In a recent blog post, Doug Mack of Adobe Scene7 provides some sage advice (in the Jan 27th post) on the importance of Web Video in eCommerce. Specifically, he refers to the use of Scene7 on the Cloudveil website to cleverly mix skiing eye candy in with soft touches on product features. The argument is that the audience is captivated by the oh-so relevant content and consequently drawn in, to A) learn more about the brand and its products or B) strengthen an already existing brand affinity that leads to more purchases down the road. Can we say “conversions”?
You are preaching to the choir, Doug, and we couldn’t agree more. We are constantly pushing the power of video, and love nothing more than helping our clients incorporate it successfully in their projects. From Web projects including Cloudveil and the Town of Taboro, to business profiles on Jackson Hole Roasters and the 4UR Fly Fishing Program, video and rich media are setting the curve. The question, are you on board or behind the times?
The business of selling photographs has survived some shifting landscapes over the years. The digital revolution shook the tripods of many photographers in the last decade, but more recently the competitive distribution wars being waged online have sparked controversy. Companies like istockphoto and shutterstock stormed onto the scene peddling photos for mere fractions of traditional licensing fees, hence giving birth to the age of “microstock agencies.”
While microstock agencies can fill an occasional image need, their talent tryouts are relatively brief—in fact all it takes to post photos for sale on many of these sites is a digital camera and an opposable thumb. While we’re never one to toss water on a meaningful fire, there are a few finer points of “traditional” stock agencies that we feel translate into direct benefits for folks on the receiving end of the transaction.
Circumerro Stock was set up to help talented valley-wide photographers have a broader reach. They key word is talented. The photographers represented on Circumerro Stock are handpicked and at the top of their craft. They represent a range of skills and subjects, specializing in destination imagery on Jackson Hole, the greater Yellowstone region, coastal beach towns in South Carolina and more.
We are proud to announce Matt Deehan has recently joined the Circumerro crew. When he is not telling astronaut jokes around the office, Matt will be spending time on the sales and business development side of 22Local, Jackson Hole Traveler, Rendezvous, Pocket Guide to Jackson Hole and Homestead.
Having lived in Jackson Hole since ’97, Matt has developed a long history of relationships through his time spent in sales at Jackson Hole Radio. A frequent traveler and avid outdoorsman, Matt is excited to bring his passion for people and places to our authentic travel publications. Welcome, Matt.
Circumerro Media was present at the 2009 Outdoor Retailer winter show. Noah Waterhouse and Latham Jenkins made the rounds with their clients Eagle Creek and Cloudveil at the show.
Outdoor Retailer is “the tradeshow venue of choice for the outdoor specialty industry. Brands big and small have a focused and targeted forum to contribute and conduct the business of the outdoors, with key market exposure in the most comprehensive showcase of outdoor companies. As Outdoor Retailer continues to attract national and international dealers in every category—specialty, specialty chain, general sporting goods, military, resort, mail order, big box and mass merchant retailers, our commitment is to deliver the best outdoor trade environment for your business to flourish and grow.” Or so their website says.
Circumerro Media has launched its new website with a focus on telling its story through the use of Web video and blogging. Integrating Web video throughout the site to explain services, introduce employees and highlight past projects provides the virtual insight that photos and text alone cannot deliver. Circumerro is now using its blog to capture the day-to-day events and news at the company.
“Web video is one of the most effective tools for telling your company’s story,” explained Latham Jenkins, Circumerro President. “People don’t like to read online, but rather mimic the offline behavior of TV-watching and if you provide that online, you marry the best of TV and the Web.”
The blog element of the new site addresses another quickly changing landscape in the realm of creative services: news. The site utilizes a blog format to house company news, press releases, staff info, industry musings and project updates all in one central spot. “Let’s face it, companies send out news to generate press which is an old way of building buzz around your brand,” added Jenkins. “The reality is for true engagement, you need a more constant dialogue with your audience and one that invites them to be a part of the brand experience.”
Frequent visitors are able to subscribe to RSS feeds of the blog and are encouraged to join the dialogue via comments. “Blogs provide the perfect storm of relevant content and untraditional marketing,” explained Chris Hanson, Content Manager at Circumerro. “In the age of social media, there are buzz words flying back and forth and constant changes that are enough to overwhelm any client. The goal is to interact, and blogging is where it starts.”
Programmers are a logical bunch. No need to start from scratch every time when there are proven and reliable solutions already out there, right? One of the mantras floating around the Circumerro office is: “the Internet was founded on the principle of sharing.” If you have information that’s relevant, make it known. We work smarter, not harder.
Circumerro is readying 22Local for beta launch in the very near future. We produced this quick video to explain what the new site means for Jackson Hole locals and others with a connection to our valley. Take a look at what’s to come.
If you are still searching for a New Year’s resolution, try this one on for size: dump Internet Explorer 6. Not only will you see (blogged) shouts of joy, you’ll be looking out for your own computing safety and increasing the efficiency of millions of programmers around the world. The scoop:
• IE6 was released in 2001 but fails to even properly support the CSS 1.0 standard from 1996.
• IE6 prevents the rest of the world from experiencing the full potential of new features and technology associated with up-to-date browsers
• The extra coding programmers are forced to develop for working around IE6 wastes time and potential
• IE6 is a security risk, leaving you vulnerable to viruses, trojans, phishing attacks and other unwanted headaches
There is no legitimate reason IE6 should be around anymore, yet as of December ’08, it still held roughly 20% of total browser market share. The grip is loosening, but it needs a final kick out of cyberspace. Upgrade to IE7 here, but its reviews aren’t exactly rave either. And within the year, IE8, now in beta version, should be complete and we’ll be programming for two obsolete browsers. GMail has recently stopped supporting IE6 on it’s lab features.
If you are shopping for an alternative, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome and Safari are all excellent browser choices, and free.
Aside from the enjoyment of the exercise itself, the view of the Grand Teton from the top was the best part of the tour up Mt. Taylor on Saturday. Not only has it been cold, but we have received very little snow this month and the skiing has been, well, variable. “Pray for snow” is becoming more like a desperate plea rather than the common ski-town catch phrase it’s know as. Better conditions for cruising the groomers with the kids than searching for untracked…’cause it’s hard to find these days.
Circumerro Media recently finished work on a new website for the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA). AFFTA’s new site is a portal to the organization’s online services for manufacturers, retailers, manufacturers’ representatives, travel companies, media producers and education and conservation organizations.
Dedicated to the sustained growth of the industry, AFFTA looked to Circumerro Media for a fresh and informative site to complement the fast-growing industry. The project stressed clear communication of the AFFTA mission, online membership conversion and the implementation of a content management system for AFFTA staff.
Working closely with AFFTA board members, Circumerro developed fluid navigation elements and compelling visuals wrapped around the core AFFTA values to drive the new site. “AFFTA’s strong industry roots and clear goals, along with excellent project dialogue, enabled this initiative to run seamlessly,” added Noah Waterhouse, Creative Services Director at Circumerro.
“We are very excited to be able to launch this new site, which we feel will be an outstanding resource for understanding all the good works of AFFTA including fly fishing education, member benefits, national lobbying efforts, and industry news,” stated Steve Sullivan, AFFTA Board Member and Membership Committee Chair.
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