Expect IAC sites like Citysearch, Ask.com, Evite and others to begin working more closely together, says Peter Horan, who joined the company as CEO of its Media and Advertising group last month. As the keynote speaker at the Kelsey conference, Horan sought to diagnose the problem of local search companies. The “nuclear explosion” of digital content, as ClickZ quoted Horan as saying, has given branded search a greater competitive position because it can offer a greater series of actions connected to a search - such as a video preview of a restaurant or movie— with fewer clicks than most local sites offer. In order to make its local sites more dynamic, Horan’s plans include:
—Unify the local sites’ sales force into one unit, located within its Atlanta call center.
—Fold the recently acquired Insider Pages into Citysearch.
—Lend the services of video production unit Turnhere to Citysearch’s advertisers.
ZDNet’s Digital Markets added that although its Insider Pages will share a common infrastructure with Citysearch, it will still function function as a separate brand as well.
Related:
—Industry Moves: Peter Horan Leaving AllBusiness.com To Head IAC’s Media And Advertising Group