Offline Marketing Service Now Targeting College Students

Offline Media in New York City said it is expanding its Webmark co-op mail program to promote Web sites to include sites that specifically target college students.

Webmark, which was launched a year ago as an alternative promotional service for investor related Web sites, said it will provide advertisers targeting college students with an opportunity to carry their messages on specially designed Webmark postcards.

Individual postcards (which include coupon and scratch-off options) are packaged in decks of 10 to 20 cards and distributed free to students at more than 400 colleges and universities.

Campus distribution will be coordinated by MarketSource Corp., a college marketing services company. Hand-to-hand distribution of Collegiate Webmark packs will take place at college bookstores and high-traffic student union locations.

“Webmark’s goal is to drive college students to our advertisers’ Web sites,” said Michael Ackerman, founder of Offline Media.

“We provide advertisers with the option of incorporating a coupon, integrating a scratch-off contest or simply transforming Web graphics into postcard art.”

“An increasing number of Web sites is targeting college students because they are wired, wield tremendous purchasing power and are just forming brand impressions,” said David Marcou, director, MarketSource Corp. “Webmark is the type of innovative concept needed to help sites break through the tremendous online clutter.”

Collegiate Webmark will be distributed twice a year at the start of both the fall and winter semesters and will target a broad spectrum of advertisers, from entertainment sites (music, movies, sports), retail (autos, books, financial services, apparel), Internet resources (computer, career & job hunting) and others. Rate card data was not disclosed.

Offline Media first introduced Webmark to the market in March 1997 to promote financial Web sites, and has signed advertisers such as The Street.com, Quote.com, Thomson Financial Services, Sallie Mae, Merrill Lynch, Barron’s and Wired.