The Brooklyn Union Web Site
In 1995, The Brooklyn Union Gas Company, which provided natural gas service to the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, became one of the first energy companies in the United States to take advantage of what was then called the "information superhighway."
Designed, edited, and maintained by Brooklyn Union's Public Relations area, the award-winning BUG.COM was a collaborative effort of virtually every department in the company. As Director of Public and Corporate Information for Brooklyn Union, I led our development effort.
We set out to create a site that was friendly and filled with useful and enjoyable features. We wanted visitors to the site to experience the virtual equivalent of a visit to our headquarters. Just as in our conventional business, our goals were to promote the company's image and interests, and ultimately to sell our products and services.
We were successful: the site generated a great number of leads for the company and its trade allies.
We also built on Brooklyn Union's long-standing commitment to the communities it served. At a time when there were few Web-based resources for New York City tourism, we included a clickable map with descriptions (and links, when available) of recreational and cultural attractions in our service area. In addition to providing a range of business information, the site was filled with whimsical animations, links for children, and an energy-themed coloring book.
The site promoted the use of natural gas for cooking, including recipes from company employees and local chefs who were pioneering what is now Brooklyn's world-renowned culinary scene. It's unique "trivia" quiz promoted local history and tourism.
In so doing, the site built on Brooklyn Union's efforts to promote New York City's cultural and commercial renaissance. It attracted visitors from around the world, who used the site to learn about business opportunities and residential living in New York City, and provided useful background information to the media and the financial community. And it generated its own publicity, as our efforts were recognized by the energy industry and local and national media.
The site exemplified the ideal approach to extending a "bricks and mortar" brand to the virtual universe of digital communication. It was warm and friendly; provided valuable customer, employee, shareholder services; cost next-to-nothing; enhanced the company's progressive image; and made money. It was at the cutting-edge of the company's expansion into a national energy powerhouse, and demonstrated just how powerful a role digital media could play in a business' success.
In 1995, The Brooklyn Union Gas Company, which provided natural gas service to the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, became one of the first energy companies in the United States to take advantage of what was then called the "information superhighway."
Designed, edited, and maintained by Brooklyn Union's Public Relations area, the award-winning BUG.COM was a collaborative effort of virtually every department in the company. As Director of Public and Corporate Information for Brooklyn Union, I led our development effort.
We set out to create a site that was friendly and filled with useful and enjoyable features. We wanted visitors to the site to experience the virtual equivalent of a visit to our headquarters. Just as in our conventional business, our goals were to promote the company's image and interests, and ultimately to sell our products and services.
We were successful: the site generated a great number of leads for the company and its trade allies.
We also built on Brooklyn Union's long-standing commitment to the communities it served. At a time when there were few Web-based resources for New York City tourism, we included a clickable map with descriptions (and links, when available) of recreational and cultural attractions in our service area. In addition to providing a range of business information, the site was filled with whimsical animations, links for children, and an energy-themed coloring book.
The site promoted the use of natural gas for cooking, including recipes from company employees and local chefs who were pioneering what is now Brooklyn's world-renowned culinary scene. It's unique "trivia" quiz promoted local history and tourism.
In so doing, the site built on Brooklyn Union's efforts to promote New York City's cultural and commercial renaissance. It attracted visitors from around the world, who used the site to learn about business opportunities and residential living in New York City, and provided useful background information to the media and the financial community. And it generated its own publicity, as our efforts were recognized by the energy industry and local and national media.
The site exemplified the ideal approach to extending a "bricks and mortar" brand to the virtual universe of digital communication. It was warm and friendly; provided valuable customer, employee, shareholder services; cost next-to-nothing; enhanced the company's progressive image; and made money. It was at the cutting-edge of the company's expansion into a national energy powerhouse, and demonstrated just how powerful a role digital media could play in a business' success.