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2MM to launch LeedsConfidential.com in the autumn |
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Thursday, 26 July 2007 |
2MM, the publisher of ManchesterConfidential.com and LiverpoolConfidential.com, is planning to launch in Leeds in the autumn.
No date has been fixed but Mark Garner, 2MM’s publisher said they were close to agreeing a contract with an editor. An editorial assistant will also be recruited.
The company, founded in 2003, recently moved to a new 3,000 sq ft office in Manchester’s northern quarter, previously occupied by PR agency SKV.
Manchester Confidential.com was launched in 2004 and today the entertainment, food and generally all round good time site, is averaging almost 85,000 unique visitors a month.
In March, former MEN journalist and Blue Badge guide Jonathan Schofield replaced Jayne Robinson as editor.
Mancon’s revenue is derived from a combination of advertising and featured campaigns. Turnover for the current year is forecast to reach £1m and including Leeds and a second person for Liverpool, the company will have 20 staff by the autumn.
The Liverpool site went live last November but was formally launched in January this year. In June the site attracted just over 10,000 unique visitors.
 Sammons
Garner claimed that the site is already breaking even and Sammons is about to get an assistant in Liverpool. Sales and admin for the site are handled from the Manchester base.
Garner said that the same process will apply to Leeds – at least initially. Two editorial staff based in the Yorkshire capital with sales managed out of Manchester.
The company has brought forward its plans for Leeds from spring 2008 because said Garner “We have six advertisers who have all expressed interest in sponsoring and supporting the launch.”
This is in contrast to Liverpool where “We simply got on with a launch, believing the old adage that if we build a site…they will come.”
With the addition of Leeds, Garner believes the three sites combined will be attracting circa 200,000 readers, a figure which makes advertising on the sites meaningful for national advertisers.
“When we’ve proved Leeds is working” said Garner “I think we’ll need to raise around £500,000 to strengthen our management and provide us with additional working capital if we’re to fulfill our objective of launching further sites across the UK and one in Dublin.”
www.manchesterconfidential.com
www.liverpoolconfidential.com
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