Tributes.com Partners National Media Outlets
More than 50 Television and Radio Stations Swiftly Embrace New Tributes.com Offering to Benefit from Obituary Classifieds Business
BOSTON, MA – November 30, 2009 – Tributes.com, the online resource for local and national obituary news and multimedia tributes, announced today that they are now powering obituary classifieds for the online properties of more than 50 television and radio stations across the country. Their online obituary platform marries content, state-of the art multi-media memorial products and funeral channel relationships making it virtually effortless for broadcast media to make an entrée into the obituary classifieds market. For the first time in history, broadcast media can provide this important news content to their viewers and actively compete for this lucrative business that has been monopolized by print media.
In less than one year’s time, Tributes has assembled an impressive list of media companies such as Raycom Media, Local TV LLC, LIN TV, CBS Television Stations Group, WKYC TV (part of Gannett Broadcasting’s television station group) and CBC (Capitol Broadcasting Company) New Media Group that have established new obituary sections on their television station websites, powered by Tributes.com.
Tributes creates a completely customized and localized version of its obituary classified platform for each co-brand partner to integrate into their website, typically in their news section or directly off of their homepage. Tributes marries local obituary results and market-specific obituary search forms with the partner’s header and navigation providing a completely seamless user experience between the co-brand and all other site sections. Each co-brand includes a local content module which the partner can populate via RSS feed with their own editorial. All emails spawned by the co-brand, including obituary alerts, are branded with the partner’s logo. Co-brand partners monetize their obituary sections via advertising and sponsorships – both online and on air – along with obituary and multi-media tribute sales.
“The Tributes Network of media partners is rapidly expanding and becoming an important strategic component of the Tributes business, providing another layer of obituary distribution to our funeral home partners and their families,” said Elaine Haney, President of Tributes.com. “Through our co-branding efforts, we have been able to build tremendous value for both our media partners as well as our funeral home partners. We bring trusted brands together in local markets across the country and help them create partnerships which drive new business for each while simultaneously helping garner increased support for families when they need it the most.”
“Tributes lets us bring a ‘must have’ opportunity to long-time station clients, while also giving us the ability to talk with clients who have never advertised with WKYC.com. It's working for our initial clients – Milano Monuments and Busch Funeral and Crematory Services -- and we see great potential for growth in 2010,” said Dan Ketterick, Digital Manager for WKYC.com in Cleveland, OH.
“Our response to the 10 second and 15 second promotional advertisements co-branding Busch Funeral and Crematory Services, WKYC.COM and Tributes.Com has greatly exceeded our expectations. The increased awareness of our online obituary offerings has been mentioned to us numerous times these past weeks by WKYC viewers and quite honestly has been overwhelming how frequently we find ourselves explaining the online obituary service,” stated J. Mark Busch, funeral director and 4th generation co-owner of the leading funeral provider in greater Cleveland, Ohio.
A map of the growing Tributes’ network can be found on the Tributes.com website
About Tributes.com:
Tributes.com is the online resource for current local and national obituary news, lasting personal tributes and online community providing support during times of loss and grieving. Through one centralized national web destination, with over 86 million current and historical death records dating back to the 1930’s, Tributes has made obituary and online memorial service information easily accessible so people can come together online and offline to remember and share the treasured stories of the important people in their lives who have passed away. Monster.com founder Jeff Taylor officially launched Tributes.com in February, 2008.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ashling Kaim (For Tributes.com)
Garfield Group Public Relations
(215) 867-8600 x250
[email protected]
