Leverage Blog: How to Exploit the Web.

New Intranet For BCCI Helps Business Operations Run Smoothly

The Bay Area construction firm BCCI approached Wheel Media with a bit of a problem: Several mission-critical company documents were in large, difficult-to-navigate formats and needed to be updated regularly.  In addition, the new versions needed to accessible company-wide in a secure area.

Working closely with BCCI technical teams and their clear assessment of the project goals, Wheel Media began by converting their existing manuals into PDF format, ensuring all employees could open the files.  We also added custom bookmarks within the files to make it easy for everyone to skip to the section they were looking for – essentially a dynamic Table of Contents.  Finally, we trained the staff on how to edit the manuals so they could create new versions as company policies evolved.

Our next step was the creation of an Intranet – on online workroom similar to a regular website but only accessible from within their network.  The Intranet made it easy for the BCCI staff to visit and view the most current version of the manuals. And we built a password-protected area for the BCCI administrator updating the documents – an online destination where they can easily login and upload new versions. There's even an area that displays the date of the last update, so the users can quickly and easily visit the page and see if there has been a recent update.

Our goal was to provide not just a technical solution but a process that all stakeholders could understand and carry forward.

Inspiring New Clients

Wheel Media recently completed a logo for a non-profit startup called WishingPost, a wonderful new
organization that will connect terminally ill children with philanthropically minded individuals, facilitating charitable gifts between them.  Their mission sounds inspiring, and it is.  Rest assured, I'll write an post when we launch the website, and I'm guessing some of you might just be moved to donate.

I'm also pleased to say that I have the go-ahead to share a few words about another inspirational new startup flying under the radar, So Much 2 Say.  We can't share many details at this point, but in short our client, a soldier who has served in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, will help professionals who work in harms-way create messages for their loved ones.  For now all we can share with you is the logo we created-- launch of the online service is planned for this Fall.  We'll keep you posted.

Create and Run your Own Banner Advertising Campaign

We just came across a new platform to enable you to create and run your own banner ads on MSNBC.com.  A few details on the opportunity are below (thanks to MediaWeek,) plus a link to check it out.

If you decide to dive-in make sure you have systems in place internally to track where the leads are coming from.  For example, if you don't know if a new client came from your MSNBC ads, was referred to you by your favorite customer, or just discovered a mailer you did last February, you won't know if the ads are making the phone ring (and are paying for themselves.)

Take a look:  GO

More Info:

MSNBC.com is looking to reach beyond its core national advertiser base by offering a new self-service ad platform aimed at small to midsized business.

Through a new partnership with AdReady, a Seattle, Wash.-based advertising technology firm, smaller businesses who lack big budgets and major agency relationships of the Cokes and McDonalds of the world can now launch banner campaigns on the news site for as little as $50, said officials. The self-service tool, available at msnbc.adready.com, allows advertisers to create made to order banner ads in minutes which can then be targeted geographically, according to MSNBC officials, who expect this offering to appeal to local advertisers, particularly retailers.

Also, MSNBC’s new ad tool will allow brands to optimize their small scale ad campaigns as well, just like major online advertisers do on a regular basis.

The new AdReady partnership potentially nudges MSNBC, and display advertising in general, into territory that has been hugely successful for Google, which has built its ad business via a Web-based, self service ad platform that appeals to many businesses with modest budgets. "AdReady gives the small advertiser a simple, yet sophisticated marketing tool," said MSNBC.com’s vp of sales Kyoo Kim.

Social Bookmarking (i.e., Delicious) improves your life.

OK, so it's not the new, new thing, but on LeverageBlog, I've always fancied the useful thing.

I've found that Social Bookmarking is still unfamiliar to most of my clients, so I've posted another fantastic video from Common Craft to help people along.  Hey, click the arrow.