Network Communications, Inc. Launches Interactive Division and Bolsters Online Presence

RISMEDIA, August 20, 2007—Citing several significant developments in its Internet business and company-wide product strategy, Network Communications, Inc. (NCI), a publisher of printed and online real estate information in North America, announces the formation of NCI Interactive, a stand-alone division of the company aimed at bolstering the real estate publishing giant’s online presence.

According to the company, the newly formed Interactive Division will develop compelling complementary products and leading distribution for existing brands across its three key areas of business focus: home sales, multifamily and home design and improvement, as well as grow additional revenue opportunities including the expansion of its successful LivingChoices.com site as an independent real estate portal.

“As an integrated media company with the most recognized brands in real estate publishing, we’ve worked hard over the last year on creating independent destination Web products that complement our print product strategy,” says Daniel McCarthy, chairman and CEO of Network Communications, Inc. “In July alone, NCI had nearly three million visitors to its Web products. By forming a top-notch team solely dedicated to NCI’s online presence, we will further accelerate our current momentum in developing Internet solutions for consumers and our advertisers alike.”

To lead the charge, NCI has appointed current Consumer Strategy Executive Vice President and industry veteran Glenn Goad to assume the additional responsibility of President of NCI Interactive. For the last five years, Goad has developed and executed NCI’s online business strategy. He’s been instrumental in creating NCI’s listing distribution network, using the strength of the brand’s database to enter into exclusive and cost-efficient content distribution partnerships with some of the largest names on the Web, including Google among others.

“I am up for the challenge and extremely excited to take on this new endeavor at NCI,” says Glenn Goad, president of NCI Interactive. “There has been a real shift in the way today’s consumers buy, sell, rent and improve homes. The new model highlights the Internet and its role of educating the consumer on the home buying and selling process. As a result it is imperative that real estate industry leaders take responsibility and provide consumers with credible, reliable and comprehensive information coupled with a state-of-the-art user experience. I look forward to leading the charge on delivering these industry ‘musts’ and making NCI Interactive not only a business-generating media solution for our advertisers but also a ‘go-to’ resource and destination for consumers.”

NCI’s Interactive Division will continue to leverage market-leading technology solutions it introduced for virtual tour and lead qualification, as well as the state-of-the-art Web products the company developed that help generate high-quality leads for its customers. Included in this is the company’s innovative “Web-ID” tool – a program that assigns unique alphanumeric identifiers to a property, allowing the consumer to type in the Web ID on the accompanying Web site and access that property immediately online. It is seamless home searching at their fingertips!

NCI Interactive will also look to key business partnerships to further expand their online reach. Just last month, NCI announced its partnership with Google to offer AdWords™ and other local products from the company to the real estate industry. NCI is the first company in the real estate marketplace that Google has partnered with in this way and will help provide highly effective and targeted online real estate services and products to their customers.

For more information, visit www.nci.com.

Real Estate Hot Topics

Profit Center: Real Estate Tips, Training & Events

RISMedia Solutions

RISMedia on the Go

Today's Featured Listing