Britney and Justin Star in YOUtopia.com E-Promo - Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake - Brief Article

Brandweek, April 16, 2001 by Jennifer Owens

Beginning this week, popster Britney Spears and her *NSync boyfriend Justin Timberlake will be featured in streaming video segments on teen loyalty site YOUtopia.com. The Webcasts, which are part of YOUtopia's "Shop Like a Megastar" contest, show Spears and Timberlake on a New York shopping spree.

Hoping that the teen music stars will help to boost traffic and site registration, YOUtopia.com's online promotion also gives teens a chance to win a $1,000 gift certificate. Currently, the site has 400,000 registered users.

Based in New York and Ottawa, YOUtopia aims to serve both teens--who are frequently hampered in their ability to make online purchases because of their lack of credit cards--and sponsors--who want to learn as much as they can about the 13- to 19-year-old demographic.

For teens, YOUtopia offers its own online currency, called YOUdollars, which registered users can earn by playing games or by referring friends to YOUtopia. For site sponsors--which include Caress, American Greetings.com, Sony and Nintendo--YOUtopia provides aggregated information on its teen user base. "[Sponsors] basically tell us what kind of information they're interested in obtaining, and we design questions that help them get that information," said Steve McDougall, COO of YOUtopia.com.

Originally soft launched in June 2000, YOUtopia.com relaunched earlier this year with backing from BMG Entertainment, which in December led a $6 million second-round of financing for the teen site. Meanwhile, BMG has also signed on as a strategic marketing partner for YOUtopia.com, offering access to its stable of teen-oriented music stars.

"We came out in the middle of last year, when we had an opportunity to look at what was on the Internet and try to do things a little differently," said McDougall. "Our revenue model is built around sponsorships and we really provide a one-stop branding and research vehicle for youth marketers."

Spears' relationship with the site, however, predates the BMG deal. Spears--who last June signed an unrelated, four-year endorsement deal with another teen site, called Sweetl6.com--is a shareholder in YOUtopia, contributes content to the site and serves as its "ambassador." Timberlake has no investment in the site.

As for Spears and Timberlake's YOUtopia shopping spree, McDougall said the site is e-mailing its registered users about the contest, while also working with online partners Windows Media and CDNow to promote it.