More Rush at IAC
By
Rick Aristotle Munarriz
April 10, 2008
|
RushmoreDrive.com isn't just another search engine. IAC's (Nasdaq: IACI) new site, launched this morning, is actually targeting African-Americans. You thought search engines were supposed to be color-blind catchall destinations? Think again.
"We deliver a blend of mainstream search results plus a layer of more relevant search results influenced by the Black community," explains the site's introductory page. "RushmoreDrive is where the Black community goes to find the best search results."
This isn't the first time that IAC has moved to target a specific group with a dedicated search engine. After failing to catch up to the search-engine heavies, IAC is repositioning its Ask.com search portal. IAC spent a lot of money marketing the site, pointing out its superior features and algorithmic prowess. Now it's going back to its roots, where the original questions-driven format was a hit with moms.
IAC has no plans to fall asleep at the wheel, especially with Barry Diller's goal to split his empire into five pieces still intact. This morning's Wall Street Journal also details new IAC website launches on the way. Up next? Green.com, a site for eco-minded kids, as well as a news-aggregation site and FiLife, a personal-finance site in conjunction with News Corp.'s (NYSE: NWS) Dow Jones.
The strategy doesn't seem all that different than what CNET (Nasdaq: CNET) has been doing, as it keeps launching new sites away from its tech-news roots and into more mainstream areas like music, television, and parenting.
Others, like Marchex (Nasdaq: MCHX) and Internet Brands (Nasdaq: INET), are also hoping to increase their visitor volume with new niche-specific sites. Even a seemingly one-track-minded travel giant like Expedia (Nasdaq: EXPE) has collected a portfolio of content sites.
RushmoreDrive's tagline is "Discover more here." That may as well be IAC's new mantra, too.
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