Project information

Nimble web design, traffic building PR and efficient SEO drove sales... quickly!

I love cars, so helping Smart Car Midwest launch their eco-friendly brand , a grey market entry importing Smarts from Europe, was some of the most fun I've had!

I was directed to run the launch campaign as efficiently as a Smart Car uses gasoline, (over 50 MPG). I developed and launched their Web site in record time (actually over Christmas break). I created a java script animation for the home page that displayed a Smart car 'driving' across the page. I tapped into the brand's European assets and embedded video on YouTube, adding rich content for the site and a 'free' channel of steady traffic to the site.

Online advertising, Public Relations and SEO produced substantial traffic from the first day, generating consumer buzz, earning industry respect, and happily driving immediate sales. CTRs from the banner ads reached high single digits. Our debuting press conference earned newspaper, radio interviews and TV news coverage -- NBC asked us to tape their coverage that same day. Our blogging-advocacy efforts were rewarded with hundreds of replies -- and visits to the site. Search optimization earned us top position on the SERP adding traffic from eco-brand-curious prospects.

The campaign was a hit, with two cars sold a day after the press conference. The Smart campaign earned 150 leads in 60 days and sold out our opening inventory.

Deliverables: Web design and development, search engine optimization, online PR, traditional public relations and press conference, reciprocal linking, banner ads, blogger advocacy.