News

adQ INTELLIGENT CLASSIFIEDS MAKES A BOLD ENTRY.

Software redefines web entry classified sales;
Promises dramatic results for newspaper industry.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Bill Ostendorf, 401-277-4817

(Providence) Creative Circle Advertising Solutions announces the first true e-commerce solution that will encourage many more advertisers to place newspaper classified ads via the web.

Some newspapers have experimented with first-generation classified web entry systems and had some success: Advertisers love the idea of using the web and tend to write longer ads. But most existing systems are confusing, offer limited features or are hard to use.Too many potential advertisers get frustrated and abandon the web entry process.They either pick up the phone or give up placing an ad entirely.

"It takes more than just an on-line form to replace the kind of customer service newspaper sales reps provide," says Bill Ostendorf, president of Creative Circle. "We will never realize the full promise of revenue growth and labor savings of web-based ad entry until we have a smart, full-featured system that can really take the place of talking to a salesperson." That's what adQ is all about. "It brings classified web entry up to the level of service that our advertisers expect," says Ostendorf. "adQ doesn't just let you place a classified ad, it helps you write an effective ad."

adQ provides a logical, easy-to-follow process that puts the advertiser in control. Advertisers can simply type their copy in,cut and paste from another program or use customized drop-down menus to create the entire ad. The site features tips for writing successful ads and offers descriptive words that can be added to text.

Advertisers see their ad in several formats - including potential upsells - using the fonts and point sizes as they will appear in print. Throughout the process,advertisers see a running total cost. Once they approve their ad, they fill out a simple payment form.

adQ also lets users upload their own photos and the system automatically prepares pictures for print production. "We know photos get attention, and easy production of classified photos will provide the next big wave of new revenue for newspapers," says Ostendorf. And adQ's creators understand newspapers, advertising and web users.

Ostendorf has been a leader in the newspaper industry for more than 25 years, serving as a consultant to more than 80 media companies on three continents. He has led more than 300 industry seminars and has redesigned more than 100 publications to make them more reader friendly. He knew not only what is wrong with existing systems but also what readers and advertisers would want in the next generation of web entry.

To create adQ, Ostendorf teamed up with web expert Jay Higgins, president of Sprintout Internet Services, who brings decades of experience in web development and print production. Sprintout specializes in solving complicated archiving and production challenges for major corporations. The Higgins family also once owned a printing services company, so he understands the production needs of newspapers.

"We built adQ from the ground up to be user friendly because,unlike other vendors, we understand both newspapers and their readers and advertisers," says Ostendorf. Both Creative Circle and Sprintout are housed in a business center run by the Rhode Island School of Design and Bryant College in Providence. "We had a lot of great resources to draw upon to make this a breakout solution," says Ostendorf.

adQ is engineered to operate with any existing classified production system. It is customizable and secure and is poised to take advantage of the next round of technology advances. "Systems integration will become more important as the industry develops standards for working with PDA, cell and web technologies," says Higgins. "adQ is designed to be ready for those kinds of future developments."

The "intelligent classified" system, adQ is the next generation of software that will make submitting newspaper ads via the web easier for the user. The result: more advertisers, better ads, more readers, and greater profitability.