Brought to market at speed, says Future, the sites respond to and capitalise on growing consumer interest and niches in the gardening, TV and wellness sectors.
The three new brands are:
- Gardeningetc.com – the home of outdoor living – is a play on homes brand Livingetc and is the first major website dedicated to this part of the blooming homes and garden sector, say the publishers. From design ideas to how-tos and product guides, Gardeningetc will cover everything from patios to decks, garden furniture to trampolines, BBQs to fire pits.
- WhattoWatch.com – WhattoWatch.com aims to help users binge smarter and guides consumers through today’s confusing video programming choices, advising them on the services and gear they need.
- FitandWell.com claims to be the first digital wellness brand for the post-COVID-19 era. Targeting those looking to improve their overall health and fitness, regardless of gender, age or fitness level, Fit&Well also caters to the booming ‘active aging’ segment, tapping into the growing population of senior citizens which is expected to more than double between 2015 and 2050. Content includes health and wellbeing, fitness, nutrition and mental health delivered through a mix of health-related news, exercise-based how-to guides, reviews of fitness equipment, healthy recipes and inspiring case studies.
Andrea Davies, the Group MD for content under whose remit Gardeningetc falls, said: “As Covid began to take a toll in March/April the Homes team realised that gardens and outdoor living would be an escape – the control that people had in uncontrollable times, an expansion of the space that we were confined to. This was evident in the research with searches for and spend on outdoor living skyrocketing.
“We recognised that speed to market was essential to capitalise on the spike in interest and spend, and the time of year. Our agility in terms of site production worked to the best Future ethos in terms of treating the brand like a start up with a low cost base. The team applied audience and e-commerce methodology to build audience quickly. The site has been a great success since launch at the end of June – we are already three months ahead of projected audience target figures.”
The opportunity to leverage TI Media’s content to launch new websites using Future’s technology platform and monetisation models was of strategic importance in the acquisition, says the company.
Angie O’Farrell, Group MD for Life and Style content, said: “We’re constantly looking to expand and extend our content, to find new niches and subsections. It’s both gratifying and thrilling to see legacy TI staff and content contributing to three great new launches. It’s genuinely exciting to be part of such an ambitious, focused and fast-moving company.”
