News

Creative Circle announces turnkey community site for moms

mommyQ will be the first of several themed, turnkey sites featuring strong content and writing to help newspapers more quickly build communities of interest

For Immediate Release
Contact: Bill Ostendorf, 401-455-1555

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April, 2008) -- Creative Circle Advertising Solutions (CCAS), which created the industry's leading citizen journalism software, is partnering with its sister company, Creative Circle Media Consulting (CCMC), the nation's top content and design consulting firm, to create several themed, turnkey community sites for the newspaper industry.

"The Creative Circle team is a unique combination of an innovative software firm that understands how to build user-friendly software and a consulting team that trains journalists worldwide to improve content, design and photography," says Bill Ostendorf, CEO of both CCAS and CCMC.

"Having built or been involved in dozens of 'citizen journalism,' 'social networking' and community sites for newspapers, we understand that one of the missing links is the right content. What newspapers need to start a community is content that will draw that community to the site - to jumpstart the formation of a very localized, natural dialogue among users," says Ostendorf.

The two firms will draw on all their resources to build several themed sites, starting with one for moms. The mommy site will be followed by a site for pet owners and other sites targeting outdoors enthusiasts, military families, high school sports and other revenue generating niche options.

mommyQ, a themed, interactive site for moms, will be available for deployment late this summer. It will feature great content for moms as a base for newspapers to establish a turnkey, themed community. The site can be set up as a standalone URL or integrated into a newspaper's existing site.

"With all the cutbacks in the newspaper industry, we knew we had to help our clients generate more excitement on the web quickly, without drawing on staff resources. We're pulling together the contributors now and it will be an impressive team which will generate blogs, articles, resources and tips," says Ostendorf. "We plan on making our sites a source of great writing as well as great information. Newspapers need quality to stand out in a crowded Internet field."

Sites will be localized and feature the ability to allow users to create blogs, post stories, photos, videos and calendar items, but they will also be networked behind the scenes so the best content from any site can be fed to others.

Creative Circle Advertising Solutions, Inc., builds best-of-breed software for media companies to create user-generated content and revenue. Products include adQ: Intelligent classifieds, which is the only classified entry system that actually helps users write an effective ad, and communityQ, the leading citizen journalism software in the United States. Clients include NBC, The Chicago Tribune, CNHI, North Jersey Media Group and Media General.

Creative Circle Media Consulting, Inc., has a 25-year history of satisfied clients. CCMC has helped more than 300 media companies on three continents and has led training in for journalists in 38 countries. The firm has redesigned more than 400 newspapers, web sites, classified sections and niche products. Recent clients include The Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va., The Idaho Statesman in Boise, Idaho, The Island Packet in Hilton Head, S.C., the Catholic Church, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, The Vail (Colo.) Daily and The Times Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y.

Both firms are based in Providence, R.I., and can be reached at 401-455-1555 or bill@creativecirclemedia.com