Be a star on bakersfield.com

Click to open PDF version of our adWe're expanding our multimedia focus on The Bakersfield.com Network and are recruiting for a multimedia intern to help shoot and produce video, direct and produce webcasts, appear on camera and otherwise create content for the web. 

As we note in our advertising for this position, we're planning a number of new digital products in the coming months, including expanding our video initiatives on bakersfield.com, bakersfieldcalifornian.com and Bakotube, our YouTube channel. 

One of those initiatives will be adding more webcasts on high-interest topics but we'll also be producing more multimedia content using a variety of tools and platforms. 

Details to come as we fill in the blanks. But it's safe to say I'm excited about what's around the corner. 

If you're interested in this job or know someone who is, feel free to contact me or apply directly (include "Multimedia Intern" in the subject line). 

'Classic' bakersfield.com lives on in promotional poster

This version of the bakersfield.com homepage is at least five years and two versions oldLooking for bakersfield.com content from yesteryear? I wasn't on Sunday night but I found it outside a bathroom wall in Rabobank Arena. 

I did a doubletake at Sunday's Bakersfield Condors game when I was greeted by this old-school homepage outside one of the men's restrooms.

WTF?

This site design was put out to pasture five years ago when we introduced a new logo and content mix. And we've since launched another design, meaning this poster is promoting a look that's two generations old.  

The Californian has had marketing agreements with SMG, the entity that manages the arena for the city of Bakersfield, over the years. This particular promotion dates to at least 2006, and included other signage inside the arena. 

I distinctly remember seeing this poster a few years ago and telling our then marketing manager, "We need to update this." 

Shows you how much pull I had at the time because "classic" bakersfield.com apparently still has cache in some circles. 

New bakersfield.com homepage

We launched a redesign of bakersfield.com's homepage today, laying the foundation for greater changes sitewide in the coming months.

I've posted a separate work blog post detailing the changes that is receiving generally good response. But here's a quick overview: 

• Goals were to clean up a cluttered design that had been patched way too many times, make more money and do more to promote other sites in The Bakersfield.com Network. 
• Add more "white space."
• The content mix is powered by a library of "drag and drop" widgets that can be adjusted on the fly or set to automated dayparts. I've been through a few redesigns in the past, and the second we launched, fixed code meant the design was obsolete within seconds. The beauty of drag and drop is we can quickly make changes, whether to match reader interests or to reflect a huge local story that demands a single-story focus.
• More ad positions. We were turning away money with our old design, so we added another leaderboard, a skyscraper and three smaller banners to meet demand. We're swimming in house and remnant ads as a result of the changes, but we expect to sell that inventory quickly.
• A "carousel" that highlights our growing Bakersfield.com Network of local sites. We still have to add widgets for key sites that include Bakotopia, Bakersfield Life and Northwest Voice, but what we have live now gives you a peek peak at our family of sites.

Click to read more ...