Saturday, June 18, 2011

Can you releasemyad?

Not too long ago, I found myself needing to place an advertisement for real estate in the local newspaper in India. It was a herculean task – first, I had to send a clerk to the offices of 3 newspapers to obtain their physical quotations and ad requirements. Then I had to understand their complicated rate structure – different prices for different days, pages, distribution, color etc. Eventually, once I decided my pick, I was told it was too late to publish my ad in a paper and date of my choice. As an alternative, I found a ‘broker’, negotiated a deal with him, and he finally placed my ad for me.
I recently came across www.releasemyad.com. This is a brilliant solution to the exact pain-points I experienced in India. The site allows you to create basic advertisements, and simply check off the newspapers that you want the ads to be displayed in. The website will price the ad based on various parameters, and, once you accept, you’re done! No going back and forth with the newspapers and brokers. And your ad is in the papers faster.
When we discussed Google’s adwords in class, I couldn’t help but think of this website. Although SEM is gaining traction in India, the online community itself is not quite robust yet. Print advertising is easily the medium of choice. Therefore releasemyad, as an online platform for a print solution, positions itself very well for future growth.

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