• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 23, 2008

Gannett has purchased a minority stake in Cozi, a Web site that allows families to communicate and coordinate schedules. The deal will give Gannett readers access to Cozi via the Internet and mobile devices, including various features like virtual family calendars, shopping lists, blogs and instant messaging.

The alliance will also allow Gannett to integrate local event and business listings into the feature, increasing exposure for local advertisers.

The nation's largest newspaper publisher plans to promote its partnership with Cozi with ads in dozens of its local newspapers, as well as national flagship USA Today. Currently, the service has about 600,000 members, according to Gannett, which hopes to increase the figure substantially.

Gannett has been hit hard by the secular downturn in newspapers. It is responding with an aggressive digital strategy that seeks to leverage the premium local content of its various newspapers, using new platforms to reach consumers with local news, event listings and business directories.

Last year, Gannett upped its investment in 4Info, a mobile search, publishing and advertising firm that specializes in SMS-based mobile search and alert services, to get more exposure for its library of local business listings.

Gannett publishes 85 newspapers and nearly 1,000 non-daily publications.