Discovery, Baidu Launch Chinese Site

Global Chinese search engine Baidu teamed up with Discovery Communications to launch a stand-alone Discovery content site in China, covering categories including science, technology, space, natural history, engineering, paleontology, archaeology, history and culture.

Baidu will handle overall management of the Website, and Discovery will be its exclusive content provider. Content will be customized and translated for the Chinese marketplace, and it will be ad-supported, with the two companies sharing responsibility and revenue from third-party advertising sales.

Discovery Networks International president and CEO Greg Ricca said:

The launch of discovery.baidu.com represents an important step in building stronger brand awareness and consumer loyalty for Discovery in the key Chinese market. This deal with Baidu furthers Discovery’s strategy of increasing reach and distribution in key markets around the world while further leveraging the global appeal and long shelf life of our content categories with an innovative new partnership.

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific executive vice president and managing director Tom Keaveny added:

Partnering with an established and respected player like Baidu provides scale in search, infrastructure and sales; minimizes operational risks; and ensures broad reach for Discovery’s brands and content. Through this strategic partnership, we can leverage on Baidu’s high traffic flow and large market share to provide audiences with a reliable and efficient engine through which they can search for and share information wherever they are and whenever they want, to satisfy their curiosity and explore the world around them.

And Baidu VP of marketing and business development Ren Xuyang concluded:

Baidu’s mission is to help people obtain information and find what they need in the easiest and quickest way, while Discovery is a leading provider of high-quality factual content. By combining the strengths and resources of Baidu and Discovery, we can integrate content from a traditional medium such as television with dynamic platforms such as new media to satisfy the needs and demands of online users while continuing to explore newer and better ways for knowledge distribution.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.