AdQuest Classifieds Signs 600th Newspaper Customer

AdQuest Classifieds, a supplier of Internet classified services for newspapers, said it signed its 600th newspaper customer.

Together, these 600 newspapers publish 120,000 classified ads every day on the Internet and are available at each of their locally branded classified Web sites or at AdQuest’s site, the company said.

AdQuest Classifieds, owned by Journal Communications Inc., works to provide newspapers with a network of local, regional and national classified ads. They are delivered to readers through each newspaper’s locally branded Internet Web site provided by AdQuest and via its exclusive 800-FREE-LIST phone service.

AdQuest has strategic partnerships with more than 20 newspaper associations and numerous newspaper groups. “We’ve spent a great deal of time working directly with newspapers of all sizes,” said Tom Guest, national sales manager. “Our classified and other Internet revenue solutions are designed to provide all newspapers with the tools to be able to bring their advertising products online with the least amount of effort and investment.”

During the first half of 1998, AdQuest said it introduced two new products to its customer base. AutoMarketplace 98 is an Internet-based auto locating and buying service managed by the newspaper in participation with local auto dealers. The “Banner Ad Program” is a Web-managed banner advertising solution that integrates with each newspaper’s locally branded Web site.

During the next 30 days, AdQuest said it will introduce “Creative Ads,” a solution that will allow newspapers to publish their display ads as searchable Web pages using PDF (Portable Document Format) files.