14 DAY TRIAL // Delish.com (also delish.msn.com) is designed to be nothing short of a finger licking website, currently cooking and planned for launch in the fall of this year. Hearst Magazines is fully responsible for all the aspects of the baking process, including not only the development and design, but also the editorial approach and the actual editing of the content, while MSN will only deal with the website once it's fully backed. Essentially, Microsoft aims to use MSN as a medium for the distribution of Delish; in addition, will manage the advertising sales via the MSN network.
"It is estimated that there are currently 60 million unique visitors to food-related Web sites. With a dedicated sales staff on the MSN side and Hearst's notable expertise in both Web site and content development, we are confident that Delish.msn.com will be a leader in this growing category," commented Jeff Dossett, executive producer and general manager, MSN.
A leader indeed, as Microsoft has big plans for Delish. The Redmond giant wants the website to debut among the top 10 food hotspots online, and this is just by taking into consideration the anticipated traffic levels immediately after its introduction in the fall of 2008. The MSN and Hearst Magazines new online food destinations will offer gourmet users much more than simple recipes. In fact, Microsoft informed that content will vary to articles, videos, photo galleries as well as Rich Internet Applications delivering much needed interactivity.
"We are excited about Delish.com and its ability to offer consumers a new take on the food category. It is a great opportunity to showcase daily, original features and our magazines' winning content on food and entertaining, all presented within a sophisticated online platform and disseminated using the ubiquitous presence of MSN," stated Chuck Cordray, vice president and general manager of Hearst Magazines Digital Media.