Steve McDonnell was into healthy food long before it was fashionable. As a young entrepreneur in his 20’s he saw the opportunity and purchased a family run business called Jugtown Smokehouse producing nitrite free bacon and turned it into Applegate Farms. Today Applegate Farms leads the industry in producing organic and natural meat products.

Our work with Applegate started simply enough as a technology partner who was hired to create the back-end for a new website under development. This initial project then grew into a CMS implementation with integration to their in-house product management and tracking application.

Recently, we have been engaged to complete a number of initiatives that leverage social media to increase digital awareness and engage Applegate’s customers. Applegate now has a Facebook fan page. They have a community of Twitter followers. Now we’ve added product reviews and recipe reviews to the site which for the first time giving Applegate customers the opportunity to provide feedback and providing Applegate with a method for engaging their customers.

Gaspari Nutrition is the fastest growing company in the hard-core bodybuilding supplements industry. Founded by Rich Gaspari two-time runner up to Mr. Olympia and winner of the first Arnold Classic, Gaspari Nutrition came to Electric Vine with the goal of migrating off-line ad spending into cutting edge digital marketing.

Since beginning work with them in 2008, EVI has undertaken a number of initiatives including the development of a new CMS driven website, implementation of an integrated marketing automation system, initiation of a daily text message program, management of ongoing email programs, and the development of event management system which emails geo-targeted event announcements to members of the Gaspari newsletter sign-up.

Since our work began with Gaspari Nutrition, website traffic has more than doubled, membership for the newsletter has doubled and the number of attendees participating at local demo events has skyrocketed driving improved ROI on event spending.

Technology: .NET, DNN, Java Script, SQL server, Flash

The History Channel is known for presenting detailed historical information in an entertaining format. For digital marketing support behind the 6-episode mini-series for ‘Secret Passages,” they turned to Electric Vine for a campaign that would increase awareness and drive viewership to the show.

Working with the History Channel, we developed an interactive marketing program around a “Win a trip to Mexico” sweepstakes where contestants could win a trip to the underground caves on the Yucatan peninsula. To participate in the sweepstakes, users would have to watch the show. During one of the breaks a secret password would be unveiled. Users could then log in to the site using the secret password and register to win.

A mini-site built for the promotion, also offered users an instant win game built using flash technology. Users could play up to 10 times per day with odds of winning adjusting to the total number of plays.

The program drew 10,000 sweepstakes registrations over the course of 4 weeks and over 600,000 instant win game plays.

Technology: .NET, SQL server, Flash

The Maywood Furniture company started over 80 years ago and has grown to be one of the leading manufacturers of tables for conference and dining rooms in hotels across America. Though its roots are traditional, Maywood has always been progressive when it comes to marketing. In 2005, we worked with them to implement an analytic driven digital marketing strategy that would tap into the growing online market for commercial furniture.

Our strategy revolved around creating a new site that targeted direct customers. The new site provided a clean slate our marketing efforts including implementation of SEO/SEM campaign. The online campaign was supported by print ads that directed customers to the site. Once on the site, customers were funneled into lead capture.

Keyword searches, traffic to lead conversions, and lead to sales conversions are tracked on an ongoing basis and provide vital information for optimizing keyword selection and maximizing conversion.

Technology: .NET, ASP, SQL server

Internationally recognized as leader in the fashion world, Guess Watches came to us via a partner agency. Guess wanted to run a world-wide hunt for male and female models to represent the company for the next several years. Working together with our agency partner, we developed a website where models could upload photos, complete an application and participate in the contest. Once approved by Guess, these applicants could then be viewed in the online gallery and voted on by visitors to the site.

One significant challenge was the requirement that each regional office be represented by their own site built from the same database and technology. Applicants in Russia would register on the Russian site but be managed through a single back-end administration section. In the end, the application had 30 unique URLs and was published in 19 different languages.

The promotion was a huge success. In the course of 8 months, the site(s) saw 500,000 unique visitors and registered over 3,000 applicants.

Prior to the acquisition in 2007 by WPP, 24/7 Real Media wanted to launch a consolidated multi-language website that would provide a consistent look and feel for the 21 different regional offices across the globe.

Though the company was already standardized on a third-party off-the-shelf CMS, we felt that a lighter, less complicated solution would give them the flexibility they needed at a more cost-effective price point. In the end, the client chose to use EV Content, our proprietary CMS.

Once the technology was settled, we worked together with their branding agency to implement the site and launch into the 21 different regions. The end result is a multi-language site build on a CMS with Salesforce integration for tracking and managing of leads.

Modern Bank is a new bank providing banking and asset management for high wealth individuals. EVI was invited to the project by Modern Bank’s design partner to finalize the website implementation and to integrate the site with online banking services from Fiserv.

Due to the emphasis on design and the heavy use of flash throughout the site, we encouraged Modern Bank to implement a second version of the site. The second version was a simplified HTML version that would be search engine friendly. In order to manage maintenance costs, navigation and content for both versions was managed through XML files.

Rethink Autism is a new company offering a revolutionary approach to the treatment of autism. The online training curriculum offers caregivers and parents access to hundreds of ABA based video training modules. The application is build around a flash video delivery system that guides parents through a customized curriculum. Parents can record results and track progress through the reporting section of the site.

As the technical partner to Rethink Autism, EVI designed an implemented the entire custom web-based training application and its integrated social features. Specific functionality includes assessment tools, customized curriculum module, eCommerce and payment processing, reporting, social features such as groups and question and answer, and much more.

After a year in development, the site launched on June 8th, 2009. Rethink Autism is setting the stage for redefining the way that autism is treated.

Technology: .NET, SQL server, Flash, PCI compliant credit card processing

Universal operates two theme parks in the United States. The original in Hollywood, CA entertains millions of visitors every year.

Universal came to Electric Vine to help transform the almost entirely paper-based consignment business to an online self-service application designed to increase park attendance and improve accounting and cash-flow.

The new application designed and developed by EVI provides universities, corporation and other partner organizations with a turn-key “affiliate” type program which they can integrate with their own intranets and online HR applications. Employees can log on and purchase printable tickets. Tickets can then be scanned at the gate for admission.

The application interfaces with Universal’s back-end ticket and inventory system through a web service integration. It was designed to handle peak traffic in October for their annual Halloween Madness event.

Technology: .NET, SQL Server, Web Services, PCI compliant credit card processing

The Travel Corporation is a UK based company that is the parent to nearly 20 travel supply companies including 5 major worldwide tour operators. Trafalgar Tours, the largest of the 5 operators, accommodates over 100,000 travelers each year.

EVI has worked with The Travel Corporation since 2000 and has supported various technology initiatives from digital marketing and CRM to online booking technology. Our most recent project was the development of an online affiliates system and web service API.

The affiliate system allows partner agencies to embed search and booking technology into their own websites. The system pulls content from 4 brand websites via a web service and integrates with near real-time dates and rates information from their centralized booking application.

Affiliates can configure look and feel along with customer communication such as booking confirmations. Travelers booking through the agent affiliate site can create their own account, view history and make payments for their travel arrangements.

Through the web service API, partner agencies such as Expedia can write custom client applications that consume the integrated data from the affiliate system.

Technology: .NET, SQL Server, Web Services

When Quincy Compressor approached us to implement a customized lead management application, they were spending approximately $100 per day on purchased leads from BuyerZone. These leads were then manually distributed to independent dealers who would follow up. The goal of implementing a lead management application was to streamline the process to ensure faster response time, increase sales conversion and provide critical decision making insight to the Quincy marketing team.

Quincy was already using Bullseye as a dealer locator on their website. Adding custom lead management functionality to meet their requirements seemed like a cost effective way to achieve the project goals.

Adding to the Bullseye platform, we implemented several custom elements. The first was integration with Tag Team’s digital asset management system. This integration allows Quincy’s customers to request product literature using a shopping cart on the site. Customers can fill out their literature request, complete a request form and then receive an email with a link back to the literature they requested. The process created a double-opt-in which improves the quality of the leads.

A second integration allows the purchased leads from BuyerZone to be entered directly into the lead manager and routed instantly thus avoiding the time consuming need for leads to be manually entered and distributed.

The project took 4 months to develop and launch. After only one week in production, Quincy was able to see that only 10% of the purchased leads were getting any follow up at all. Since then, they have implemented a number of dealer training programs to increase adoption and follow up on leads. As of June 2009, Quincy claims over $2M in sales as the direct result of Bullseye.

Technology: Bullseye Lead Manager, NET, SQL server, web services

The Council on International Educational Exchange is the largest distributor of J-1 visas in the US. Each year they place 35,000 students from around the world in US based seasonal jobs. CIEE turned to EVI to develop an enterprise application that would help manage the process from application to job matching, to SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) reporting.

The system is a web application and is designed to provide robust functionality and portal access to employers, students, agencies, and CIEE account managers. Employers can post and manage jobs, review student resumes and hire students. Students or the agents that represent them can view potential jobs, apply online, and track and view the status of their application. Though much of the hiring transaction is handled directly between student and employer, there are many cases where manual handling is required. CIEE therefore needed sophisticated tools to review cases and manually process them where necessary.

The application was developed using a hybrid of waterfall and agile development. Several teams were involved each focused on a specific stakeholder.

Technology: .NET, ASP.NET, SQL Server

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) reformed federal employment, training, adult education, and vocational rehabilitation programs by creating an integrated "one-stop" system of workforce investment and education services for adults, dislocated workers, and youth. In New Jersey, training providers who maintained eligibility standards could receive vouchers for student tuition.

Working with the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Investment and the Center for Occupational Employment Information, EVI developed an online application for registering and maintaining these eligible training providers.

As part of the eligibility requirement, training providers must submit outcome information on their training programs. This outcome information includes program hours, certifications, and completion statistics on a student by student basis and is then matched with wage information from the unemployment office in order to provide robust data-rich content on these training providers.

A public website provides New Jersey residents with search tools for locating and analyzing training providers.

Technology: .NET, ASP.NET, SQL Server, Crystal Reports

In 1998, our first website was a directory for locating private music teachers. While building the site, we developed some proprietary zip code based search technology. Immediately seeing a greater opportunity, we partnered with Florida based Great Data, built a quick website and began offering a turn-key dealer locator which we named Bullseye. Our first customers included Rayovac, Amana Appliances, Car Fax, and Rawlings Sporting Goods.

Over the years, Bullseye has been the store locator of choice for over 700 world recognized brands. Our downloadable products—offered in many platforms—allow companies to quickly download the application upload a list of dealers and be up and running in 30 minutes with a fully functional dealer/store locator.

In 2005, we migrated Bullseye to a hosted solution. Now with over 200 customers running in our multi-tenant hosted platform, we are able to offer dealer/store locator services to companies with locations in the US, Canada, and across the globe for a monthly hosting fee.

Recently, Bullseye has expanded functionality to incorporate lead management and reporting capabilities for manufacturers looking to distribute leads from a central location to independent distributers and dealers.

Technology: .NET, ASP.NET, SQL 2005, SQL Reporting Services

The Virginian Department of Social Services approached us to develop an automated system for determination of additional Part D supplemental drug income benefits under new Medicare provisions.

EVI worked with the state division to design and develop an Internet based system that would support over 240 statewide offices that process applicants for supplemental Part D Medicare determination. The website provides state workers with tools to enter a prospective beneficiaries personal information including income, financial and health information. This information is then processed using the eligibility rules established by the Federal Government and reported back to the state worker instantly.

Technology: .NET ASP.NET SQL Server 2000