Honorable Mention: SEAmagine E-News
The BluSiren team, formerly A.WordSmith, earned a MarCom Award Honorable Mention for its remarkable transformation of the SEAmagine newsletter, which elevated it from a functional news dispatch into a high-caliber communication tool. By undertaking a comprehensive redesign and content overhaul, the newsletter has become a dynamic asset that not only informs but also actively engages its audience. The result is an increase in readership, click-throughs, and overall user engagement. View it here.
Design Overhaul: Enhancing Readability and Visual Appeal
The “before” newsletters from early 2024 were functional but linear and visually dense, presenting information in long, solid blocks of text. The redesign introduced a sophisticated, modular layout that is both aesthetically pleasing and highly practical. This new design features a clear visual hierarchy, using distinct, color-separated blocks to segment different stories and topics.
Key changes include:
- Clever New Name: Instead of calling it a quarterly newsletter, the A.WordSmith team renamed the submersible-focused newsletter “Beneath the Surface,” helping to set the tone with the very first line.
- Striking Imagery: Large, high-quality banner images were introduced to serve as immediate visual hooks. Header images were freshened with each issue. Animated GIFs, such as the one showcasing a series of photos for the 30th anniversary, replaced static images to provide movement and additional interest.
- Video Prominence: Breaking the mold of static images further, the redesign pushed a greater variety of content with more frequent use of video – a more modern technique that helps users become immersed in the magic of the underwater world (ultimately what SEAmagine sells).
- Intuitive Scannability: The new format replaces dense paragraphs with concise, digestible blocks of information, strategically using headings, subheadings, and ample white space to guide the reader’s eye.
- Professional Cohesion: The “after” newsletters present a polished, cohesive brand experience with consistent color palette and fonts, making it a stronger extension of the SEAmagine brand.
Writing Quality: From Descriptive to Deliberately Engaging
Writing Quality: From Descriptive to Deliberately EngagingBefore the redesign, newsletter titles were descriptive but lacked a hook to entice readers, for example, “SEAmagine’s Latest News and Updates July 2024”. The body content was often detailed but long-form, lacking visual breaks like bullet points or short sentences to maintain attention.
The new writing strategy focuses on clarity, conciseness, and audience connection. Each piece of content is crafted to be more scannable and impactful:
- Compelling Headlines: Headlines are now crafted to be more engaging and benefit-driven, such as “Celebrating our 30th Year!”.
- Action-Oriented Language: The content now uses bullet points to break down complex information and features prominent, action-oriented calls to action (CTAs), such as “READ MORE” and “DISCOVER MORE,” that stand out as styled buttons rather than simple text links.
- Concise Storytelling: The content is now presented in a more succinct manner, with shorter paragraphs that get straight to the point, encouraging readers to click through for more details.
Measurable Impact: A High-Caliber Communication Tool
The redesign has transformed the newsletter into a high-caliber communication tool by directly addressing the common challenges of audience engagement. The enhanced design and writing quality have a direct and positive impact on key performance indicators, including increased readership, click-through rates and overall engagement.
View the Transformation
Before Redesign:
After Redesign: