Toronto-based online trend guide Sweetspot.ca this week launched a web property targeting home decor enthusiasts called Sweethome.ca. The daily info site and weekly e-newsletter gives readers updates in design and food trends, while columnists and bloggers give advice on consumer dilemmas like choosing wine, taking photos and planning renovations.
Current banner advertisers on Sweethome.ca include Cover Girl and frozen vegetable maker, Smucker Foods of Canada. The Sweethome.ca model includes sponsorship opportunities for shopping, decorating and entertainment guides; a sponsored recipe series; or branded widgets and tools like wine pairing, paint and floor calculators and printable shopping lists. Brands can also sponsor contests for room makeovers or design consultations.
The home property was launched because of ‘positive feedback from readers and a niche in the marketplace for a home-centric website,’ says Jennifer Price, director of sales, Sweetspot.ca. The site is launching an upcoming promotional campaign that includes online and print and radio, says Price.
Launched in 2004, Sweetspot.ca has a core target of in-the-know urban women aged 25 to 44. It has 75,000 subscribers to its daily e-newsletter. In January the site had about 243,000 page views and 59,000 unique visitors, according to Comscore. The company also owns a site for trendy moms, Sweetmama.ca, which launched in 2006.
