The Washington Post Co. has joined other magazine and newspaper publishers by establishing a marketing agency arm, called SocialCode. The unit provides services to help brands improve and measure their Facebook presence.
SocialCode employs technology that the Post developed for internal use, but began offering the services to partners in July 2010 before officially bringing the services product to market January 19.
Laura Graham, General Manager at the Washington Post, is heading up the nascent agency’s leadership team. SocialCode is part of the parent company’s Slate division.
Washington Post newspaper-publisher competitors Gannett and Tribune Co. have both established marketing services arms. GannettLocal serves businesses looking to boost their presence in local markets, while Tribune’s 435 Digital is an online marketing services agency.
Meredith Corp. and Hearst Corp. have taken similar paths to in recent years, developing full-service marketing service units through both internal development and large-scale acquisitions.
