IMPREMEDIA PARTNERS WITH ZAG AND VAST TO CREATE
AN AUTO-BUYING PROGRAM FOR HISPANIC MARKET
Robust Web Technology Makes it Easy to Find the Right Car, Get a Great Deal And Connect With a Spanish-Speaking Dealer Representative
NEW YORK, NY and SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Feb. 7, 2008) –ImpreMedia (www.impreMedia.com), the No. 1 Hispanic news and information company in the United States in online and print, has partnered with Zag, Inc. (www.Zag.com) and Vast.com to create its first auto-buying program for the Hispanic market, the companies announced today.
The new online site to be called impreAutos, will enable consumers to shop for a new or used car online using the most advanced tools on the Internet today. It will be accessible from all of the websites of impreMedia publications. It will connect car shoppers in the cities impreMedia serves with dealers that have assigned Spanish-speaking representatives.
“Our goal is to provide a unique car-buying experience for the Hispanic consumer,” said Arturo Duran, CEO of ImpreMedia Digital. “The Zag platform helps facilitate the car buying process for the consumer, providing educational tools and eliminating the fear when buying a car. Our newspapers are trusted by the Hispanic communities they serve, and by partnering with Zag we can make buying a car fun and safe for our readers.”
“This is a huge opportunity to radically improve the car-buying process for a large segment of the Hispanic population," said Scott Painter, Zag CEO. “Our mission, first and foremost, is to give car buyers a better experience and to use technology to more efficiently connect ready buyers with exceptional dealers. We’re thrilled to partner with impreMedia to bring this new approach to the Hispanic market.”
With Zag, impreMedia enhances the car-buying process for its customers by connecting them with certified dealers who offer upfront prices, guaranteed in writing – and guaranteed not to exceed the market average. The platform enables car buyers to shop for and configure a new vehicle online, and seamlessly integrate insurance and financing with new and used car purchases.
To help consumers buy used cars, Zag partners with Vast.com. With more than 3.5 million used cars, Vast provides the broadest inventory available, along with a rich set of search and filter tools that make it easy for consumers to find the used car they are looking for.
Through the agreement with impreMedia, Zag’s certified dealers gain a sales channel targeting the fast-growing and increasingly influential Hispanic population. ImpreMedia has 14 print publications and 12 online properties that reach 17 top U.S. Hispanic markets. The markets are home to 29.4 million Hispanics, representing 66 percent of the U.S. Hispanic population and $478 billion in Hispanic buying power. ImpreMedia has a combined distribution of 10 million consumers, and every month attracts 2.2 million unique online visitors and reaches 11 million adults (print and online).
About impreMedia:
ImpreMedia is the leading Hispanic news and information company in the United States in online and print. Its network of online news and information websites is the premier destination for US Hispanics. Its newspapers and magazine publications are distributed in 9 of the top 10 U.S. markets (17 markets total), representing more than 66% of the U.S. Hispanic population.
impreMedia Media Contact:
Mike Cano at (214) 223-7791 or mike.cano@impremedia.com.
About Zag:
Zag was founded on the simple premise that buying a car should be easier than it is. Zag operates a robust auto shopping, research and pricing technology platform that connects consumers with a select nationwide network of pre-qualified dealers that have agreed to provide upfront discounted pricing and a no-hassle delivery process. Zag provides its platform on a private-label basis to affinity buying groups, such as Capital One, for – www.capitaloneautobuying.com, and Automotive Invitational Services (AIS), an auto-buying program operator that serves members of 13 AAA clubs. These groups give Zag a combined total audience of more than 60 million members/consumers. Zag is fully operational for 65 percent of U.S. households and serves more than 93 percent of in-market car buyers. InfoWorld designated Zag’s platform as one of the 100 most innovative corporate IT solutions for 2006, and in June 2006 Zag was named in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Hot 100” list of the fastest-growing companies. Zag is based in Santa Monica, Calif.
Zag Media Contact:
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
818-990-5001
ken@edgecommunicationsinc.com
About Vast.com:
Vast.com is a leading provider of vertical search. With sub-second search times, instant narrowing by characteristic, and robust data analytics to facilitate comparison-shopping, a Vast.com-powered website is the best place to start a used car search. The technology is built to support full white-label integrations with partners, allowing all returning user and search traffic to benefit Vast.com's partners. Millions of users a month now make purchasing decisions through Vast.com's partner network. Founded in 2001 and backed by Clearstone Venture Partners and Leapfrog Ventures, Vast.com is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Belgrade, Serbia.
Vast.com Media Contact:
Krista Glotzbach
(415) 271-7638
media@vast.com
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