Seeing the interest skyrocket in kayaks, stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) and rowing sculls, Kevin Kirkland turned the success of one watercraft business, Lake Geneva Marine, into the opportunity for a second. Mr. Kirkland’s passion is being on the lake, and his love of non-motorized watercraft made it clear what was to come next.

Fontana Paddle Company’s mission is providing non-motorized watercraft to enthusiasts on one of Wisconsin’s most premier inland lakes, Lake Geneva. For over a century, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Rockford vacationers have enjoyed Lake Geneva’s clear waters and gentile shores. Today’s thriving lake culture not only supports motorized boats, but the quickly growing popularity of silent sports.

Fontana Paddle Company offers watercraft and equipment rentals, lessons for the first timer as well as the expert, tours for individuals and groups, a pro shop to get gear of your own, and a storage or put in service that will allow customers to keep their gear maintained and ready without the hassle of transport.

Mr. Kirkland came to Signalfire in early June, 2010 with a plan to have the boats in the water before July 12th. Fontana Paddle Company needed a brand, full marketing materials, a website and a complete social media setup. Given the compacted timeframe and the volume of creatives, Signalfire hit the ground running. Developing both the brand and the website concurrently, his completed materials were all online the week before the scheduled launch.

Fontana Paddle Company’s dynamic, self-maintained website was built on the newly-launched WordPress 3.0 platform. The client will have the capabilities to not only manage the content (text and images) on the site, but will also be able to add pages and new stories over time. With smart, dynamic navigation, the site will grow with Fontana Paddle Company’s service offerings.

With marketing materials and branded apparel into production before the launch, Signalfire dove into the social media setup. Signalfire kept their personnel and their ability to share their passion of non-motorized watercraft in the forefront when developing a strategy. By creating a custom landing tab on the Facebook Fan Page, a branded Twitter background, custom avatars (profile icons) and a complete Foursquare business venue setup, Fontana Paddle jumped into the social media waters head first. Look for location specials on Foursquare, news about lessons and tours on Facebook, and keep in touch over Twitter.

The success of Fontana Paddle Company demonstrates Signalfire’s ability to develop engaging brands in many mediums. From logo design to turn-key web development and from print design to social media strategy—Signalfire is your best choice when launching a brand from the ground up!

The Village of Fontana on Geneva Lake awarded Signalfire a web development contract to develop a site promoting a proposed lakefront building. This building project will be going before a Fall, 2010 public referendum on whether or not to develop this community facility.

Understanding the budget and time requirements, Signalfire coordinated with one of the Village of Fontana’s committees to develop a content managed site that could be updated and changed by either Village personnel or Signalfire team members. Choosing a premium template concept as a launch point, Signalfire customized and branded the site specifically for the building project. A vast amount of meeting minutes, legal documents and conceptual art had to be coordinated and effectively presented online. Additionally, the committee asked Signalfire to develop all of the content ranging from describing the vision of the project to the history of the property—even the nuances of TIF districts and other financing.

The finished product features a past, present and future vision of this stunning project. It is our sincere hope that the citizens of Fontana will see this as a valuable community resource that will enhance their community for generations to come. Please visit the site to discover more.

Does your business need a website? Contact Signalfire to see how our web strategists can get you started towards turning your website from a cost-center into a profit-center.

Social media is changing the way consumers buy your products or services. Savvy internet users are checking customer review sites, following you on Twitter, liking you on Facebook and may even be checking in to your business on Foursquare. How can you use these tools bring in new customers and turn current customers into evangelists?

Join your hosts, Sturgeon Bay Visitor Center at their offices on Tuesday evening for this discussion and Q&A. Social begins at 6:00 pm with refreshments and light snacks. The discussion will begin at 6:30 pm. SBVC members attend free of charge and non-members for only $10. All proceeds go to SBVC. Click here to register.

Matthew Olson will be presenting ideas for using social media during the travel season to raise awareness of your business, to keep current customers engaged, and to reach out to potential customers coming to the area. Learn how Facebook can better customer relationships. Learn how Twitter can be a listening tool. Learn why Foursquare should be on your radar. Plenty of time for questions!

Matthew Olson is President of Signalfire, a creative branding agency helping numerous local businesses with everything from brand strategy to web development as well as consulting on social media. Signalfire has worked with SBVC since 2006 and coordinates event promotions. To learn more about Signalfire, visit them online at www.signalfireproductions.com, “like” them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, or connect on Foursquare!