Case Study: Downtown Phoenix Web Relaunch 2009
When the Downtown Phoenix Partnership retired the Copper Square moniker in late 2008, they saw it as an opportunity to take some bold steps online. So did Catywampus' founder, Doug Cholewa, who's previous interactive firm designed and built the original CopperSquare.com site in 2005.
"The Partnership has always been keenly aware that Downtown is about community, not buildings," said Doug. "Given the social and mobile trends in recent years - blogging, text messaging, Facebook & Twitter to name a few - engaging the community via technology was the natural choice."
THE PLAN
By all accounts, CopperSquare.com was a success: over 16,000 visitors used the site on a monthly basis to find out about upcoming events, new places to eat, and where to park; and the Copper Square Connect email put over 10,000 visitors in touch with exclusive, in-depth stories and deals. DowntownPhoenix.com didn't need to reinvent the wheel; it just needed some new rims. "We took the best elements from CopperSquare.com and expanded on them," says Jim Flynn, the Partnership's Director of Marketing.
Business listings now feature user-submitted photos and reviews, as well as the ability to send pertinent details directly to your mobile phone via text. Users can now create and publish lists about downtown activities to share with other visitors. Over 45 downtown enthusiasts have volunteered their time to blog about their downtown experiences and activities, whether good, bad or ugly. "That's the key here," says Cholewa. "For this new site to be successful, the Partnership and its constituents needed to allow the community to have active, authentic conversations. And they were completely on board with that."
All of it is now housed in a new design that puts the content front & center. "The days of the internet playland are long gone," says Cholewa. "People want to get in, get the information they need, and get on with it." A wider stage now fits about 25% more content within the main viewing area, which ultimately means less vertical scrolling. Urban elements such as warm concrete and subtle cityscapes are used to provide the site's texture, and the Partnership's new logo and color palette provided the impetus for buttons and headers. Photography is focused on the community: The faces of the site's bloggers and participants can be seen throughout, and header photos feature real, active downtown participants, not hired models. "These people are the real deal, and they made it easy to capture the heart of the urban lifestyle," says photographer Jamie Peachey.
Catywampus knew that the online community needed to extend beyond the realm of the Web site. The proliferation of mobile devices and social networking sites, especially amongst the younger, creative-leaning individuals who seek an urban experience, meant that the Downtown Phoenix message needed to exist in these newer mediums. Cholewa enlisted the help of two other Phoenix-based firms, Blumo and Liberty Interactive Marketing, to bring the mobile and social components to fruition.
DOWNTOWN PHOENIX ON YOUR PHONE
Mobile users now have a streamlined version of the Downtown Phoenix site at their fingertips. Loading DowntownPhoenix.com on your phone will bring up a text-based, mobile-optimized version of the site that provides information about events, downtown businesses, and coupons & deals for an efficient experience when planning a day or evening downtown. "Mobile web usage is growing exponentially, and providing residents and tourists alike with such a robust resource makes sense for a city as dynamic as Phoenix," says Sean Bartlett, Blumo's VP of Marketing & Business Development.
Mobile users can also engage in text conversations with the Downtown Ambassadors - the roving concierge that is in place throughout the streets of downtown to help visitors navigate the city, answer questions about directions & destinations, and more. Simply texting "ASK" to 25866 will start a chat session with an Ambassador representative. Need to know where the nearest ATM is located or what time the restaurant closes? Text an ambassador and they'll be glad to help.
Frequent visitors to Downtown Phoenix can also take advantage of a free mobile alerts program by subscribing on DowntownPhoenix.com via computer or mobile device. These mobile alerts provide subscribers with periodic updates about upcoming events, special offers and more.
DOWNTOWN PHOENIX IS YOUR COMMUNITY
Downtown Phoenix is now listening to the Downtown Phoenix community through social media outlets to help build the community and understand growth needs. Follow, Join, or Friend Downtown Phoenix on Twitter @downtownphoenix.com, on Flickr at flickr.com/photos/downtownphoenix, and Facebook at facebook.com/downtownphoenix or become a writer for Downtown Phoenix at downtownphoenix.com/writers.
Other social media programming is underway as well, a blogger outreach program geared towards identifying key influencers who are passionate about Downtown and the success of its future has recruited another 15 volunteer writers for Downtown Phoenix in just over 10 days. "It’s important that we are reaching like minded individuals who want to share their knowledge of Downtown and all the great things happening down here, and we believe downtownphoenix.com will serve as a type of online coffeshop to bring these folks together to spark conversation and meetup," says Liberty Tsighis, principal of Liberty Interactive Marketing whose firm is providing consulting on social media strategy, and implementing search marketing programs and revitalizing the Partnership’s email marketing.
Through the guidance of Liberty Interactive Marketing, the Partnership has over 1400 followers on Twitter and nearly 1400 fans on Facebook. "We’re excited about the results we have seen in the first 30 days of site launch, and we expect continued success. There is a strong community out there that really feels it is time for Downtown to be all it can be." Tsighis says. In the first 30 days since the site launched, they have seen excellent visibility online and have transitioned nearly one-third of coppersquare.com visits to downtownphoenix.com . Over 200 people have already created new accounts.
POISED FOR SUCCESS
Early site successes can be directly attributed to the powers of the social world. With no "traditional" marketing fanfare as of this writing, the site has signed-up 45 new bloggers, over 200 participants, and has over 1,400 engaged fans on Facebook.
MORE INFORMATION
DowntownPhoenix.com
Downtown Phoenix on Twitter
Downtown Phoenix on Facebook
Downtown Phoenix on Flickr
ABOUT CATYWAMPUS
Catywampus provides off-kilter thinking & execution for your marketing endeavors. The firm was founded by Doug Cholewa and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.
Doug's creative design & strategy sensibilities have been applied equally to both Web and traditional "real world" media, earning several ADDYs in the process. Notable clients include NIKE, Best Western International, Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Phoenix Art Museum, Mayo Clinic, Arizona Lottery, Arizona Heart Hospital, The Phoenix Zoo, Gray Development, Fujitsu, SunCor, the Biodesign Institute at ASU, and Phoenix Children’s Hospital, among others.
Learn more at catywampus.com