Reuters is a global news organization with thousands of media relationships. The way they communicate with these partners is vitally important to their business model. In 2007 Reuters hired Studio Lekker to redesign their Online Media Guide. Following their merger with Thomson in 2008, Studio Lekker was retained again to develop a new global brand for the entire advertising sales channel.
Objectives
- Establish a strong visual identity to represent the newly merged brands
- Positively influence media planners/buyers and potential advertising clients
- Make it easier for Reuters staff to manage a high volume of content
Strategy
News is a fast-moving business. The ability to act and react quickly across multiple channels makes all the difference. The same is true for the media industry. So when we set out to create this new brand identity, the attributes we sought to convey were efficiency, flexibility, reach, and sophistication. All of these stood in support of Reuters brand promise of global news primacy.
Solution
Visitors to the Online Media Guide are greeted by a sleek, intuitive interface that puts important information front and center. Vibrant imagery provides balance to in-depth content. Professional and inviting, the site works to instill confidence in potential advertising clients.
For Reuters staff, the Online Media Guide features a custom content management system that enables users to upload, edit, and tag site content with ease. The system includes:
- The ability to preview content before pushing it live
- Automatic server-side processing of images to prescribed formats
- An alert system to prevent accidental overwriting
- Server page caching to increase site performance
Studio Lekker is currently working on versions of the Online Media Guide for China, Japan, India, and the UK. Using the same model, these parallel sites offer a cost-effective way for far-flung groups to manage content locally.
Brand Extensions
Following the successful launch of the Online Media Guide, Reuters expanded their relationship with Studio Lekker to further build out the new brand.
One of their top priorities was the creation of a stand-alone microsite called “Firsts” which later became Reuters Best. Its purpose is to reinforce Reuters leadership position in the news industry and show advertisers why choosing them as a media partner can provide a competitive advantage.
The other assignment was to develop a Holiday eCard to connect with clients during the holiday season. The eCard was distributed via email and linked recipients back to a microsite where they could view holiday-related headlines and spread the cheer by sending personalized eCards of their own.
