DIDAX Inc. signed an agreement to make
its crosswalk.com the exclusive online sponsor
of more than 300 live Christian music concerts and festivals through December
1999.
JAM Productions, the producer and promoter of the events, will incorporate
sponsorship branding recognition into print, broadcast, onsite signage and
collateral materials reaching a live audience projected to be in excess of 1.5
million with 20 million to 30 million gross advertising impressions. Spending
details were not disclosed.
Crosswalk.com includes two Christian music sites on the Web, crosswalkEvents and gofishnet.com, and is incorporating them
this fall into a comprehensive channel for online Christian music lovers.
CrosswalkEvents is a user-driven database of local Christian events throughout
the U.S. and Canada, and gofishnet.com is an interactive retail environment
primarily focused on Christian music.
JAM Productions is the largest promoter of live Christian events in the
country and will include dates from such artists as Amy Grant, Michael W.
Smith, and the Newsboys in the sponsorship agreement.
“Christian music has been growing at a phenomenal pace–over 20% annually
since 1992,” said William Parker, CEO and President of DIDAX. “This agreement
will put our strong equity in online Christian music right out on the
frontlines, where the music and the passion are at their peaks. We believe
this kind of ubiquitous presence within the live Christian music experience,
bolstered by aggressive marketing in more traditional channels, will position
crosswalk.com as THE solution for Christian music lovers on the Internet.”
Crosswalk.com is aiming to become a “Christian community portal” by
offering–and continuing to develop–a range of channels, resources and
services
that cover the spectrum of life within a Christian context. Channels include
music, personal finance and careers (all currently in beta versions);
lifestyle channels focusing on issues for men and women; and services ranging
from online shopping and movie reviews to games, chat, forums, local events,
news, free e-mail and search.
