ShopLocal’s Innovative SmartMedia Platform Delivers Hightly Localized And Targeted Promotions And Brand Messages Via The Web

Rich Media Solution Seamlessly Integrates ‘Marriage’ of Publisher Content and Advertiser Local Promotions within Searchable Online Display Ads

Chicago, IL - July 25, 2007 - ShopLocal, the leader in multi-channel shopping services, today announced the addition of new robust features to SmartMedia, the company’s rich media platform that delivers personalized, real-time information from advertisers’ local promotions and advertisements to visitors based on their geographic location, browsing and keyword usage.

Top consumer electronics retailer, Best Buy, is leveraging the latest SmartMedia features in advertisements that will appear on CNET.com. The new online banner ads will display Best Buy’s most current advertised sales and promotions, with in-depth product reviews from CNET Networks to be integrated directly into the SmartMedia ads. Best Buy joins a growing list of top retailers, including CompUSA, CVS/pharmacy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Lowe’s, Macy’s, Office Depot, PetSmart, Radio Shack and Staples, who have turned to ShopLocal to provide a turn-key rich media solution in creating interactive, customizable, geo-targeted online promotions.

“ShopLocal’s SmartMedia takes advertising to a new level by enabling advertisers to deliver highly branded, highly targeted localized marketing messages to a vast audience of consumers across the Internet,” said Vikram Sharma, CEO of ShopLocal. “And users benefit by being able to view up-to-date, in-store deals and sales from top local advertisers such as retailers, auto dealers and wireless dealers; create shopping lists; print coupons; and set up email alerts, all without leaving a publisher’s site.”

SmartMedia offers retailers and advertising agencies a comprehensive solution with powerful features, including geographic and demographic targeting, contextual ad serving, integrated third-party content, and brand and category search ability. With geo-relevant localization, all promotional information is targeted down to the closest retail location to the viewer, and includes store address, map and phone number. This also allows advertisers to display the right product and right price to the right consumer, according to precise locality. And by allowing the integration of third-party content such as product reviews, videos, podcasts and online games, consumers have access to more information before deciding to purchase online or at their local store. SmartMedia is served via the DoubleClick Motif rich media platform.

“Expectations of online consumers are constantly heightening, and a marketer may as well not exist if the message is not exactly what they want, when they want and how they want it,” said Jeff Marshall, senior vice president/digital managing director at media agency, Starcom USA. “Highly targeted, relevant messaging in a localized online experience meets those consumer expectations, and these things are what SmartMedia brings to the table for our clients.”

According to a recent report from Forrester Research, U.S. retail sales based on online research is expected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2012, with over 90 percent of these sales in-store. “ShopLocal is a firm believer in the power of the Internet for multi-channel shopping,” said Sharma. “As consumers increasingly use the Internet as their primary shopping resource it is in the best interest of consumers and advertisers to have access to product and promotion information that is real-time, interactive, targeted and personalized.”

For more information or to view an online demonstration, visit http://beta.crossmediaservices.com/demo/smartmedia/bestbuy/.

About ShopLocal
ShopLocal, the leader in multi-channel shopping services, offers a complete suite of solutions connecting advertisers with consumers online and in-store. The company’s consumer Web site, ShopLocal.com, provides users with choice and control in their shopping experience by offering the most comprehensive selection of timely online and in-store offers on one easy-to-use site. With ShopLocal.com, consumers can find millions of products and up-to-date weekly sales, deals, and coupons for consumer electronics, apparel, groceries and more.
ShopLocal’s customers include Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, CVS and Sears. ShopLocal powers multi-channel shopping for hundreds of newspaper Web sites and other leading local and shopping sites, such as Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Arizona Republic, Google and SuperPages.com. ShopLocal is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI). For more information, visit www.aboutshoplocal.com.