OnSight | OnSight

Say, is that a smartphone in your pocket?

by OnSight | Jul 2015 | Web Communications

If we’ve learned anything this spring, it’s that the Colorado Rockies are on their usual downhill slide and, more importantly, that if you don’t have a mobile strategy, you don’t have a strategy at all.

On that latter point, consider the recent evidence:

In April, Pew Research Center reported that “64% of American adults now own a smartphone of some kind, up from 35% in the spring of 2011.” That’s a remarkable increase in just four years. More remarkable is that nearly 9 in 10 18- to 29-year-olds owns a smartphone.

That same month, Google announced that it was changing its search algorithm for mobile browsers to favor websites deemed “mobile friendly.” While some bemoaned the change as “mobilegeddon,” the reality is that people are increasingly accessing the internet from their smartphones, and they are quick to hit the “back” button when they encounter sites that are geared toward desktops.

And in June, the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford released its “Digital News Report 2015,” which found that “people in most countries say they are likely to access news via a mobile browser. This suggests that news may not always be a primary destination but will often be found through links from social media or email.”

All of that’s not to say that mobile should be your only target. The Reuters Institute report also noted that, “‘older’ delivery technologies such as podcasting and email newsletters have returned in force; and U.S. nightly news broadcasts have actually gained audience over the past few years.”

Seem like a lot to keep up with?

Not to worry. While there may be no hope for the cellar-dwelling Rockies, at OnSight we are constantly monitoring the latest technologies and trends in order to help deliver wins for our clients’ messages.

Building Web Sites @ OnSight

by OnSight | Jul 2015 | Branding, Ed Perlmutter, GOCO, Graphics, Keep Colorado Local, Web Communications

You know the old sayings…

The web site is mightier than the sword.

When the going gets tough, the tough build a new web site.

There’s no place like your home page.

Those might be a little different than you remember, and that’s because we want you to look at OnSight’s work in a new way: digitally.

While OnSight has offered creative services for years, our creative team has recently kicked it into high-gear, designing and building new and innovative online homes for a number of our clients. Below, we’ve highlighted a few to show you how we’re helping our clients tackle issues with new solutions, fresh design, and innovative web sites.

Since “fortune favors the bold web designer,” we aim to evolve as quickly as the new technologies and trends in our industry. Let us know if you have a bold new idea for your website, and we’ll help you make that happen.

Keep Colorado Local

Visit KeepCoLocal.com to learn more.

Out-of-state corporations want to change the way we do business in Colorado by allowing chain stores to sell alcohol. Their goal is to boost profits, and what they won’t tell you, is that the effort will send money out of our communities, force hundreds of small businesses to close, curtail Colorado’s thriving craft industries, undermine safety, and give underage kids more access to alcohol.

As you can imagine, Coloradans won’t take that kind of thing laying down, and so a group of locally owned and independent businesses formed a coalition called Keep Colorado Local. In order to help this coalition share their message and gain new members, we knew we had to build a unique and dynamic system. The Keep Colorado Local web site not only informs supporters, allowing them get active and share our message, but also gives coalition members access to resources and communications tools.

As this coalition continues to grow and create new innovative ways to preserve Colorado’s unique business climate, our web site will be the dynamic online home for these efforts.

The Outdoors Summit

Learn more at TheOutdoorsSummit.com

Kids today spend half as much time outdoors as their parents did. Colorado may boast the nation’s healthiest adult population, but its youth obesity rate is rising rapidly. Barriers like time, transportation, money, access, and lack of interest keep kids from getting outside and developing the lifelong passion for the great outdoors that is vital for the well being of Colorado citizens, our wildlife, and our way of life.

Changing this trend is no small undertaking, and that’s why Governor Hickenlooper, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and Great Outdoors Colorado teamed up to tackle this head on. OnSight worked with these entities to develop the strategy, messaging, and of course, the online hub for the announcement of these new initiatives, which synthesized into the Outdoors Summit. In June, OnSight helped organize the Outdoors Summit, an unprecedented gathering of national and state leaders, advocates and visionaries focused on connecting Coloradans, especially our kids, with the outdoors.

Our creative team developed the logo, web site, and conference materials to promote and brand this unprecedented day-long summit.

Perlmutter for Colorado

Learn more at PerlmutterForColorado.com

OnSight is proud to work with the hardest working man in Congress, and this spring, we took on the overhaul of Ed Perlmutter’s campaign web site. The new Perlmutter for Colorado site is now mobile and social-friendly — critical components for any modern campaign — and features new interactive tools that allow supporters to learn more about Ed and get engaged in his campaign by volunteering, sharing testimonials, and donating.

Close Encounters

by OnSight | Jun 2015 | Ride The Rockies

Cattle crossing a country road usually isn’t the most exciting thing, but it’s a different story when you’re creating content and capturing photography for Ride The Rockies.

We were a little ways outside of Crawford and heading towards Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park when we saw a brown mass in the road. A few bikers had stopped, and we pulled up in our staff car just in time to see the rancher zoom past us on a four-wheeler to herd his cattle back into their pen. As the riders waiting for the route to be cleared, we were able to capture a very fleeting moment, and then share it with thousands later that day on social media.

OnSight is lucky enough to work with Ride The Rockies on their Peak Pedalers blog, content and strategy for their social media channels, and photography during this week-long bike ride.

Before the week-long ride through some of Colorado’s most beautiful mountains and towns, we help select and train a group of bloggers called the Peak Pedalers who write posts about training, riding, and reflecting on the ride. During the event, we’re on the route right next to the cyclists, capturing those rare and beautiful moments to share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Flickr. We’re able to provide weather and route updates for the riders as well as photos and blog posts for RTR fans jealously following along from home. During the ride, the homepage for Ride The Rockies turns over to live-feeds from those social media channels, so you can see where we’re at and what we’re up to at any moment during the ride.

Riders are all smiles at the finish line in Westcliffe.

The ride covered 464 miles, gained 31,217 feet of elevation, and climbed almost a dozen mountain passes. Of 2000 riders who participated, every state in the US was represented along with 11 other countries; the oldest rider was 90 years old, and the youngest 7.

Anyone could schedule posts from hundreds of miles away, but you’re only going to see the cattle crossings, the fans cheering, and the participants blood, sweat, tears, and joy if you’re out here with the riders.

The New Inspiration for Colorado’s Great Outdoors

by OnSight | Jun 2015 | GOCO

Inspiring youth to reconnect to nature is the focus of a new five-year initiative that Great Outdoors Colorado is launching this month, and a four-minute video announcement sets out the goals of the project while showcasing some of Colorado’s most stunning landscapes and wildlife.

“Children today spend half as much time outdoor as their parents did. Just living in Colorado does not ensure that its young people are able to enjoy its incredible natural treasures, from urban parks to the mountain backcountry,” Lise Aangeenbrug, GOCO executive director, said while announcing the initiative at The Outdoors Summit today in Denver.

The first-of-its-kind “Inspire Initiative” will start with five pilot communities in its first year and focus on providing funding for “places, programs, and pathways” that will give youth and theirfamilies meaningful experiences in the outdoors. GOCO released the initiative’s request for proposals this week and theinitial planning grants of up to $100,000 will awarded in October. The initiative will eventually invest up to $25 million to implement projects in 15 communities across the state. Grants will range between $1 million and $5 million per pilot community.

GOCO will partner with selected communities to address local barriers that prevent kids from getting outside. Investments will be made in building or enhancing parks, school play yards, and other outdoor destinations as well as in trails needed to get kids safely to these places. Additional investments will be made in expanded outdoor education and recreation programs for kids of every age. Finally, the initiative seeks to fund more service learning and youth employment opportunities as pathways to careers in the outdoors.

The new initiative was crafted after a year of engaging Coloradans through a listening tour in 13 communities across the state, surveys of the public and stakeholders, and close examination of current trends in population, recreation, and other factors in Colorado.

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created by voters in 1992, GOCO has funded more than 4,500 projects in all 64 counties without any tax dollar support. The grants are funded by GOCO’s share of Colorado Lottery revenues, which are divided between GOCO, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Conservation Trust Fund and school construction.