• by Gavin O'Malley , May 23, 2010

Men's lifestyle publisher UrbanDaddy on Monday is expected to relaunch its Perks programs with an exclusive sponsorship from Heineken.

Since its 2005 launch, UrbanDaddy's editors have directed discerning readers toward exclusive venues for eating, drinking, shopping, and the like. Debuted in 2007, Perks represented the company's foray into custom deals designed to incentivize member engagement.

"There's always been the engagement component, and the new program opens up new opportunities in the area of commerce," said UrbanDaddy founder and CEO Lance Broumand. "Supported by Heineken, the idea is to begin monetizing more and more of these deals."

Perks offers include reserved tables at high-end restaurants, 40% off the Broadway show "American Idiot," and access to a private poolside bungalow at the Breaker resort in Palm Beach, FL.

To drive interest in the program, select UrbanDaddy members will also win VIP tickets to see Jerry Seinfeld in Vegas -- along with some backstage face-time with the comedian -- as well as a one-hour private tennis lesson with John McEnroe.

The Perks program ties in with Heineken's present campaign, which is all about "giving yourself a good name," said Broumand. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Heineken is presently on board for 6 months, while the Perks campaign is expected to continue indefinitely.

To support Perks, UrbanDaddy hired three "business development" people to generate more deals for members.

The company now claims to reach over 2,000,000 subscribers through its email newsletter, which is categorized by city -- New York, Los Angeles, Miami, etc. -- and in some cases subject matter, as with its Jetset travel edition.

Last year, UrbanDaddy sought to expand its presence with the relaunch of its Web site to include more prominently featured content, new search functionality, and fresh opportunities for premium sponsors.

Still, as many Web publishers continue to see value in distributed content and ad networks, UrbanDaddy has sought to set itself apart with highly selective offerings, coupled with customized sponsorship campaigns.

In order to preserve the brand's spirit of exclusivity, UrbanDaddy set up a Black List last year, which offers special promotions to select members of the larger community. According to Broumand, the Black List now includes roughly 50,000 members.