Handbag first into race for women web users

Handbag.com, the women-focused internet service operated by Boots

and Hollinger Telegraph, has signed up BBC marketer Alicen Stenner as

its first head of marketing.

Stenner will be responsible for all marketing activities for the free

ISP and portal site, which is launching today (Wednesday). She was

previously marketing manager for BBC Digital Radio.

Her appointment comes as Handbag.com unveils a multi-million pound

through-the-line-campaign by J Walter Thompson, with media by MindShare.

The campaign kicks off with three million CD-ROMs being distributed

through 1400 Boots high street outlets. The marketing push also takes in

press, radio, outdoor and online activity.

Meanwhile, Shiela Sang has been installed as editorial director of

Handbag.com.

She joins from the BBC’s public service internet offering, BBC Online,

where she was executive editor and was part of its senior management

team.

Prior to that role, Sang worked as a channel manager at internet access

service LineOne. Both women report to Dominic Riley, managing director

of Handbag.com.

Anne Grady and Anne Lewis have also joined the women-focused service as

head of business and head of finance respectively.

Handbag.com is structured around 18 core content channels, covering

areas such as education, fashion, shopping and health & beauty.

Several publishers are battling it out for a slice of the nascent

women’s market online, and Handbag.com is likely to face stiff

competition from IPC Electric and Associated New Media’s Charlotte

Street.com, which is expected to go live in two weeks. ANM recently

appointed BMP DDB to handle the launch of its service, which, it is

thought, will kick off with a pounds 3m campaign taking in TV, outdoor

and press activity.

’We believe this is the biggest launch of any web site in the UK. We

have unique content with expert advice as well as a great distribution

channel through Boots,’ said Riley.

Women will account for 40% of the projected 15.7 million internet users

in the UK by the end of the year, with the number of young women coming

online now greater than their male counterparts, according to figures

from Fletcher Research.

The web addresses are www.handbag.com and www.charlottestreet.com.

This article was first published on Marketing