Transcontinental Media Wagers on Online Auctions and Launches BidGO.ca

MONTREAL, Oct. 19, 2011 /CNW Telbec/ - Transcontinental Media is proud to announce the launch of BidGO.ca, a site dedicated entirely to local online auctions. The latest Web initiative developed by the New Media and Digital Solutions Group introduces a new marketing concept and is the first auction site of its kind in Canada.

An original business model
BidGO is based on an innovative barter program that lets local businesses who advertise with Transcontinental Media, Newspaper Division - Quebec and Ontario, Atlantic Provinces and Saskatchewan receive advertising space in exchange for goods and services of equal value. BidGO is the virtual marketplace where the bartered items are then put up for auction. The site also gives retailers the opportunity to "lease" a section to sell off their products.

"We are extremely proud of the product we are launching today. Because it is based on an exclusive barter concept, the BidGO business model has enormous growth potential. More than just an online auction site, it is an innovative and exciting solution that promotes the interests of all our customers, whether advertisers or consumers," said Stéphane Gagné, Vice President, Local Digital Solutions, New Media and Digital Solutions Group.

With its evocative name and friendly, simple interface, BidGO stands out from conventional auction sites because of the "local" nature of its inventory, with regionally grouped products and packages. This difference lets users take advantage of relevant offers, plus it gives the site a unique market niche.

Reliable and user-friendly
Innovating on the options of traditional auctions, BidGO contains highly developed interactive features and functions. For instance, the site has advanced search options so that users can refine their search results using a variety of criteria, such as product category, price, region and postal code. As well, BidGO integrates social plugins for Facebook and Twitter. From graphic design to navigation properties to ultra-secure operating technology, nothing has been overlooked in the quest to have the BidGO experience set the Canadian standard for local online auction sites.

Bid Often, Save Always!
To build BidGO's reputation, Transcontinental Media will rely primarily on a network of top-tier advertisers/suppliers and offer buying opportunities of real value. The promise is to offer good deals at the best prices in a variety of categories… and in the local vicinity. In addition, the service is provided free of charge. All bids start a $1 and do not have a reserve. Therefore, all products and/or services can be purchased at any price regardless of its value. Bidders bid as often as they want and the winner only pays the price of the winning auction. BidGO is also very different from auction sites where each bid costs money. So its promise is true: on BidGO, the more often you bid, the more you save!

BidGO.ca will officially replace the auction page of merkado.ca originally developed by the Quebec community newspaper group under the direction of Serge Lemieux. As to the "classifieds" section of this very site, users will now be redirected to the address yourclassifieds.ca, a new address dedicated solely to classified ads.

About Transcontinental Media
The fourth largest print media group in Canada, with more than 3,000 employees and annual revenues of $608 million in 2010, Transcontinental Media reaches, through its multiplatform offering, over 18 million consumers across Canada. The group is the largest publisher of consumer magazines and French language educational resources in Canada, and the largest publisher of local and regional newspapers in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. Transcontinental Media publishes the weekday daily Metro in Montreal and Halifax. It is also the leading distributor of door-to-door advertising material in Canada, with Publisac in Quebec and Targeo in the rest of Canada. Transcontinental Media is distinguished by its custom publishing, mailing and customized email database, which allows marketers to connect efficiently with more than six million consumers. Thanks to a wide digital network of more than 1,000 websites, Transcontinental Media reaches 11.3 million unique visitors per month in Canada.

Transcontinental Media is a subsidiary of Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B, TCL.PR.D) which has operations in Canada and the United States, and reported revenue of C$2.1 billion in 2010.