Looking to incorporate e-commerce functionality into the online editions of its fashion, automotive and entertainment magazines, Hachette Filipacchi New Media (HFNM) awarded a five-year, $30 million dollar Internet services contract to EDS’ Internet business, c2o.
Under the agreement, c2o will deliver online marketing consulting, creative architecture and design, technology implementation and media planning services to develop and manage e-commerce Web sites for HFNM’s 30 consumer brands.
Currently, c2o is consulting on the development of HFNM publications including Road & Track, Home, Premiere, Travel Holiday, Eating Well, ELLE, Car and Driver and its special section Car and Driver 10 Best Cars.
The two companies will work together to plan and develop
partnership programs under which consumer product companies can advertise and sell their merchandise on the newly-created sites.
As an example, c2o said marketers will be able advertise automotive accessories on the Car and Driver and Road & Track sites, and users will be able to view and purchase those advertised products online.
Under the agreement, c2o will co-invest and share in the revenues generated by the HFNM e-commerce sites.
“It’s pretty rare to find a technology partner with the vision to present original ideas for doing business on the Web,” said Jim Docherty, president of Hachette Filipacchi New Media. “Our relationship with EDS’ c2o group has evolved in the last year to become a long-term business relationship. From the beginning, both companies had a vision to capitalize on Hachette’s leadership in content syndication to develop the next generation of e-commerce
magazine sites.”
