Edmunds.com Reinvents the Magazine; Launches Inside Line Just as Automotive Enthusiasm Booms
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Edmunds.com Reinvents the Magazine; Launches Inside Line Just as Automotive Enthusiasm Booms
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — January 10, 2005 — Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, today launched a high-speed, on-screen car magazine called Inside Line. The new media outlet uses video, photography, interactive rich media and online community in innovative ways, taking full advantage of both the Internet and exciting subject matter.
Available free at , the new publication is aimed at automotive enthusiasts, a population that is growing thanks in part to successful television shows like MTV's "Pimp My Ride" and The Learning Channel's "Overhaulin."
By launching Inside Line, Edmunds.com is capitalizing on this automotive enthusiasm trend while creating more advertising space for automakers and others eager to present their brands to Edmunds.com's unusually responsive, high-income visitors.
The new publication also takes into account the explosive growth of broadband by delivering much of its car information through video, flash and other appealing visuals, drawing from Edmunds.com's video and photo staff and library, both of which are the largest in the automotive media world. The company's editorial staff is also bigger than that of any other car magazine: there are 30 full-time employees who produce articles, photography and video for Edmunds.com and Inside Line. Between the sites' two distinct areas of focus, there is a lot of ground to cover.
"The Edmunds.com Web site serves automotive consumers who seek straightforward auto information: prices, ownership cost projections and practical tips on buying, selling and owning a vehicle," explained Matthew Kumin, General Manager of Edmunds.com Media. "Inside Line is pleasure reading aimed at those who are emotionally involved with cars — an audience that is growing in size and in importance to automakers."
Chrysler, General Motors and Mercedes were the first automakers to seize the opportunity to advertise on Inside Line, and a number of others are expected to finalize their ad buys in the coming days.
From an editorial perspective, Inside Line delivers well-crafted road tests, provocative columns, a daily feed of news from around the automotive world, and compelling features on styling and design, technology, personalities, motorsports, auto shows and more. Responsible for delivering this content is a team of newly-hired, experienced, prominent automotive journalists who are regularly given high-level access to the auto industry's products and people. Editorial Director Kevin Smith leads the charge, having worked at the most influential traditional car magazines in the United States. Smith left automotive publishing monolith Primedia in September, eager to move into the future with Inside Line.
"Our Inside Line editorial meetings go in entirely different directions than they do at a traditional magazine," remarked Smith. "And, amazingly, nearly everything we dream up is possible — online."
Kumin sees this reinvention of the car magazine as a significant step Edmunds.com is taking toward grander media success, declaring, "We aim to be the ESPN of the automotive world."
About Edmunds
Edmunds.com is the premier online resource for automotive information. Its comprehensive set of data, tools and services, including Edmunds.com True Market Value® pricing, is generated by Edmunds.com Information Solutions and is licensed to third parties. For example, the company supplies content for the auto sections of NYTimes.com, AOL, About.com, iVillage.com and IGN.com, provides weekly data to Automotive News and delivers monthly data reports to Wall Street analysts. Edmunds.com also publishes a high-speed, on-screen car magazine called Inside Line available free at www.insideline.com. Edmunds.com was named "best car research" site by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "most useful Web site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com StudySM and was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif. and maintains a satellite office outside Detroit.
