We have been working hard over the last two months on the new site for Kamikaze Boarding.  One of the most enjoyable projects we have worked on for some time, with complete creative control over the design and content of the site.  As well as traditional design and e-commerce development, Blue Juice produced a short video for You Tube which included on set filming and green screen production.  The green screen footage was also used in flash video banners in the web shop.

Check it out now at www.kamikazeboarding.com

Over the last 6 months we have seen a notable increase in both client interest in incorporating video into their sites and online marketing solutions built and delivered through some form of video medium.

Perhaps suprisingly to many it is an incredibly cost effective and powerful method of delivering your message online, and with the success of the BBC iplayer and services such as Vimeo and YouTube, 2010 will be the year online video really comes of age and forms an important part of any web developers arsenal and many clients web sites.

Get in touch to find out more about the services offered by Blue Juice Multimedia.

A change from the usual outdoor water based activities, Blue Juice are filming a 5 minute documentary for Atlantis Swimming Club this month.  The brief  - produce a 5 minute video for delivery online through the clubs website that captures all aspects of the clubs activities. It will be the first time the new underwater housing equipment for the Canon 5D will be used, capturing high definition footage in and out of the pool. Watch this space to view the final production.

We are pleased to announce that Dan Sweeney, the local kitesurfer we have sponsored throughout 2009 in the British Kitesurfing Championships has won the Junior title! Its been an exciting year for us both, with Blue Juice accompanying Dan on trips to Barbados, Cornwall and, err, Swansea! Dans web site, put together by us, has been a focal point for all his activities and we look forward to sponsoring Dan next year as he moves in to the pros.  Well done Dan!

Video edit and photos from Rhosneigr Park Jam now online!

Finally we have sorted a quick edit from the weekend to accompany the photos found at Craig Sawyer Photography. Check it out at http://www.bluejuicedesigns.co.uk/rhosneigr-park-jam.php

In addition to the usual traditional web design methods we use to reach your audience, video has become a strong, viable medium to communicate with your visitors.

Viewing video content streamed directly from the internet has grown in popularity, and with increases in bandwidth and compression technology, high quality, interactive video applications can be delivered right from within your website, helping you drive new levels of engagement with your visitors, enhancing key relationships, user knowledge and business performance.

Rich interactive presentations can be built cost effectively & quickly and are a unique way to deliver your message, combining video and audio with interactive screen content.  Imagine this…you normally deliver your companies’ annual report through a bound paper copy or an electronic file such as a PDF which is emailed to shareholders.

Why not deliver a personal message and overview of the report, complete with interactive content as you progress through your announcement? Deliver financial reports and allow users to interact and view relevant content at the same time, and give them the ability to watch at their own pace or review content again.

Other examples could include launching a new product, explaining a service, conducting a training course or making a company announcement to your staff. And its not just about delivering a message, interactive content can be used to generate additional targeted revenue streams and attract new visitors to your site.

Video is the future of brand and stakeholder engagement on the web – contact us to find out more!

We will be down at the White Air Extreme Sports and Music Festival this weekend in Brighton, Sussex.  White Air is Europe’s largest Extreme Sports and Music festival and is now based at the world-famous Madeira Drive in Brighton on a fantastic site accommodating over 40 sports and music arenas and events on water, land, air and beach! The live stage will feature Doves, Biffy Clyro, The Cribs, White Lies, British Sea Power.  We will be there capturing the event for KiteSurf & Powerkite Magazines. You can find out more through this blog and by following us on Twitter.

Blue Juice Designs have successfully completed the redesign of the Leatherhead Football Club website.  The site was set live at 9am on Saturday 15th August 2009, 6 hours before their first game of the season against Worthing. Leatherhead FC play in the Ryman Division 1 South division, and the new season brings with it all the hopes and dreams of league and cup success.  Blue Juice were tasked with creating a new website that would act as focal point for supporters and sponsors, reflect the clubs image and grow with the club through the season.

Using a mixture of a Wordpress CRM backend and dynamic spry tables, the site enables easy updates by Club officials.

“We finally have a site we can be proud of!” – Dick Wilkinson, Leatherhead Football Club

Well its been a very busy couple of weeks, and it doesnt look like its going to get any quieter! Blue Juice travelled with Dan Sweeney, UK Pro Kitesurfer, to Barbados last weekend to film a podcast for Cabrinha kites and complete an article for Kitesurf Magazine.  Having only been back 3 days its been a real test of our workflows to get something online before we head off on the Cannonball Run Europe this Saturday.

A big thanks to the Virgin Stewardesses for making our jump seat flight so comfortable, and to Monster Energy Drink, NPX, Cabrinha and Virgin Holidays for supporting the trip.  Loads of photos will follow, but for now check out the Nomad kite review.

Twitter this, MySpace & Blog that – Social Media is for kids, right? Wrong! Read on…

So what is Social Media? In a survey carried out by the authors of ‘The Social Media Bible’, nearly 70% of 600 people questioned were not especially familiar with the term – again many people think they should know what it means, but most are unsure.

Social Media refers to activities, practices and behaviours among communities of people who gather online to share information, knowledge and opinions using conversational media. Conversational Media are web-based applications that make it possible to create and easily transmit content in the form of words, pictures, video and audio.

Forrester Research reported that 89% of CEOs surveyed said they had adopted at least one of six prominent Social Media tools – blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS, social networking, and content tagging – and 35% said they were already using all six of the tools. McKinsey also reported the following percentages of companies surveyed that planned to invest in social media tools: social networking (37%), RSS (35%), podcasts (35%), wikis (33%), blogs (32%), and mashups (21%). Social Media tools that you may have already heard of or used include services such as LinkedIN, Facebook, Wikipedia, Constant Contact, WordPress, Flickr, Twitter, YouTube, Digg, iGoogle, RSS, Skype and many many more…(the list goes on and on…)

So should you be considering Social Media within your business? The world of social media enables your clients, prospects, employees and parties with a vested interest to communicate to potentially thousands within seconds. Even if you are not actively running a Social Media campaign, what are other saying about you or your competitors? what trends should you know about, as they occur? Social media marketing focuses on creating opportunities that let your customers associate themselves with you and your brand.

Can we guarantee your success with Social Media? Of course not, but the alternative is doing nothing and waiting to see what those around you do – many forward thinking businesses are exploring Social Media as a new way to communicate and collaborate with their employees, prospects and clients. There is no denying that you will hear the term Social Media many times within your business – now is the time to ensure its working for you!

Blue Juice offer Social Media Consultancy and Management Services, contact us to discuss in more detail and book a consultancy session!