Top Global Food and Beverage Brands Promote Language Learning as Critical Competitive Advantage

ARLINGTON, Va. --(Business Wire)--

Rosetta Stone Inc. (NYSE: RST), one of the world's best-known language-learning brands, has announced partnerships with two global food and beverage companies to teach thousands of employees to speak new languages.

Yum! Brands, Inc. and Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates are providing their employees with interactive language solutions from Rosetta Stone as they seek to develop associates who can communicate better with customers and business partners around the world. As part of the new corporate programs, thousands of employees in hundreds of locations will be given an opportunity to learn a new language using the powerful online solution from Rosetta Stone.

Rosetta Stone sees a trend in its growing institutional business, which now delivers online language training solutions to thousands of schools, corporations, and government agencies in the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

"Corporations that hope to be competitive in today's global economy are starting to recognize that it's crucial to have a multilingual workforce," says Judy Verses, President, Global Institutions for Rosetta Stone. "We're delighted that two of the world's leading food and beverage brands are investing in their employees by incorporating Rosetta Stone into their training and benefits programs. I believe they'll see a significant pay-off."

The interactive online language-learning solutions Rosetta Stone delivers can be tailored to the specific structure and needs of any organization. The products are designed with a high degree of flexibility and scalability so that organizations can deliver language training for a few people in one department or thousands of employees across many global divisions.

"Rosetta Stone is extremely adaptable and accessible, and that's helpful for a company like ours," says Rob Lauber, Vice President of Yum! University, the Global Learning and Development Center for Yum! Brands. "As a global company, our partnership with Rosetta Stone provides our employees access to language learning that is intuitive and easy to use. With Rosetta Stone we're able to support the global mindset of our employees and encourage personal development at every level of our organization."

Rick Tigner, President of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, is enthusiastic about the partnership with Roseta Stone, and believes it will help Kendall-Jackson further develop and attract talent. "Our business is truly global and we celebrate diversity across our workforce," he says. "We have employees, managers, leaders and customers around the world, and we need to be able to communicate effectively with them all. Rosetta Stone is helping our employees break through language challenges and do business faster and more effectively."

The scalable online solutions delivered by Rosetta Stone and leveraged by schools, corporations and government agencies also include administrative tools and proactive support services so that programs serving many employees can be effectively managed by a single individual within a company.

"In a global economy-and a tough one, at that-businesses face real challenges when it comes to attracting and retaining strong talent," added Rosetta Stone's Judy Verses. "By providing their employees with our language-learning solutions, companies like Yum! and Kendall-Jackson are sending a signal that they care about employee development and are committed to equipping their people with the tools they need not only to compete, but to succeed, in the international marketplace."

About Rosetta Stone Inc.

Rosetta Stone Inc. provides cutting-edge interactive technology that is changing the way the world learns languages. The company's proprietary learning techniques-acclaimed for their power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone-are used by schools, businesses, government organizations and millions of individuals around the world. Rosetta Stone offers courses in 30 languages, from the most commonly spoken (like English, Spanish and Mandarin) to the less prominent (including Swahili, Swedish and Tagalog). The company was founded in 1992 on the core beliefs that learning to speak a language should be a natural and instinctive process, and that interactive technology can activate the language immersion method powerfully for learners of any age. Rosetta Stone is based in Arlington, VA., and has offices in Harrisonburg, VA, Boulder, CO, Tokyo, Seoul, London, and Sao Paulo.

For more information, visit RosettaStone.com

About Yum! Brands, Inc.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 37,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories. Yum! is ranked #213 on the Fortune 500 List and generated revenues of more than $12 billion in 2011. The Company's restaurant brands - KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell - are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder returns.

About Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates

Kendall-Jackson is one of America's most beloved family-owned and operated wineries. Founded by entrepreneur and visionary Jess Jackson and now led by his wife Barbara Banke and their children, Kendall-Jackson is based in Sonoma County and offers a range of acclaimed wines sourced primarily from the family's estate vineyards along the coastal ridges of California. A leader in sustainable vineyard and winery practices including solar cogeneration, water conservation, and natural pest control, 100% of Kendall-Jackson's vineyards in California are SIP Certified (Sustainability in Practice). Earlier this year, Kendall-Jackson was the first wine company to be featured on CBS Television's hit series "Undercover Boss," showcasing the winery's employees, vineyards and passion, from the grape to the bottle. Learn more online at www.kj.com, and follow KJ on Facebook (News - Alert) (kjwines). Please direct media inquiries about Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates to: Jason J. Hunke, Vice President, Communications, jason.hunke@jacksonfamilywines.com, 707-547-4704.