Electronic Buying Guides Offered to Newspapers

Universal New Media and Journal Square Interactive teamed up to offer e-commerce buying guides aimed at delivering qualified customers to local advertisers at online newspapers.

Journal Square Interactive, a division of Advance Internet Inc., developed the content for an interactive gift-buying feature and a computer-purchasing package. Universal New Media, the interactive division of Andrews McMeel Universal (AMU), is marketing and selling the features.

“Your Gift Guide,” is a year-round gift-buying feature providing holiday content for online newspapers as well as every day content for birthdays and anniversaries. The holiday package provides online newspapers’ readers with gift ideas for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. The feature is built around an interactive gift-idea generator and an email reminder service.

Each newspaper purchaser of the feature uses a customized version of the Gift Guide, branded with its own look and designed to showcase local advertisers. A demo of the site will be available soon at www.uclick.com/demo/giftguide.

The second feature is Computer Buying Guide, an interactive questionnaire matching the needs of shoppers with a print-out of recommended computer components. The feature is also customized with each purchaser’s branding and advertising. The can be viewed at Michigan Live. The Computer Buying Guide demo on Michigan Live can be accessed here.

Journal Square Interactive is the site development and content syndication arm of Advance Internet. Its premier product is Rain or Shine Weather service, which is syndicated to more than 100 affiliates.

Advance Internet Inc. is a subsidiary of Advance Publications Inc., owner of newspapers in 22 cities as well as Conde Nast magazines; CondeNet; Parade; and React.