Yahoo targets women with Shine

Yahoo has entered a market that already has its fair share of big players – women’s interest – with the launch of Shine. The site’s content, “sassiness” and interactivity will set it apart from other women’s sites, said editor in chief Brand Holley, former editor in chief of Jane magazine.

Shine will center round a blog format and the team of editors will highlight user-generated content. Exclusive content deals have been inked with a veritable who’s-who of publishers including Condé Nast, Time Inc. and Hearst.

It is Yahoo’s first toe-dip into targeting Internet users by demographic rather than subject matter. However, this niche isn’t new, and even with Yahoo’s 40 million women aged between 25 and 44, Shine has to reckon with other huge destinations such as Martha Stewart Living, Oprah and iVillage.

Amy Iorio, vice president for Yahoo Lifestyles, referred to internal research which demonstrated that women are looking for a site that aggregates communication and content of all types.

"They didn't feel like there was a place that was looking at the whole them — as a parent, as a spouse, as a daughter,” said Iorio. “They were looking for one place that gave them everything."

Tags: blog, user-generated, women's interest, Yahoo