About.com, Borders.com book on teamwork
Internet guide service About.com says the two companies will build individual cobranded bookstores across About.com's topic-specific sites.
New York-based About.com, formerly known as Mining.com, said in a statement that the two companies will build individual cobranded bookstores across About.com's topic-specific sites. About.com said it covers 17,000 subjects.
In addition, the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based online retailer said it will have access to About.com's content, including book reviews and feature articles. Borders.com also said it will get "prominent" ad placement throughout About.com's site. In turn, About.com said it will receive advertising revenue from its promotion of the Borders brand as well as e-commerce revenue from the online retailer's sales generated by guide-recommended bookstores.
"This partnership is an ideal fit for About.com," About.com chief executive Scott Kurnit said in a statement. "It adds another highly targeted e-commerce avenue to our vertical network of topic-specific sites."
On Monday, About.com had announced its name change in an attempt to emphasize the site's content and community features. As reported, the company had said that it wants to broaden the way users view the service as more than just a site to find information on specific topics of interest.
The network has great customer value and a similar high-end demographic, Borders Online president Rick Vanzura said in a statement.
About.com said it's a network of more than 650 topic-specific sites led by what the company calls expert human "Guides." Each GuideSite provides a comprehensive experience on a particular area of interest and includes a filtered directory, original content, as well as community features that include chat, discussion forums, Newsletters, and event calendars, according to the company.