• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, February 8, 2007

As its digital strategy continues to evolve, Hearst Magazines Wednesday said it is making a big push in mobile, adding several new phone-friendly sites accessible through Verizon Wireless and other carriers.

New mobile sites for Seventeen, Cosmo Girl, and Cosmopolitan are now available in the magazines section of Verizon Wireless' Mobile Web 2.0 service. Sites for Esquire, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful, Popular Mechanics, and Redbook are on the way, along with additional carrier deals.

As early as 2003, Hearst was exploring mobile sites accessible only to subscribers paying between $1.99 and $2.49 monthly for tidbits from Seventeen and Cosmopolitan, among other titles.

But as consumers and advertisers migrate away from print, Hearst is making a bigger push to beef up mobile. "The new mobile sites for all of our magazines will have richer, more interactive content and will be tied more closely to the magazine's editorial content, in addition to being free to any consumer," said one company spokeswoman.

The initiatives are being spearheaded by Sophia Stuart, who recently rejoined Hearst as its director of mobile initiatives.

Among other recent key digital hires, Walt Disney executive Pamela Raley was brought on as vice president of digital sales, and Christopher Johnson came over from IAC Search & Media to serve as Hearst's digital content direct. All three executives are reporting to Chuck Cordray, vice president and general manager of digital media at Hearst.

"Verizon Wireless' Mobile Web 2.0 service will help us reach our audience in new ways that align with our readers' busy lifestyles," said Cordray.

In early January, Hearst's digital media unit acquired teen social network eCRUSH.com for an undisclosed sum. eCRUSH was designed with viral marketing in mind, as members can send email "crushes" to non-members, who must then register with eCRUSH to digitally unmask their admirers.

According to a Hearst spokeswoman, Cingular and Sprint are two likely additional carriers. She added: "There are evidently 177 carriers in the U.S. and we'd like to be on all of them."