ModernizeRichmond.com

Media General and the Richmond Times Dispatch collaborated on a joint venture to better represent Richmond's modernized look and feel. The resulting location-based portal, Richmond.com, was able to expand the two firms' overall reach within the market, while providing more relevant information for residents and visitors.

The Challenge

Media General and the Richmond Times Dispatch wanted to launch a new online destination for Richmond’s residents and visitors that would represent the modern face of the city. Richmond.com, this new location-based portal, would focus on entertainment and local activities and target a different demographic than the company’s local newspaper site, expand its total reach in the market, and provide new advertising opportunities. The focus for Richmond.com is on local content aggregation, partnerships, and online advertising, rather than the more traditional model of supporting a single media property online with content from the print publication alone.

The Solution

NavigationArts worked collaboratively with the client on a tight timeline to design and prototype the site. The team set out to create the definitive city portal for Richmond, a site that could drive substantial and sustained traffic. Social networking features and community elements, ranging from blogs to user reviews to individual user profiles, were incorporated to drive engagement on the site and promote local culture and events. Varied content, a beautiful editorial design with attractively displayed with photographs, maps, and contextually relevant information, encourages users to explore the portal.

A critical success factor in this project was finding a way to incorporate a number of third party applications and widgets in the design without detracting from the site’s aesthetic. The resulting site design conveys a modern, urban feel through the textured background and retro color palette.

Project Results Included:

• Creating of the definitive city portal for Richmond, Virginia
• Successfully integrating with third-party content streams and applications with a visually appealing presentation
• Increasing opportunities with local advertisers and partner companies
• Incorporating social media elements including blogs, user reviews, and individual user profiles to drive audience engagement
• Developing a modern, urban user interface design that encourages exploration and repeat visits

The Client

Media General is an independent, publicly owned provider of news, information and entertainment across multiple media platforms, serving consumers and advertisers in strong local markets, primarily in the Southeastern United States.