Internet portal Yahoo! has signed two major deals as it attempts to ramp up its presence in the travel sector. The two partnerships – unveiled this week with travel multiple Thomson and the popular Wayn.com social networking site – follow last week’s downbeat assessment by the company over its recent financial performance. From this week…
Wayn.com and Thomson strike deals with Yahoo!
Internet portal Yahoo! has signed two major deals as it attempts to ramp up its presence in the travel sector.
The two partnerships – unveiled this week with travel multiple Thomson and the popular Wayn.com social networking site – follow last week’s downbeat assessment by the company over its recent financial performance.
From this week the travel section on Yahoo!’s recently launched Q&A service, Answers, will be sponsored by Thomson until the end of the year.
Thomson will also be behind a new branded video section on Yahoo! Travel, featuring the multiple’s promotion material for its range of holidays.
Yahoo! UK & Ireland media sales director Blake Chandlee said, “Thomson is a great example of a traditional direct marketer extending beyond pure acquisition based campaigns into the world of social media and integrating their brand into relevant consumer environments in an innovative way.”
The second deal will see the social networking site, Wayn.com, tied into the new Yahoo! Messenger instant chat platform.
Wayn.com has grown massively in recent months to become one of the most popular social networking sites on the internet, allowing travellers to keep in touch and discuss destinations and issues through forums.
Last week Yahoo! revealed a 38% drop in quarterly profits £84.4 million in the three months to September, despite a 19% increase in sales over the same period.
Chairman and chief executive Terry Semel said: “We know we have work to do, but we are confident that Yahoo! has the talent and resources to strengthen our leading position on the Internet, capitalize on the huge growth opportunities ahead, and deliver significant returns for shareholders.”
