Hearst Magazines Digital Media, a unit of Hearst Magazines,
announced today that it has partnered with ShopText to deliver a broad range of text messaging
services to its offline magazine audience. With ShopText’s patent-pending technology, readers of
Hearst magazines – including such popular titles as Cosmopolitan, CosmoGIRL!, Good
Housekeeping, Redbook, O, The Oprah Magazine and Seventeen – will be able to make
purchases, request free samples or enter sweepstakes directly from the pages of the magazine.
CosmoGIRL! magazine has been working with ShopText since summer 2006 and has seen
tremendous response from its readers, who have taken advantage of the opportunity to request
samples and buy directly from the pages of the magazine using the ShopText platform. Based on
its success, the company is expanding the service to several other titles in its portfolio.
“Over the past year, our readers have become familiar with the ease and convenience of
ShopText,” said Susan Schulz, editor in chief of CosmoGIRL!. “In a single issue last summer, the
magazine received over 100,000 sweepstake entries via ShopText,” she added. ShopText also
gives CosmoGIRL! readers the ability to text to receive free samples of leading health and beauty
products. The magazine has already delivered thousands of samples with conversion rates as
high as 94 percent. In one recent promotion, more than half of the requests came from readers
who had used ShopText at least once before.
“We are delighted to build on our success over the past year with CosmoGIRL! and introduce
these capabilities to all Hearst magazines and readers,” said ShopText CEO Steve Roberts.
“ShopText allows Hearst’s readers and advertisers to connect via text message to shop, sample or
save any time, anywhere.” After the first ShopText purchase, which can be completed via the
mobile phone, Hearst readers will only need to text a keyword and PIN to buy products they see
in the magazine.
“At Hearst, we continue to identify new and innovative ways to connect to readers with the
products and information they want, whether it be through print, digital or mobile,” said Chuck Cordray, vice president and general manager of Hearst Magazines Digital Media. “ShopText
provides a fun and easy way for readers to make a purchase or receive a free sample using text
messaging. We believe this partnership will provide tremendous value to our readers and
advertisers.”
About Hearst Magazines Digital Media
Launched in March 2006, Hearst Magazines Digital Media, a unit of Hearst Magazines, is
dedicated to creating and implementing the digital online and mobile strategy for Hearst’s
magazine brands and other sites, which serve the company’s consumers and audience. The unit
has launched or re-launched 18 web sites and nine mobile sites for brands such as Cosmopolitan,
Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire and CosmoGirl!, as well as non-magazine brand sites
such as TheDailyGreen.com and MisQuinceMag.com. During this time, Hearst Digital has also
acquired the eCrush Network, Kaboodle.com and RealAge.com to round out its growing portfolio
of interests for teens and women. Hearst’s Teen Network of sites ranks in the top 10 trafficked
entertainment sites on the Web, according to Comscore.
About ShopText:
ShopText is a mobile commerce and promotions company. ShopText’s patent-pending software
platform transforms any advertisement into a point of engagement or sale. ShopText technology
creates a secure, direct-to-consumer marketplace where consumers can shop, sample and save.
ShopText works with any text-enabled phone, major credit and debit card, wireless carrier and all
forms of media. In addition to media companies such has Hearst, ShopText clients include
leading brands, agencies and retailers.
For more information, please visit http://www.shoptext.com. ShopText, Inc.