India Today Digital (Digital Today) has launched yet another property online - the Indian site for Cosmopolitan Magazine was recently launched, albeit in beta. The site has a few interactive elements - Blogs, a “confessions” page, as well as a section on fashion and beauty. The site is still new, and there’s very little in terms of content: the Issue page has the most content, for now. Do note that unlike in case of their other India Today magazine properties, they haven’t chosen an e-magazine format for Cosmopolitan. Update: They have Cosmo in an e-magazine format, here.
It’s also interesting to note that they’re pushing SMS based services - tips on Love, Beauty, Health, and News via their short code 52424. Take a look at this image.
What next?
Monetization, I suppose. Over the past year and a half, starting with Money Today, India Today Digital has launched a number of properties online: A horizontal - ITGO , Magazine properties - Business Today, Money Today, Prevention Magazine, Mens Health, Woman, and a TV content related property in Aaj Tak.
What’s interesting is that the portals are either hosted at digitaltoday.in, or itgo.in domains (the latter is their horizontal). India Today could well integrate all its portals into one single host, and sell it combined, not unlike what Web18 appears to be doing with In.com. But the traffic comparison, if you take Alexa, is startling:
Note: we don’t endorse Alexa as being an accurate measure of traffic, but that holds true for Comscore as well.
Bear in mind that India Today appears to have been more prudent with their online marketing spends - we haven’t come across any online advertisements from them - while expenses on account of In.com spends have resulted in a staggering Rs. 24.2 crores loss for Web18.
Disclosure: I own an inconsequential number of shares of Network18
Related:
–Digital Today Launches Aajtak Website In Beta
– Kalli Purie To Head India Today Digital
– Digital Today Launches Two Properties: ITGO And Woman; Aaj Tak, Next Month
