SideStep

, a leading online travel service, today announced that marketers can now reach SideStep`s sizeable base of active travelers through a range of in-product and email-based advertising opportunities.

With more than 2.5 million downloads to-date, SideStep has developed an audience that is highly desirable to marketers of travel-related products and services. Well-educated, affluent professionals (71% have completed college or graduate school, and 54% have household incomes greater than $75,000 per year), SideStep users are savvy online travel buyers (93% have researched and/or purchased airline tickets via the Web, and 72% have researched/booked hotel rooms).

SideStep`s advertising units are positioned within high-value, contextual information - such as travel search results - maximizing both visibility and clickthroughs. Marketers can target their ads by product section (e.g. SideStep`s hotel tab) or by city/region (e.g. destination), providing them with the ability to focus their ad buys as sharply as desired.

SideStep has already developed advertising partnerships with a variety of major travel-focused companies, such as Priceline, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Orbitz, and others. SideStep charter advertiser Radisson has seen both high clickthrough rates and purchase volumes from its initial campaign with SideStep. “Our campaign is both raising awareness for Radisson and driving revenue,” said Jerry Johnson, Director of e-Partnerships, of Carlson Relationship Management. “We are looking forward to expanding our partnership with SideStep in the future.”

SideStep offers a rich selection of hotel rooms, flights and rental cars - including the largest selection of “Web-only” fares. The free service features more than 45,000 hotels, 585 different domestic and international carriers, and 2,800 rental car locations in its comprehensive offering. SideStep is the only online travel service that can dynamically translate search results from an array of inventory sources into a user`s currency of choice, making it easier for people around the globe to comparison shop for travel. Once a selection is made, SideStep brings travel buyers directly to travel provider sites to book their travel with brands they trust.

“SideStep`s expansion into travel-focused online advertising represents an important extension of our business model,” said Brian Barth, SideStep`s CEO. “Travel-related advertising inventory commands a healthy premium, and we`re in the perfect position to profit from this trend.”

Related stories on ITN:

(04/09/2002) SideStep Icelandair Alliance

(31/07/2002) SideStep Expands Partnership With Carlson Wagonlit

——-