Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Launches Sprig.com

WASHINGTON, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive (WPNI), a leading publisher of award-winning news and information Web sites and a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO) , today announced the launch of Sprig (http://www.sprig.com/), the company's new property for the sophisticated and stylish woman who also aims to integrate environmentally- friendly choices into her life. As green moves into the mainstream, Sprig caters to a consumer who wants to combine demanding taste-in fashion, beauty, home, food and lifestyle-with first-rate products and services that are LESS demanding on the environment. Sprig's original content and fresh and convenient ideas enable readers who want the best for themselves and their families to easily make choices that are beautiful, stylish and eco-friendly.

From the publisher of leading online ventures Slate, washingtonpost.com, Newsweek.com and BudgetTravelOnline.com, Sprig presents its unique viewpoint within a multimedia format, including a daily newsletter for Sprig subscribers; original content, such as news, expert profiles and a broad relational database with thousands of products; lifestyle video; and user- generated content, among other features. Sprig's extensive shopping-friendly database offers the latest products and services from the leading experts in green living.

"Sprig helps users discover a world of products that are well-designed, accessible--and also eco-friendly," said Mark Whitaker, vice-president and editor-in-chief of new ventures at WPNI. "We think the market is ready for a site that offers unique information and options, without pressure or guilt. At Sprig, our motto is that the world will be better off if we can get 95 percent of people to be five percent more green than if only five percent of people are 95 percent green."

"Who wouldn't want the choices that Sprig has to offer, especially when they are gorgeous, suit any lifestyle and are good for the environment? Our goal is to help make the discovery of those choices easier," said Jeanie Pyun, editor of Sprig. "People can depend on Sprig to deliver stylish fashion, beauty, home, lifestyle products and food that are attractive, high-quality, delicious and eco-friendly."

Led by Jeanie Pyun (former editor of Organic Style), Goli Sheikholeslami, vice president and general manager of Sprig (and former general manager of CondeNet), and Mark Whitaker (former editor of Newsweek), Sprig brings together world class editorial content with the publishing expertise of WPNI. Sprig represents the first-ever original venture created entirely within WPNI, the online publishing subsidiary of the Washington Post Company.

"Sprig hits at the right time, brought to the public in the right way from the right team," said Sara Levinson, special advisor to Sprig and former president of the Women's Group at Rodale, Inc., ClubMom, NFL Properties and MTV: Music Television. "Green has moved from the fringe to the center, and women are important evangelists of that movement."

  SITE FEATURES

  Daily newsletters

Sprig offers subscribers daily newsletters, highlighting one of the following topics each weekday: food, fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle. The newsletter will include product recommendations and editorial content, and will be archived and searchable on Sprig.com.

Original video

The site includes original video content on a variety of topics, from sharing green tips, to offering how-to's on living more green. The videos feature the people, companies and stories that are bringing more green into our lives.

Profiles and news coverage

Fully supported with a top-tier editorial team, Sprig's content is updated several times per day with the latest news and information on stylish and green products and services. The content will include daily news coverage of the most important, interesting and humorous stories, as well as expert profiles on designers, architects, environmental scientists and celebrities.

Searchable product database

The technology innovators at WPNI have developed a relational database of thousands of green products, searchable by a myriad of criteria, including category, product, company, price-point and eco-intensiveness (e.g., type of green: organic, non toxic, animal friendly, fair trade).

Additional features

In addition to editorially-driven content and products, Sprig includes user-generated content, including the ability to post comments on favorite products and services; develop personal "green" pages and profiles; and share experiences and products with others. Sprig will also feature RSS feeds and mobile access to Sprig content.

"There is a huge untapped market of consumers who want to become more eco- conscious and environmentally aware, but don't know how to fit it in without compromising their lives. That's one of the reasons why we recently launched a Hidden Valley(R) Organic Ranch," said Sumona Pramanik, associate marketing manager of Hidden Valley Ranch, an advertiser on Sprig. "Going organic has hit the mainstream."

"Sprig brings together the best of what WPNI offers: best-in-class content; talented editorial and business development staff; and a real understanding of the power of the Internet to encourage people to evangelize green," concluded Caroline Little, CEO and publisher, WPNI.

About Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive

Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive (WPNI) is the online publishing subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO) . Its mission is to create truly interactive platforms that offer unmatched user experiences by developing editorial products with world-class reporting, multimedia features and award-winning content.

The company is headquartered in Arlington, VA.