group are 21 going on 40.
We understand this, that age and maturity are relative and life
causes some to grow up well before their peers. Many in the
18-24 age group have voiced frustration over the content geared to
their age. They've simply through experience out-grown it.
They need a resource geared at their experiential age, not their
chronological.
When
we began researching the market and what was available, we became
frustrated. Most advice and features focused on elementary
relationship issues like how to kiss, basic sexual technique,
attracting a guy at a party…the type of relationship advice
appropriate to teens and college students, but not for a single
mother with children or a man and woman in their fifties. What
we found to be missing were the more complex issues like dealing
with jealousy over a new baby, balancing family with work, regaining
your libido, issues of religion & sexuality, dating with children
and the problems that arise dating a divorced person with children,
alimony and other issues. To find answers to these issues, we
had to wade through page after page of teen angst to find a nugget
of relevant advice for adults. Most adults don't have time for
this. Twenty-five presented itself as the best benchmark. By
25 most adults have several years of sexual experience, have
experienced at least one major heartbreak, are employed in career
jobs and find themselves struggling with the day-to-day demands of
life. TOP
4)
Why does Couples Company focus on Parenting
through age 24? Isn’t that condescending to young adults?
Parents are still parents, even though their child is no longer
living with them and this age focus is another area we found lacking
in advice. Hundreds of books are available dealing with children
0-17, but few are available for 18+. 18-24 is a tough time for
children and adults. Though legally recognized as adults at 18,
this is the age when many children run into real problems like out
of control debt, pregnancy, drug and alcohol addiction, abusive
relationships, crisis of conscience, crisis of morality and just
plain confusion as each child tries to define who they are and what
they will become. For parents, this is often the most difficult
time. You have to give your children room to make mistakes, even the
big ones. Your children pull away from you and at times are angry
with you. How do you show your support without enabling? When do
you step in to help and when do you allow your child to suffer the
consequences? How do you handle the guilt, worry and fear when your
child’s life seems completely out of control? Because of these
issues we extended our parenting age to include 18-24 year olds.
TOP
5)
If you’re a Couples' Company, why don’t you
cover homosexual and bisexual relationships?
Several of our experts do counsel homosexual and bisexual couples in
their own practices and have books out on this subject. This has been a source of contention between many in the company. Our
decision to focus only on heterosexual relationships was based upon
market research, information availability, the principles articulated in our mission statement and the original vision
for the company.
Couples Company is devoted to promoting family, marriage and its basic principles; this is our original vision. We found that most other relationship resources covered homosexual and bisexual behavior and that several sources were devoted specifically to this area making addressing this issue redundant.
Finally, we define marriage as strictly between one man and one woman; what consenting adults do in their own bedrooms is their business, however our principles prevent us from promoting, facilitating or endorsing homosexuality or bisexuality, covering it would do so. We realize this isn't politically correct, but there are some issues we don't follow the mainstream on. This is one of them. TOP
6)
I’ve noticed companies sponsor many of your
features and articles. Do these companies pay for editorial?
Yes
and No. Our founder is a traditional media
veteran and subscribes to the basic journalistic guidelines for
integrity. If we do a product recommendation, it is because we’ve
found that product or service to be exceptional. If a company
purchases editorial, the words “An Advertorial Feature by” will
appear at the top of the page.
Our
primary revenue model is based upon mixing relevant content with
appropriate sponsors. Even in these instances, Couples Company
reserves the editorial power. What this means is that even though
we may allow a company to submit an article covering its area
expertise, we reserve the right to edit it or refuse it. Especially
in the areas of medicine and technology, we’ve found that allowing a
company to submit articles based upon their expertise to be
advantageous. Because many of the topics within these disciplines
are new and cutting edge, it is often the company that possesses the
only credible expertise and the best ability to illustrate it. In
any case, these articles by companies must adhere to Associated
Press Journalistic Standards. Companies may mention their own
products for purpose of illustration, but they must also speak
factually about products from competing companies within the same
article.
For
all articles submitted by companies, we will post the bio of the
person writing it at the end of the article and clearly identify
that it is an article submission by a company. TOP
7)
Does Couples Company Take Advertising?
Yes, certain types.
What we do: The
majority of our advertising is through sponsorship, channel
development and promotional features. It is our objective to keep
Couples Company online as a free publication so that all people can
access us. It is also our objective to limit distractions and
provide results. We found the best way to do this was to
provide advertising on a limited basis, creating a set point for
inventory and a venue conducive to showcasing companies. This
means you will not be bombarded with advertisements on Couples
Company. For companies, it means that readers will see your
ads, your competitors will not be able to market in the same area,
and clutter is obliterated. It also means, given first right
of refusal and category exclusivity, companies have the ability to
permanently bar their competitors from the areas on Couples Company
they underwrite.
For example: If
Fisher Price's toy division chooses to underwrite Parenting, Disney
toys, Tyco and other competitors
will not be able to underwrite, advertise or promote themselves within
the Parenting area until Fisher Price's toy division decides they no longer
want to underwrite it. Thirty days before the end of a
sponsorship contract, bidding is opened. During this time Disney or
Tyco can submit a bid to take over the area. With 1st right of
refusal, Fisher Price has the option of countering the bid to
maintain control or relinquishing their sponsorship, in which case
the top bidder assumes control of the area.
The
exception to this involves areas where new product extensions are
created for companies and specific features we create around
perishable products like movies and events.
Yes,
this is a little out of the ordinary, but it really goes to the core
reasons companies advertise: create awareness, desire, interest and
action. This is difficult to do without consistency, and even
harder to do when your message is buried. By combining products with
content pertinent to the product or service's customer base, this
formula for marketing will help companies build lasting
relationships with their customers and keep their customers aware of
the new products and services that enrich their lives.
Everyone wins.
150
million people in the United States are currently involved in
long-term (6-months or longer) heterosexual relationships.
This is the largest single demographic in the world. It is
also the most powerful. Couples raise our children, purchase
the majority of products and services, determine the morality of the
country and vote. Couples are the backbone of every society.
How do the
sponsorships, channel and promotional features work? Our founder built her
career contextual marketing, based upon the Washington Post’s
philosophy that a publication has three customers: the reader, the
advertiser and the publication itself. Contextual marketing, with
limited intrusive promotion is the best manner to create a
win-win-win situation for all involved. TOP
·
A win for our members, or our readers (new content,
exclusive features and specialized offerings with limited
interruptions and annoyances).
·
A win for the marketer, our advertiser (exclusivity,
goodwill, new product/service lines and content relevant to its
market, long-term effective and efficient promotion, offline
extension and real world traffic).
·
A win for Couples Company, (revenue, exclusive
content, unusual products and services, market differentiation).
The third option is Club Member Benefits. This is a loyalty program
and companies hoping to attract couples and families may supply
special offers for Couples Club Members. Call our advertising
department for details.
As we grow and technology advances, we will continue to add new
marketing options that enhance the readers’ experience and the
marketers’ ability to creatively inform our audience.
What we don’t
do: We are
categorically against and will not accept pay-per-view,
pay-per-click, pay-per-action, pop-ups and direct mail e-mailing
(our membership is not for sale and cannot be leased, rented or
accessed). Additionally we do not accept advertising from
pornography (Web sites publications or media), racially or
religiously motivated hate groups, terrorist organizations, and
companies found to be participating in illegal activities. Couples
Company reserves the right to refuse or pull any advertising we deem
unfit or offensive. TOP
8)
How is Couples Company financed?
We
are true entrepreneurial venture and chose to walk from venture
funding in 1999, as we were not in agreement with growth
requirements levied on us. All monies and investment to date have
come from our founder, with additional time and expertise invested by
our experts and partners. TOP
9)
Where did the idea for Couples Company come
from?
Its
genesis began when our founder realized the reason people were
reading and asking for the manuscript of her first book, Sensuality
Volume I, wasn’t to read sexy stories, but as a tool for increasing
intimacy in their relationship. What started as a way to market a
new book grew into a company devoted to all areas of Intimacy.
TOP
10)
What is Couples Club?
There
is no charge to join Couples Club,
but the club has several purposes. For members, it is the club
members we will draw from for contests, opinions, and opportunities
like becoming official Couples Company product testers, movie
reviewers and other fun activities. Once the club reaches a certain
size, Couples Club cards will be issued that can be used at offline
merchants for discounts, incentives and other perks.
For
Couples Company, the club is essential to our ability to adequately
service you editorially and via our products/services. The
information you provide is demographic and psychographic in nature
and helps us identify those issues to focus on and which areas to
avoid. It also helps us attract sponsors and advertisers by giving
them a clear statistical picture of our members.
Finally, it enables us to protect children from content that we feel
is not appropriate. As we grow, we will be including specialized
classes and articles on sexuality and sexual technique designed for
adult audiences. To view these, visitors will need to be club
members because we will keep this content on a secured server that
will require your member number and password to access.
Couples Company does not sell, lease, rent or grant access to our
membership database, ever. For more details read our
Privacy Policy
and the Couples Club background information. TOP
11. Are you a Liberal or Conservative Publication?
You'll notice that we carry articles from very "Liberal" groups like CorpWatch and the ACLU and very "Conservative" groups like Straight Gate and Rabbi Lapin. What we look for is content: is this information relevant and truthful? We don't endorse everything our sources and contributors do or say, but each has issues our readers benefit from knowing even if they disagree with it. For example, we refuse to recognize behavioral issues as civil rights issues, especially when we're familiar with the 35 year propaganda campaign waged to reclassify a
specific behavior into a "civil right". What that means is we will not knowingly promote propaganda on this site. This is why you'll often find Couples Company rebellious, especially on matters concerning the Middle East/Israel/Zionism. Propaganda also rules the US led wars, Homosexuality, and current US Politics. These three issues, (Middle East, Homosexuality, Domestic Policy) represent the most heavily propagandized issues in the world today, (though the pharmaceutical industry is trying really hard to unseat one of these three).
You won't find us following the "politically correct" line on these in most cases because politically correct is just a nice way of saying censored and at least two, Middle East and Domestic Policy are core issues that must be cleared up equitably before anything permanently positive can happen.. We have issues with censorship. We have even bigger issues with apartheid. Right now, the US is intoxicated and being manipulated by both. Keep reading us and you'll understand how. Then you'll wonder how you never saw it before...(you don't
see it because the propaganda is that good).
Like most conservatives and liberals, we support civil rights, not special rights. We support a people's right to defend themselves, not apartheid and we believe US politicians should be putting American interests first before all others and if they don't, they should not be in office. Pretty basic beliefs most Americans share. Unfortunately, effective propaganda has convinced most Americans to support the opposite while thinking they are supporting the basics giving blind hypocrisy a whole new meaning.
We also take "conservative" stances on government interference into anything, believing less government is better than more government. We take a "Liberal stance" on the Environment, human rights, energy and crime so it will really depend on which columnist you are reading as to whether you see us as "Liberal" or "Conservative".
So are we conservative or liberal? Like 60% of the population, our principles and the issue determines our stance, not the label. Here, you'll get a little of both.
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