Shift Channel Launches on eHow, Inspires Women to Change Their Lives

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct 05, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- eHow, a Demand Media(R) (NYSE: DMD) property and a leading online destination for expert tips, advice and know-how, today announced the launch of Shift, a new channel created to inspire women who want to make changes in their lives and positively impact others around them. While eHow empowers people to discover the expert within, Shift will inspire women to take action on newly-gained expertise, guiding them from seeking information to becoming experts. The development of Shift is driven by Demand's ability to listen to consumers, curate content with tastemakers and experts and then publish the content consumers specifically are requesting.

Nearly 40 million women come to eHow each month according to comScore. These millions of women arrive to the site with the intent of "doing something" and seeking both information and inspiration. Shift will provide a dedicated home for this growing audience.

Shift is launching with the introduction of the "eHow 100," a listing of 100 women who are making immediate, actionable and powerful contributions on their lives and the lives of others. The eHow 100 is the first list of its kind, highlighting women who make changes large and small in order to better their lives and make a difference in the world around them. The women were selected by eHow's editorial team and Shift's advisory board. Inductees to the list include: Kara Swisher, well-known tech journalist and gay rights activist; Gretchen Bleiler, Olympic silver medalist in snowboarding ('06) who also launched the 1st all-girl half-pipe competition and develops eco-friendly snowboard gear;Liz Murray, who rose from a homeless childhood to graduate from Harvard; Gloria Varney, organic farming advocate who runs a sustainable organic farm in rural Maine;Yin Yin Wu, entrepreneur and organizer of "Startup School" which promotes entrepreneurship to young engineers.

"With Shift, Demand Media is really creating a new genre in women's online media," said Joanne Bradford, chief revenue and marketing officer, Demand Media. "As women evolve and take on new challenges, they are becoming experts as entrepreneurs, breadwinners and business leaders. They are looking for an online resource that reflects their holistic life and supports their goals, small and large. Shift will fill this gap with editorial content designed to inspire and influence today's 'complete' woman."

In addition to the list of 100 inductees, Shift's content will be generated in conjunction with Victoria Colligan, founder and CEO of "Ladies Who Launch." Victoria and her panel of experts will engage Shift readers through blogs, interviews, in-depth features and live events that will speak directly to a number of audiences, from chief breadwinners and budding entrepreneurs to stay-at-home moms and burgeoning creatives. Shift stories and content will be organized into six categories: Deal, Taste, Be, Create, Play and Guide.

"Nothing is more inspiring than drawing from the experience of other women," said Colligan. "Shift is a unique offering for women looking to make changes in their lives, both small and large. I am thrilled to be a part of this exciting new venture."

"Shift is a great inspiration to women across so many fields. It's so important to celebrate the stories of our women role models and I'm so honored to be a part of eHow's 100 list! I'm totally in awe of the achievements of all of these women," said Gretchen Bleiler, professional snowboarder. "I'm excited that my journey can be shared to help others discover that following your passion may be a bit scary, but if you push yourself further than you could imagine, you'll find that anything is possible."

Shift is launching with L'Oreal as its exclusive partner, deepening its long-term partnership with Demand Media and moving beyond a focus on beauty and into fitness, health and lifestyle. L'Oreal's brand promise runs hand-in-hand with Shift's: to inspire women through confidence and accomplishment.

"The L'Oreal name is synonymous with beauty, but as a brand we routinely recognize empowered women in numerous roles beyond beauty -- from notable women in science to community volunteers," said Marc Speichert, chief marketing officer, L'Oreal USA. "We recognize the potential of Shift to serve as a platform for positive forces for change and we were extremely eager to partner with eHow to help elevate these truly inspirational women."

Benefit to Advertisers

Shift is the ideal partner for advertisers who want to reach eHow's highly engaged audience of millions of visitors who are all looking for ways to simplify and better their lives. Over a quarter of eHow users have made between one and five purchases based on the information they found through the site. eHow has a real-time finger on the pulse of women, listening to consumers, curating with tastemakers and publishing only what audiences want to know. With its vast library of millions of articles and videos spanning Home, Health, Style, Food, Money, Family and more; eHow encourages people to connect with experts and each other to explore their existing passions and discover new ones.

The women who frequent eHow are the trendsetters, trusted advisors, role models and mavens among their families and friends. Shift will be able to use this collective influence to inspire success and change in women beyond their immediate social circles.

Women of eHow Snapshot*

• 50% of women on eHow are pursuing higher-learning (college, graduate school, etc), as they are interested in learning and self-improvement
• 33% of women are business owners/self-employed
• 30% of women influence others when it comes to parenting and family
• 32% of women are caretakers/taking care of others
• 27% of women influence and advise others on fashion

* comScore August 2011

About Shift

Shift is a new dedicated channel on eHow.com created to inspire and influence women who want to make changes in their lives while positively impacting themselves and others around them. Shift celebrates women who are uncovering new passions, embracing their interests and discovering the expert within. For additional information about Shift, please visit: http://www.ehow.com/ehow-shift

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About eHow.com

Millions of people discover new pieces of information on eHow.com each month and are inspired to take action in an area of interest. With its vast library of millions of articles and videos spanning Home, Health, Style, Food, Money, Family and more; eHow encourages visitors to connect with experts and each other to explore their existing passions and discover new ones. Simply put, eHow empowers consumers to discover the expert inside.

For more information, please visit eHow.com or send a note to: marketing@ehow.com

About Demand Media

Demand Media, Inc. (NYSE: DMD) is a leading content and social media company. Through brands like eHow, LIVESTRONG.COM, Cracked and typeF, Demand Media informs and entertains one of the Internet's largest audiences, helps advertisers find innovative ways to engage with their customers and enables publishers to expand their online presence. Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, Demand Media has offices in Kirkland, WA; Austin, TX; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; London, UK; and Buenos Aires, AR. For more information about Demand Media, visit: http://www.demandmedia.com

© 2011 Demand Media, Inc. All rights reserved

Demand Media and eHow are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Demand Media, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

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SOURCE: Demand Media, Inc.

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