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.

The brand needed to reflect the founder’s passion for competitive cycling. “Echelon” referred to the formation racing cyclists would take to maximize efficiency and team success. Drawing on that concept and imagery, the brand quickly took the very impressive form of movement and teamwork.

Being a specialized IT staffing provider for businesses utilizing SAP, an enterprise-level software system used by many Fortune 500 companies, Echelon had multiple missions for their brand. First, Echelon had to take an approach that would set them above the crowded Chicago market for SAP service providers. Signalfire consulted and helped develop a method of branding their process called the Echelon Effect. Further branded certifications and processes will follow, all bringing a new dynamic to the industry.

Second, Echelon needed to have the right visuals and brand flexibility to appeal not only to skilled contractors looking to be hired by Echelon, but also exude the confidence and expertise that appealed to highly specialized clientele. Accomplishing this with good writing and creative website design, Echelon’s brand equally gets the attention of candidates and prospects.

Finally, Echelon needed a website that could effectively tell their brand story to clients. In addition to being the main recruiting tool, Echelon’s website also had to be a formidable sales tool. With solid imagery, smart site mapping and creative design, Signalfire delivered a self-managed site that will keep up with Echelon’s rapid expansion and service area.

You can read Michael McKeough’s testimonial about Signalfire here.

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