ACP spins Cleo a web portal

Singapore - ACP Magazines has set up a web portal AskCleo, a question-and-answer site for Cleo readers, following research showing internet as one of its readers' main source of information.

The new offering under the Cleo brand provides answers by a panel of experts or fellow site members to pressing questions that concern young Singaporean women, which the magazine targets. Demand for the portal was revealed through its magazine readership study, conducted by Synovate, which noted its readers spent vast amounts of time online with 70% logging online everyday. Additionally, its recent ‘Cleo 50 Most Eligible Bachelors' microsite garnered over 96,000 hits over three months.

AskCleo.com covers topics such as fashion, beauty, cash and career, sex and men, and health and fitness - all in a Q&A format. It also incorporates interactive elements such as shopping wish lists and blog posts by the editorial team.

With the tagline 'You ask, We answer!', the website also serves as an advertising platform for marketers. Web editor Deborah Giam oversees the portal.

"We have been receiving a number of enquiries from advertisers who understand that the magazine is still the key influencer in driving reader purchasing patterns, but are seeking an online component to complement print media campaigns. AskCleo provides a targeted extension of the Cleo brand and is a great new platform for advertisers to explore integrated marketing solutions." Deborah Tan, Cleo editor, said.

Brands that have started advertising on the site are L'Oreal and P&G.