-
Us Weekly
Website and Mobile Development, Visual Design and Sweepstakes Implementation
Partner for 6 years
When Us Weekly, the preeminent celebrity news and entertainment brand, decided it needed to go daily, Wenner Media choose ExpandTheRoom to help usher them into the digital world. We became their strategic partner and worked closely with the Us Weekly online team to design, develop and implement an entirely new site. The site was transformed from a mere upsell to subscribe to the magazine into a robust news hub that smartly utilized a Drupal CMS to support the fast and furious pace of entertainment publishing.
That was five years ago and the rest is history—UsMagazine.com now regularly has almost 15 million monthly unique visitors and generates more than 300 million monthly page views, making it one of the premier celebrity news destinations on the Web.
But our work didn’t stop there. We helped expand their reach by implementing syndication feeds for multiple partners, as well as created social media tools. Today we maintain the site, continually optimize it for SEO and are constantly building new and more sophisticated features. We’ve also designed and developed iPhone and Android apps for the brand. We’ve been with Us Weekly the whole way through and suffice it to say, we’re proud and grateful to be the digital agency of record for Wenner Media.
“Entertainment news is fast and furious—ETR kept up with the lightning speed pace of our business in the build out and maintenance of Us Weekly’s website, UsMagazine.com.”
-
NHL
User Experience, Product Strategy, Visual Design, Mobile Development and Sweepstakes Implementation
Partner for 2 years
We’re big ice hockey fans here at ETR. In fact, a bunch of us still play every week on the agency’s team. So when the NHL asked us to join their bench a few years ago, it felt like we had won the Stanley Cup in our rookie season.
Since then, we’ve created and implemented a myriad of projects for the NHL from turn-key sweepstakes to microsites to helping with user experience, strategy and visual design for all of their mobile products. We’ve also collaborated with their other agencies, playing our position, for the greater good of the overall product.
“ETR has provided the NHL with superior service over the past few seasons. We appreciate the breadth of service that ETR offers and the quality of work that is consistently produced at all levels of the organization.”
-
Game Show Network
Design, Development and Social Game Creation
Partner for 3 years
At ExpandTheRoom, we do play games! In fact, we’ve had more fun with the Game Show Network than anyone rightfully deserves. Working with various groups in their New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston offices, we’ve designed and developed a bunch of engaging and addictive Flash games. We’ve assisted with the development of GSN’s virtual currency and helped create their Prize Center so users had somewhere to spend all those virtual bucks (known as Oodles). One of our favorite games we’ve developed at ETR is a social-based motocross game called, TGM4. Over the years, we’ve pitched in whenever / wherever GSN has needed us—from design and development to ad sales microsites to user experience to mobile app creation. And we couldn’t agree with GSN’s motto more: The world needs more winners.
“They’re great about selling and positioning entertainment content. They have a real flair for making it interesting and engaging. They are a great partner because they push you, express opinions and drive to great destinations. And they do it all without any ego.”
-
Rolling Stone
Site Development, User Experience, Visual Design and Sweepstakes Implementation
Partner for 8 years
RollingStone.com is the definitive online destination for music fans. In-depth reporting, critical writing and distinctive photography – the foundation of Rolling Stone—are what attract more than two million people to the site each month.
And we’re proud to say that we’ve been involved with this legendary brand for many years. In addition to maintaining the site on a monthly basis, we’ve created dozens of promotional campaigns and sweepstakes (including one where the winner ended up on the cover of Rolling Stone). We’ve also provided mobile app design, worked with the brand’s digital archives and coordinated with the magazine’s subscription partners.
“I love their flexibility and internal processes. They are hands down the best agency I have ever worked with.”
-
American Express
Mobile and Web Visual Design, User Experience and Development
Partner for 5 years
Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine and Departures are all obsessed with the luxury lifestyle and have one general mission—to be the ultimate showcase of the very best life has to offer. ETR is proud to be working with all three of these brands; we’ve built microsites, designed iPhone apps and brainstormed creative advertising solutions. We’ve also worked with the financial services side of American Express and have collaborated on many B-to-B products for American Express merchants and card members. Additionally, we’ve built promotions to help American Express communicate and test credit card promotions before they roll them out to the world.
“We’ve used them as tactical creative resources and to come up with ideas. They are an extension of our team. You need a team that will collaborate and work together. Their account management and project management is excellent. If you have a good idea, they can not only execute it, but also make it better.”
-
MSG
Game Development, Design and CMS Customization
Partner for 2 years
The Knicks. The Rangers. The most famous arena in the world. Need we say more? The Madison Square Garden Company is a leader in building sports, media and entertainment brands that work together to deliver legendary experiences that endure for generations.
MSG originally drafted us to their team to create microsites and online games for the Knicks and Rangers. Most recently, we built and deployed their Partner Central product, a hub for all their advertising sales activities. The site functions as a public-facing electronic media kit and also as a registration-based system for its sales team and their customers to communicate information, transfer assets and track campaigns.
-
Time, Inc.
Facebook Application Development, Mobile and Design
Partner for 2 years
We’re humble and proud to be working with one of the largest content companies in the world, home to some of the most successful and popular magazine brands in all of publishing (Time Inc. publications reach over 100 million adults, and People magazine reaches more than 45 million adults with every issue), to say nothing of its 25 web sites that account for more than 50 million monthly unique visitors. We’ve built games, Facebook apps and helped with iPhone app designs for Sports Illustrated, developed trivia games for Entertainment Weekly and have done design work for People. We’re looking forward to working with more of their great brands in the future.
