Yahoo to Feature Brand-Centric Sites

Yahoo this week began launching sites under its "Brand Universe" concept, aimed at creating online destinations for fans of specific entertainment properties, the first of which would be the Nintendo Wii console.

Almost none of the content on these sites would be original, rather they would borrow from Yahoo's various properties. For example, on the Wii site, the front page features content from Yahoo! Video Games, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Yahoo! Answers, along with a message board and buyers guide.

In most cases, the brand featured would have no relationship with Yahoo. All that would matter is that the brand itself is popular enough to warrant its own site, says the search provider. Industry watchers say this is indicative that the company may be ready to turn itself into a marketing platform.

"We've all wondered how Yahoo will emerge from the shadow of Google," Liz Gannes wrote for GigaOM. "Perhaps a compromise is for Yahoo to put its long-nurtured skills at attracting Internet traffic as well as its favored status among brand advertisers to good use."

Over the course of this year, Yahoo plans to launch at least 100 of these "Brand Universe" sites. The next brands to get the treatement would be the Sims, Halo, Lost, TV Show "The Office," Transformers, and Harry Potter.

Silicon Valley watcher Michael Arrington said that the Sunnyvale, Calif. search company doesn't look to be interested for the time being in making money on the pages, or work with brands involved - for now. "Chances are both of those policies may change in the near future," he opined.