MEDIA INFORMATION
May 4, 2004
From Ladders To Linen:
APN Infomedia Launches New Consumer Website
APN Infomedia has launched IRIS Consumer Media, a dedicated business-to-consumer website that complements www.ubd.co.nz
its highly successful business-to-business website. www.iris.co.nz will provide a valuable resource for people looking
to pinpoint specific products or suppliers.
APN Infomedia Brand and Graphics Manager Emma Nightingale says IRIS Consumer Media is a unique business-to-consumer web
directory, which will be accessed by consumers throughout New Zealand and from around the world.
“IRIS features a considerably expanded business database with access to the massive UBD business listings database which
contains over 156,000 business,” says Nightingale. “The website has been designed with a consumer feel and focus to make
it easy to navigate and for people to find the information they need.”
Nightingale says that IRIS is searchable by keyword, brand, product, service and trade category. This means that if a
company’s service or product is part of the ‘question’, then it will be part of the ‘answer’. Embedded links will also
take users immediately to suppliers’ websites.
“For example if you are looking for your favourite perfume you enter your brand and product into the key search, IRIS
will then display the matches for suppliers of your perfume in your preferred area,” she continues. “In the future IRIS
will also provide details on pricing, and even restaurant menus for comparison by the consumer.”
Nightingale says the biggest challenge facing IRIS staff is populating the massive UBD database with the extra product
brand names and pricing information. She estimates at least six to twelve months before this information is gathered
completely. Then she believes IRIS will reach its full potential as New Zealand’s leading consumer search engine.
*InfoRed is the new-look UBD business directory. The new slimline hardcopy directory has a more user-friendly and
efficient cataloguing system and has an instantly recognisable bright red cover.
ends