Industry News & Events

City Search Partners with MySpace to reach 76 million social networkers

2009-04-18

April 16 - Hollywood-based Citysearch, a leading online local guide and oeprating business of IAC (NASDAQ:IACI), has announced a partnership with the nations premiere social network MySpace to launch MySpace Local - a social directory of small business profiles allowing users the opportunity to review, rate and share content from businesses around the nation. 

"Today's announcement marks a defining moment in MySpace's emergence as a social portal," said Chris DeWolfe," CEO and co-Founder of MySpace. "MySpace is about the discovery of content and culture through the lens of your friends. Building on the success of Music and Video, MySpace Local represents both an evolution in social discovery and a revolution of our larger content strategy."

MySpace Local will include the following:

-- Small Business Listing Pages

-- MySpace has leveraged Citysearch's database which includes major cities nationwide

-- Citysearch businesses are available on MySpace Local via small business listing pages

-- Small business categories available at launch are: (1) Restaurants, (2) Bars, and (3) Nightlife

-- Listing pages empower users to rate, review, and share content in real time

-- Users can access business photos, menu, videos, maps, and hours of operation

-- Viral functionality includes allowing users to add the business to their profile, share the listing, and bookmark the business

-- Business listing pages include a user review module

-- Display offers for coupons on the local business listing pages

City Hubs

-- MySpace is launching "hubs" for all major U.S. cities

-- City hubs include new local search functionality

-- Users can search by: (1) Neighborhood, (2) Small Business Categories, (3) Cuisine Type

-- Users can browse by subcategories like Cuisine Type, Neighborhood, Club/Bar Category

-- Hubs include citywide user reviews

-- Celebrity reviews featured on each hub page, top celebrities rate and review their favorite hot spots

This week, the company is launching the new MySpace Local product for a test group of users to enlist a first round of reviews--the product will beta launch for all users nationwide next month. MySpace Local will expand in the coming months to include more categories including personal and professional services (e.g. doctors, dentists, or dry cleaners), hotels, travel, and attractions. MySpace Local will roll globally on an iterative basis with additional features including mobile functionality and more options for businesses and users to contribute content to the listing page.

"MySpace Local offers American small businesses a free way to reach more than 70 million local MySpace customers and engage in the online conversation," said Jeff Berman, president of Sales and Marketing for MySpace. "Word-of-mouth has always been the most powerful form of marketing-today we're putting the 21st century version of social discovery in the hands of every local business."

A Social Directory Within A Community

MySpace Local marries Citysearch's database of local businesses with the country's largest and most engaged social community. The product empowers users to discover new businesses, create reviews and ratings, and share their experiences with their MySpace community. Any rating, review, or recommendation surfaces into a user's 'Friend Update' feed enabling all users to discover content within the context of their personal community.

Community functionality includes:

-- Reviews, ratings, bookmarks from you and your friends will surface in the 'Friend Updates' feed

-- View reviews by everyone or filter to surface results only from your friends

-- Add a favorite small business to your profile to show friends your favorite locations, otherwise known as "profile badging"

"MySpace's free local offering provides incredible value to small businesses nationwide and we are excited to be powering it with our platform," said Jay Herratti, CEO of Citysearch. "This social marketplace will transform the way small businesses find new customers using MySpace, and Citysearch will then help them further extend their reach across the Web. Together, we'll represent a great marketing strategy for small businesses."

MySpace will continue to roll out new features and functionalities that focus on providing the best social directory available to local businesses and users nationwide.

For more information on how to list a small business on MySpace Local please visit local@myspace-inc.com.

About MySpace

MySpace is the world's leading social portal for connecting people, content, and culture. MySpace empowers its global community to experience the Internet through a social lens by integrating personal profiles, photo sharing, professional and viral videos, blogs, mobile, instant messaging, and the world's largest music community. MySpace is the highest trafficked website in the United States and includes an international network of more than 30 local community sites throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corporation. (NYSE:NWS) (NYSE:NWS.A) (ASX:NWS) (ASX:NWSLV).

About Citysearch

Citysearch is the essential online local guide for living bigger, better and smarter in your city and neighborhood. Combining in-the-know editorial recommendations, candid user comments, and expert advice from local businesses, Citysearch offers users a balanced perspective to keep people connected to the most popular and undiscovered places in over 75,000 destinations nationwide. Citysearch is an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI). For more information, visit www.citysearch.com.