Urbangoods.com brings its marketing message to enough nightclubs this month to make a lounge singer jealous. As part of its first integrated marketing campaign, the site will hold extensive promotions at bars and nightclubs across North America while also launching online, print and radio efforts.
Targeting nightclubs fits with Urbangoods' focus as a lifestyle portal targeting individuals 21 to 40 years old. The site provides information about more than 8,000 specialty retail establishments, trendy nightclubs, hip hotels, salons and other popular lifestyle businesses and services in 48 international cities.
Through Aug. 5, Urbangoods, which launched last month, will host promotions at more than 30 nightclubs in Los Angeles, including the Circus, North and Voodoo Lounge. The site also plans to hold promotions in more than 20 other cities, including New York, Salt Lake City and Vancouver beginning in September.
“We're really trying to focus in on the niche market. We're not spending a lot of energy marketing ourselves in places that we don't feel our targeted lifestyle consumer is,” said Russ Jones, executive vice president at Urbangoods, Malibu, CA. “People who are frequenting nightclubs and hotels are our typical users.”
The site will have presence at these venues via its placement on menus, table tents and coasters. All will bear Urbangoods’ URL and the tagline “Your Guide to Urban Lifestyle.” Premium items such as stickers, pens, lighters, hats, shirts and matchbooks also will be given away.
Urbangoods' staff will be present to distribute drink coupons as well as to deliver presentations about the site at computer stations. Staff members will also work to get people to provide their e-mail addresses.
These efforts are useful not only for the site, but also for its sponsors. “We bring the sponsors into the field with us,” said Jones. Merlin's Energy Drink, for example, is a sponsor of a number of the events.
A far-reaching online advertising campaign also is rolling out across the Engage and Flycast networks. Some of the targeted network sites include: Entertaindom, Lycos, NBC, Snap.com and ZineZone.
A number of strategic partners will be participating in the online campaign and will join forces for cross promotions. Partners include buddyhead.com, Gamebay.com and thebikininetwork.com. Urbangoods is also working with Gomo.com to create a viral marketing and postcard campaign.
Print ads will run in a number of city directory periodicals in local markets. A campaign will launch in LA Weekly, for example, in August and September. The Brentwood Media Group will distribute ads to its family of publications in cities such as Hollywood, Santa Monica, Malibu and Brentwood. Additionally, ads will appear in Maxim, Wired, Wallpaper and other national publications.
The site is looking to radio as well and has scheduled ads to air during the Howard Stern show in September. Spots will also likely air on alternative, hip-hop, dance and rock ‘n’ roll stations in key target markets.
