Press Center

CONDé NAST TO LAUNCH GOURMET LIVE, A UNIQUE DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCT TO ENGAGE USERS IN A NEW WAY

06.22.10
NEW YORK, June 22, 2010  Condé Nast will introduce Gourmet Live, an entirely new digital content product, it was announced today by Charles H. Townsend, President and C.E.O. of the company. Gourmet Live is an immersive and interactive content experience built on an everexpanding collection of articles, menus, photos, videos and more, encouraging social connectivity and sharing, and game play. It brings together branded high-quality content, social and location-based technology, as well as monetization structures new to Condé Nast, like virtual currency, that are typical in digital economies like gaming.

"By focusing on a new way to meet consumer needs, tap into our deep branding, and approach our content differently, we came up with a product that reimagines Gourmet and revalues engagement," said Townsend. "We are extremely pleased with the magazine apps we have developed as part of our R&D efforts, however Gourmet Live is profoundly different. We approached this like a tech company, utilizing the rich assets of a media company, keeping Condé Nast at the forefront of content innovation."

Gourmet Live is the result of a collaboration with Activate, a strategy and technology consulting company, and will be developed in HTML5 with the goal of being available across a variety of platforms and devices. It is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2010. It will be free to download, with registration required, followed by paid content options.

"While we believe many of the 5.5 million passionate Gourmet readers will enjoy this product, we also think a new generation of users who recognize the brand and appreciate food, social media, and excellent content will be brought to the table as well," added Robert Sauerberg, Group President, Condé Nast Consumer Marketing. "Analytics will allow us to iterate quickly, make changes and modify business models based on consumer usage."

The Gourmet Live app offers a clean and intuitive reading experience, realtime processing that delivers curated content based on behaviors, social connections, payment, location and more. For information and a demo visit http://live.gourmet.com. Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, operates in 25 countries. In the United States, Condé Nast publishes eighteen consumer magazines, two trade publications and twenty-seven websites that garner international acclaim and unparalleled consumer engagement.

Subscribe to Gourmet