buffalonews.

com September 19, 2018

Sneak peek of digital team’s rebrand

One News Digital located at One
News Plaza. It has a nice ring to it.
That’s what The Buffalo News’ dig-
ital services team members thought
when they were brainstorming new
names for the department’s rebrand.
Not only will the team, formerly
Canalside Media, get a new name,
but it will have a new logo, colors,
website and material templates.
The rebrand is planned to launch
in a few weeks.
Some clients found the old name
confusing, said Abby Dry, digital
advertising media coordinator.
“Canalside (the area) has its own
digital presence,” she said. “It’s their
own thing over there that runs all
the activities that go on at Canalside.
(Our old name) made it seem like
we were a part of that.”
Dry; Chelsea DeSanto, graphic
designer for the digital department;
and Lian Bunny, multimedia mar-
keting coordinator, brainstormed
One News Digital’s new colors draw from The Buffalo News’ and the Buf-
falo area’s influence. Check out the team’s new website in a few weeks at
www.onenewsdigital.com.
Dear Buffalo News Employees,
Words from
With the changing of seasons comes changes for The Buffalo News. We
for and created the redesign, with
direction and help from JoAnn
Geiger, digital sales manager; and
Shawn Buffum, vice president of
marketing and digital advertising.
DeSanto said the goal was to
have a fresh, new look that would
be consistent. Previously, the
digital team was less cohesive,
with different looks for rate cards,
business cards, power points and
handouts. Also, the team didn’t
have a website or a place where all its
services were listed together.
“(The rebrand) was just a way of
having everything look the same
and all in one place and we have all
of our products listed,” she said. “So
you know exactly who we are and
what we provide.”
The brainstorming team aimed to
modernize, while staying true to The
Buffalo News and the Buffalo area.
By taking blue from The News’ [BN]
logo and looking at popular Buffalo
colors, such as the Bills’ colors, that’s
how the team landed on colors in Formerly Canalside Media will
variations of red and blue. be rebranded in a few weeks as
One News Digital.
Although the project wasn’t nec-
essarily in Dry or DeSanto’s job
descriptions and it added more work
to their already full workloads, they
Employee
both said they were excited to be a Spotlight
part of the rebrand.
“I thought it was really refreshing
Mark Vacanti
that they asked people within the de-
partment to do the project because
we obviously know our department
better than anybody else,” DeSanto
Employep
Spotligh
said. “It gave us the opportunity to h
show what we’ve got and what we
can bring to the table.”
Dry agreed and said the project
was needed to grow the digital de-
partment and grow digital sales. Department: Mailroom
“It’s exciting to be a part of some- Yes at The News: 40
thing that will actually make a dif- years
ference and will hold hopefully over Lives in: Clarence
the next several years,” she said. Favorite thing to read
in The News: The sports
section
Best thing about Buf-
falo: the people and the
civic pride.
Random Fact: My wife

Warren have exciting new strategies starting that will help us continue to pro-
vide quality products and services to our community.
and I recently had a
home built in Clarence
next door to my daugh-
ter, son-in-law and our
We are expanding our community newspapers to three new markets. Brian Con- four grandchildren.
nolly will tell you more at the [BN] Together meeting. We hope to continue the We also have two other
success we’ve seen in The Hamburg Sun and The Tonawanda Sun. daughters and a total of
seven grandchildren.
The News is also evaluating new opportunities to grow our digital audience, which
includes both subscribers and advertisers. Shawn Buffum, Brian Connolly and
Mike Connelly attended a local news innovation program event this month called
“Table Stakes” through the Poynter Institute. You will also hear more about that at
our monthly meeting.
September
There are innovative changes ahead of The News. Our willingness and flexibility to try new strategies 20
show the dedication and passion of The News, its leadership and employees.

As The Suns’ motto indicates, let’s shine together. No October

meeting
Warren

Say it ain’t so, Joe: parting wishes from Giglia

“I want to see swagger,” said Joe Congratulations
Giglia, former vice president of
human resources at The Buffalo
News. Hanna
Giglia started his new role as Sheridan
ECMC’s chief human resources for join-
officer this week. ing The
His hope is that The News’ Buffalo
employees become energetic and News as
have “that swagger that The News Warren
used to have.” The News and its Colville’s
products are the heartbeat of the new executive assistant.
local community, Giglia said. The News hosted a goodbye party for Joe Giglia on Sept. 12 on the fifth
In a time when people are very floor terrace.
Lauren
transient in the workforce, Giglia ing accident in the Niagara River Czora for
has found the most unique and in October. The News provided Giglia will also miss the variety
rejoining
passionate group of people at The extensive coverage, including live of his job at Th e News. Each day
The Buffa-
News. He said he will really miss updates and a photo gallery. was diff erent. People came to
lo News as
the people here. Giglia said he remembers him from diff erent departments,
marketing
“(You) really have a strong watching the bustling newsroom oft entimes with unique problems.
and pro-
sense of purpose for producing in awe. He saw photographers For his replacement, Giglia
motions
a newspaper and the various hustling to get pictures, report- hopes he or she will share his
coordi-
products that the newspaper ers out covering the stories and passion for Th e News.
nator. Czora (formerly
produces,” he said. “It’s hard to designers figuring out layout. For Th e News, his biggest wish
Holtz) previously worked
get people passionate about what “I’ve never seen anything like is that the community appreciates
at The News as an adver-
they do. (Passion) kind of be- (it),” he said. “It was really im- it more as the company continues
tising account executive
comes ingrained in you.” pressive to watch. They got some to grow.
for 3.5 years.
He recalled how The News cov- incredible photos, copy and ran it “I think the people here can
ered Craig Lehner’s funeral, spe- and got it out before people even and will continue to create a great
cifically. Lehner, a Buffalo police left (the funeral).” product for the community.”
officer, died during a dive train- William
Marshall
Publication acts as opioid crisis awareness guide for joining
The Sun
Fellow employees, The special publication aims abuse facilities and crisis centers.
team as an
to act as an awareness guide for The disease of addiction has
advertising
The Buffalo News produced a families and their loved ones taken too many lives and terror-
sales repre-
timely and much-needed special affected by addiction and look- ized far too many families. The
sentative.
publication this month on opioid ing for hope. This guide brought News is proud to be able to use
awareness. together organizations and infor- our unique talents and abilities to
The opioid ep- mation from all levels and areas create this quality publication.
idemic contin- of the disease of addiction, from You are encouraged to use and Rachel
ues to devastate recovery to education to commu- share this resource to start pro- Czarnec-
countless lives, nity impacts. ductive and educational conver- ki for
both nationally The entire local health care sations about addiction. joining
and in Western industry came together for this
the clas-
New York. This cause due to the critical nature of
sified ad-
disease has no the problem. Included are health -Phil Catanese
boundaries; it care professionals from hospi- vertising
can affect anyone at any time. tals, insurance groups, substance depart-
ment as a sales assistant.
Wedding magazine rebrand focuses on local
The Buffalo Brides redesign said Ann Brooker, specialty prod-
changed a lot of the publication, ucts manager.
but the spirit of the product is
still there, according to Danielle
People want to look at photos
to get inspiration for their wed- FYI
Ossher, associate manager of dings. The publication features
custom content for The Buffalo many beautiful local photos from
News. real couples that got married in The building-wide fire
“I don’t feel like we’ve walked the Buffalo area, Ossher said. In alarm evacuation on
away from anything,” she said. the photo-centered real weddings Aug. 22 was activated
“We’ve just enhanced it.” section, the long-form captions by a value in the sprin-
The new edition, coming out will give details on how the wed- kler system that started
in November, will be rebranded ding looks were created. leaking. The system
as Western New York Weddings, “There’s nothing I hate more than sensed the water flow
with a new look and feel, more lo- when you say, ‘This is gorgeous. A page from the WNY Weddings and tripped the alarm,
calized content and a new format. How do I get it?’ and you can’t find prototype. according to Bryan
Rather than producing a spi- the information,” she said. she moved to the area. She said Donohue. The valve is
ral-bound planner, WNY Wed- The Buffalo Brides planner had she looked for local resources being fixed.
dings will be a bound magazine. wedding-related tips and work- while she was wedding planning
Ossher said the goal was for the sheets, but most weren’t Buffa- and didn’t find much here.
publication to look clean, fresh lo-specific. Ossher said WNY “This market doesn’t have a
and visually appealing. With peo- Weddings will have similar types local weddings magazine,” she said. Although WNY Wed-
ple planning weddings on web- of stories, but all with a local “My big catchphrase was: What are dings has not been pub-
sites or using tools like Google focus. Rather than publishing a locals getting out of this book that lished yet, the concept
Docs, the worksheet and planner story on how to choose a wed- they aren’t getting out of the nation- seems to resonate with
approach wasn’t necessary. The ding photographer, WNY Wed- al or online (publications)?” advertisers. The News’ sales
News had produced the wedding dings will have an article on local The content will no longer be team was able to increase
planner for 22 years. places photographers go to take housed on brides.buffalonews.com. sales by 12.5 percent this
“Changing the look and the wedding pictures. Instead, the publication’s articles year over the previous year.
feel brings the product forward, Ossher had a destination wed- will be on buffalo.com, Buffalo “I’m excited for everyone
makes it current and relevant,” ding in Buffalo in 2014, before Magazine’s website. to see it,” Ossher said.

Buffalo News-sponsored events A snapshot

August 25, Buffalo Living Tour Northern Suburbs August 25, Tops 5K

The Buffalo News sponsored the 7th annual Buffalo Living Tour, The Buffalo News sponsored the annual Tops 5K, a fundraiser
where attendees were invited to explore luxury lofts, condos, that supports cancer research and patient-care programs at Ros-
apartments and new builds in the Northern Suburbs. well Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

September 1-2, Chicken Wing Festival September 6-9, Lewiston Peach Festival

The Buffalo News sponsored the National Buffalo Wing Festival, The Buffalo News sponsored the 61st annual Peach Festival.
a two day event with over 51,000 attendees. The News provided Visitors enjoyed rides, a number of vendors, entertainment and
[BN] koolies for the 5K bags and had a table at the event. most importantly, our delicious Niagara County Peaches.

September 9, Osteria Meatball Street Brawl September 12-16, Buffalo International Horse Show

The Buffalo News sponsored Meatball Street Brawl, where local The Buffalo News sponsored the 72nd annual Buffalo Horse
WNY restaurants set up shop on Mowhawk Street. Attendees Show, an AA-rated competition and horse show. All proceeds
cast their votes for their favorite meatballs in various categories. for the event benefitted the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center.

September 14, Curtain Up! September 15, Tour de Farms

The Buffalo News sponsored Curtain Up!- the annual celebra- The Buffalo News sponsored the 10th annual Tour de Farms, a
tion of the opening of Buffalo’s 2018/2019 theatre season. The bicycle tour reaching all the way to East Aurora, highlighting
News got a table for the Gala portion of the event. local urban and rural farms.

Free networking event creatively markets The News’ products

The Buffalo News hosted a free
Hamburg Chamber of Com-
merce networking event on
Thursday, Sept. 13.
About 100 current, new and
prospective Chamber of Com-
merce members attended.
Attendees toured the presses,
as The News ran a dummy copy
of The Sun, and got a brief pitch
to become subscribers. The News
offered to give $10 back to the
Chamber for each new sub-
scription from its members.
Those who came to the event
also received complimentary
refreshments.
“I think this (event)... gives
people a look at new, non-tra-
ditional ways that we are trying
to market our products,” said
Katie Meyer, community news- The News held the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce networking event
paper development director. on the first floor terrace.

Pets of The Buffalo News

Do you love your pet? Do you frequently take pictures of them to document their
unique personality? Are you looking for an opportunity to show off said photos of your
dog, cat, goldfish, iguana, ferret, hermit crab (you get the picture) being funny, weird
or just plain old adorable? Send a photo of your beloved friend(s) to Lauren Czora, and
we’ll feature their cute mug in next month’s News News!

Have news for News News? Contact Lauren

Czora at lczora@buffnews.com