Online media company VerticalScope is providing syndicated content from its AutoGuide.com property to the Toronto Star’s nearly 30-year-old “Wheels” section and the Star Touch tablet product as part of a new deal that took effect last week.
Toronto Star spokesman Bob Hepburn told Marketing via e-mail that the publication selected AutoGuide.com because it is the fastest-growing car shopping destination in Canada and one of the largest in the U.S.
“It has highly respected content, including original car reviews, test drives and automotive-related articles tailored to speak to the Canadian marketplace,” said Hepburn.
The announcement comes slightly less than a year after the Star’s parent, Torstar Corp., acquired a 56% stake in VerticalScope for a reported $200 million in an attempt to position itself for what it called a more “digitally oriented future.”
Hepburn said the Wheels section plans to retain “marquee writers,” including chief auto reviewer Jim Kenzie and Wheels editor Norris McDonald, but that some other freelancer contributors “will no longer appear on a regular basis.” This will produce some undisclosed cost-savings for the company, he said.
Kendal Clarke, VerticalScope’s director of strategic partnerships, said that the deal stems from the Star’s desire to “augment” its current automotive content and the newspaper’s appreciation of “the high-quality content” produced by AutoGuide.com’s in-house editorial team.
It is the first content syndication deal put in place by VerticalScope, which operates approximately 600 online forums spanning content verticals including automotive, power-sports, outdoors, power equipment, pets, sports and technology.
VerticalScope earns the majority of its revenues through online advertising, although Clarke said that content licensing represents a “small but growing” revenue source for the Toronto-based company.
“We anticipate that there will be more deals like this moving forward, as more publishers grow to know VerticalScope as a great source of high-quality content,” said Clarke.
She predicted that the U.S. would be a more lucrative market for the company, since that is where the bulk of its audience resides and there are more media outlets seeking content syndication opportunities.
In July, the Star will also introduce what Hepburn described as a “complete redesign” of the Wheels.ca site with more articles and videos, as well as new tools for consumers looking to buy a new vehicle.
The Star revamped its Wheels.ca website just last year, expanding its historical focus on automotive enthusiasts to include automotive owners, with content aimed at groups including outdoor lovers, families and urban commuters. It also sourced video content from the Global Television program Driving Television. It was unclear at press time if that relationship would continue.
