Kaango to Provide an Integrated Classifieds Platform for Scripps Newspaper Websites

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Wednesday, January 31, 2007; 07:57 AM

The E.W. Scripps Company announced that it has chosen Kaango Inc. to provide Scripps with a new classified ad and integrated discussion platform for users of their newspaper Web sites. According to Daryl Hively, director of online business development for Scripps, the decision came after carefully evaluating the entire competitive landscape of providers over the course of five months. Scripps expects the company's 19 newspapers to use the powerful Kaango platform.

Scripps joins MediaNews Group and Media General (NYSE: MEG) as syndicated partners in the fast-growing Kaango network. The Kaango platform provides web-to-web, web-to-print and print-to-web capabilities. In addition, with Kaango's dynamic adNatures technology, ads posted on the Scripps Web sites will contain unprecedented detail in the form of fielded data unique to the categories in which the ads are posted. "No other provider offers this level of ad detail for its clients and end users," said Michael Kranitz, president of Kaango. "Our web-based ads in all categories now have a level of detail that rivals or exceeds that found on typical vertical sites." If a client does not see a particular field for any category, Kaango can add the field "on the fly" and have it appear in the post ad form, ad display and search area instantly.

The Kaango platform also integrates community elements, such as discussion areas woven into each shopping category, and an AJAX-enabled "tell-a-friend" tool with built-in address book. On the management side, Kaango will enable Scripps to easily set up single-brand or aggregated markets with ZIP-code based ad display that the user can expand to view ads from across the entire country, if desired. The Kaango platform aggregates liner, display and web-based classifieds all under one marketplace. In addition, the service provides ways for print customers to upgrade their ads online without pre-payment or up-sells from call center personnel.