Marine NewsWire
Introduction
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Based in Norfolk, Va., Marine NewsWire is the largest marine industry-specific wire service for distributing press releases to marine media outlets worldwide. The company’s news distribution system makes it a valuable resource to marketing professionals in the marine industry who wish to disseminate company announcements to a strategically targeted audience. And, with a comprehensive and up-to-date index of marine press releases, Marine NewsWire also serves as a convenient resource for members of the press in search of news related to the commercial maritime and pleasure boating industries.
The Challenge
From the onset, intuitive functionality and simplicity in design were top priorities. As such, the client requested that the logo mimic the look and feel of the Website, with a clean and uncluttered appearance, yet unique and memorable style.
It was important that the homepage design remain clean, simple and focused, prominently highlighting current news on the wire.
Additionally, the design required that members of the press have the ability to download hi-res images accompanying the press releases.
It was also necessary that businesses interested in distributing their press releases via Marine NewsWire have an easy way to submit their material for immediate release.
Due to the dynamic nature of the Website’s content, it also quickly became apparent that a content management system would be needed in order to allow the Website’s administrator to quickly and easily edit and format text and pictures on the site.
The Process
During the brainstorming process, it was decided that:
- The color scheme would use ocean-like colors to highlight the company’s nautical ties
- The logo would also keep the company’s nautical theme and remain simple yet memorable
- The homepage should display the most recent press releases
- In addition to prominently highlighting the latest news on the wire, the site would needed to permit members of the press to register to receive all releases and download high-resolution images
- An additional registration form for public relations/ marketing professionals was needed to allow them to subscribe and distribute releases
- A list of all the packages offered by Marine NewsWire would be listed displaying the details of each package on the same page
- The CMS would allow the administrator(s) to edit and format the site’s content
The Result
At the onset of the design process, a predominantly blue color scheme was selected to convey the oceanic theme.
In accordance with the company’s nautical ties, a logo with the familiar anchor and wheel were paired and placed on a light blue.
A link to each category of the Website was provided on the top horizontal menu. In an effort to efficiently manage screen space, additional links to important subcategories were provided on a left, vertical menu.
Underneath the top menu bar, a promotional box with short descriptive text was added to immediately identify the site’s purpose.
A link is provided on the homepage to each of the registration forms for both public relations/marketing professionals and members of the press. The designers took care, however, to ensure that the press releases remained the focal point of the homepage. The press releases are listed in reverse chronological order and older press releases are archived in a database, which is managed on the back-end through the Content Management System (CMS).
As an aesthetic compliment to the layout, a simple Flash slideshow of various kinds of watercraft was added to the homepage.
A registration module was also added to the CMS to allow the two target user groups (industry journalists and public relations/marketing professionals) to register and permit the administrator to manage the list of members on the backend
