Canada’s largest publisher of paid English-language dailies is simultaneously launching redesigned news sites for all ten of its major city newspapers this morning.
The new look offers readers a more intuitive experience, according to Graham Moysey, GM and senior VP, Canwest Digital Media – and for advertisers, richer and more targeted opportunities locally and nationally.
The relaunch is being marketed by a humorous national ad campaign that invites readers to become know-it-alls. Creative, by Toronto-based Smith Roberts Creative Communications, is customized to each market and features regular people sporting beauty pageant-style ‘Ms. Know-it-all’ and ‘Mr. Know-it-all’ sashes driving the idea that, by visiting their local newspaper website, anyone can be a know-it-all.
Interactive demos in the top banner position of each site invite visitors to tour the new features, which include simplified and faster navigation, increased focus on locally relevant news and info, a wider, easy-to-read format and increased opportunities for dialogue, as well as richer media with exclusive photos, video and behind-the-scenes coverage of local community stories. Hyper-local classifieds and integrated social networking tools like Facebook, MySpace and personal blogs are also part of the augmented sites.
Each site also links to all of Canwest’s other daily newspaper sites including Victoria Times Colonist, The Province, Vancouver Sun, Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, Regina Leader-Post, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Windsor Star, Ottawa Citizen, and The Gazette (Montreal).
