Campbell, Calif.-based online relationship marketing company Talk City
Marketing Group signed financial information firm Bloomberg L.P.
as a new client and said it will change its name to LiveWorld Inc.
The name change “reflects the company’s 100 percent focus on its core
fee-for-services business,” LiveWorld said.
LiveWorld said that it will provide a range of interactive community services
for Bloomberg’s consumer Web site. Financial
arrangements were not disclosed.
LiveWorld will build and manage a series of interactive discussion forums
that will enable Bloomberg.com visitors to discuss features from Bloomberg’s
print publications and share ideas and perspectives on a range of timely
financial topics.
“We feel that LiveWorld’s experience and expertise will help us build a
successful interactive community for our online visitors,” said David
Wachtel, manager of Bloomberg media and marketing.
LiveWorld, whose other customers include the Internal Revenue Service, Cisco
Systems, Eastman Kodak, Coca-Cola and Costco, said it expects to announce a
new ticker symbol consistent with the company’s new name in the next 30 to 60
days. It was delisted by Nasdaq on May 1 and the company has been moving to
refocus the business.
Last year total revenues increased 92 percent to $14.8 million. Net loss rose
3 percent to $41.6 million.
The new brand identity is “consistent with the company’s momentum in
building a strong fee-based marketing services business, said Peter Friedman,
LiveWorld’s chairman and CEO.
LiveWorld was trading unchanged at 16 cents at mid-morning. The company said
it exited the fourth quarter of 2000 with $14 million in cash and expects to
reach break even in 2002.
Talk City Marketing Group, founded in 1996, began as AppleLink and eWorld —
Apple Computer’s business services marketing initiatives. It originally
provided free chat rooms; now it offers marketing consulting services, online
research, event production, community services and networking and syndication
services.
