Know in the news industry at least as the side of the Microsoft-NBCU online-cable joint venture that succeeded, MSNBC.com is trying to rise above the online news crowd backed by a $4 million branding campaign. That’s just the amount being spent outside NBC-owned networks, points out the WSJ. A little history: The two founded in 1996 as a 50-50 JV. MSNBC the cable net moved under NBCU’s control last year; MSNBC.com, which has benefited as the top news source of one of the largest portals, is still 50-50. Despite its success, MSNBC.com has struggled at times for identity beyond the news tie-ins with NBC and its role as news anchor for MSN.
The tagline for this campaign—“A Fuller Spectrum of News”—encompasses its own breadth and depth, as well as that of partners Newsweek.com and WashingtonPost.com.  MSNBC.com needs to stand out in an increasingly crowded news site universe—and it needs to gain more traffic that comes directly to the site. As the Journal points out, CNN.com draws a smaller crowd but 17.8 percent of its users went directly to the site versus 7.8 for MSNBC in February, according to comScore.
Related:
—NBCU Takes Full Control Of MSNBC; Web Site Remains Joint Effort