New York – Group Commerce Inc., a full-service group buying platform built for the unique needs of publishers and merchants, and Car and Driver and Road & Track, two of the most revered sources of trusted automotive content newly acquired by Hearst Magazines, have partnered to deliver targeted offers and promotions to the audiences of these two magazine brands. Set to launch this summer, the partnership will deliver exclusive social commerce and group buying deals that are of specific interest to Car and Driver and Road & Track’s loyal and largely male audiences, a group that has been underserved to date by the booming $4 billion group buying market.
“We’re committed to adding value to our relationship with our readers without sacrificing brand visibility,” said Rob Houghtlin, publisher/chief revenue officer of Car and Driver and Road & Track. “Our relationship with our audience is paramount, and they trust us for content that is relevant and useful. With Group Commerce, we are marrying content and context to bring social commerce to our readers in a manner that exposes additional audiences to our brands through influential voices.”
The deals will be provided across automotive and lifestyle categories and will be promoted to the Car and Driver and Road & Track audiences through in-book and online promotional units, newsletters, blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and mobile apps. Unlike other group buying companies, Group Commerce will be branding all of the deals with Car and Driver and Road & Track, and will work closely with the brands’ staffs to create exclusive opportunities. Some of the initial offerings include a custom product bundle from Gladiator Garage, an exclusive Corvette driving school package at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch and signed motorsports prints from famed photographers.
This partnership marks an important milestone in the evolution of social commerce, with Hearst Magazines among the leaders in content providers focused on delivering additional value to niche audiences. For merchants, the readers of Car and Driver and Road & Track represent an ideal group buying contingent because they share a passionate and declared interest in automotive-related goods and services and are regarded as highly influential among their peers. The Group Commerce platform ensures offers will be relevant to their interests and easy for recipients to share across their network of family and friends.
Group Commerce CEO Jonty Kelt explained, “We’re thrilled to be working with Hearst Magazines and its brands. This partnership maximizes the Group Commerce technical platform and market expertise to deliver branded messaging and relevant social commerce deals to a targeted audience.”
Group Commerce launched in March 2011. Its clients include The New York Times, Meredith Corporation, Thrillist, and DailyCandy. For more information, log on to wwwHYPERLINK “http://www.groupcommerce.com/”.groupcommerce.comHYPERLINK “http://www.groupcommerce.com/”.
Car and Driver (http://www.caranddriver.com) is known for its expert editorial team consisting of credible journalists who are highly regarded by car enthusiasts and automotive manufacturers for their integrity and high standards. The magazine is published by Hearst Magazines (www.hearst.com) twelve times each year, boasting the largest audience of any monthly automotive magazine. The Car and Driver brand is a leading source of information for automotive enthusiasts and in-market car buyers. The brand also extends to many platforms, including websites, mobile sites, radio, iPhone/iPad apps, events, custom marketing programs and integrated marketing databases.
Road & Track (http://www.RoadandTrack.com) is the longest-running and most trusted automotive magazine brand in the United States. The content that is provided by Road & Track across a variety of platforms is intended for the passionate automotive enthusiast and contains information about cars and driving blended with wide-ranging feature stories, entertainment and racing coverage. Road & Track’s road tests and comparison tests are the most complete and technically accurate in the industry, focusing primarily on domestic and imported sports cars and sports sedans that are a cut above the ordinary in performance, handling, engineering and efficiency – cars that are above all, fun to drive.
Group Commerce Inc. is a white-label, full-service group buying platform built for the unique needs of publishers and merchants. Founded in 2010, its social commerce technology is already in use by several of the industry’s most respected brands. Backed by leading venture capital firms and other top investors, the Company is based in New York. For more information, visit www.groupcommerce.com.
Hearst Magazines is a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com), one of the nation’s largest diversified communications companies. Once it completes its acquisition of Lagardère SCA’s 100 titles in 14 countries outside of France, Hearst Magazines will publish more than 300 editions around the world, including 20 U.S. titles. Hearst Magazines is a leading publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. in terms of total circulation and reaches 88 million adults (Spring 2010 MRI). Hearst Magazines Digital Media, dedicated to creating and implementing Hearst Magazines’ digital strategy, has more than 28 websites and 14 mobile sites for brands such as Cosmopolitan, Popular Mechanics, ELLE, ELLE DECOR, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, and Seventeen, as well as digital-only sites such as Delish.com, a food site in partnership with MSN; MisQuinceMag.com; and RealBeauty.com. Hearst Magazines has published nearly 100 applications and digital editions for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as the Droid platform. In addition, the company includes iCrossing, a global digital marketing agency.
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