Parsippany, NJ (November 19, 2001) Interactive Media Associates, Inc. (IMA), a leading Internet eCommerce planning, development and marketing services firm, today announced that three Web sites it developed had earned 2001 WebAwards by the Web Marketing Association (WMA). The three sites were for The Juilliard School ( www.juilliard.edu ), which was judged to be the 2001 Best University Site; New York City Ballet ( www.nycballet.com ), which earned an Outstanding rating; and the Carnegie Council on Ethics & International Affairs ( www.carnegiecouncil.org ), which won a Standard of Excellence Award.
The Web Marketing Association (WMA), founded in 1997, sets a high standard for Internet marketing and corporate web development on the World Wide Web. This Boston-based organization is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals from around the country who share an interest for improving the quality of advertising, marketing and promotion used to attract visitors to corporate Web sites. The WebAwards they sponsor is an annual award competition that is designed to judge corporate Web sites against and Internet standard and against peer sites within their industry. Entries are judged on their design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, navigation, and ease of use.
IMA President Len Muscarella said, “We are thrilled that all three of the Web sites we entered into this competition placed in their categories. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication we bring to each project. In addition, these particular sites showcase some of IMA’s greatest strengths – our ability to work with a client with a complex set of requirements and distinct goals in terms of quality of presentation and content, and produce sites that not only meet those goals, but are also recognized in the industry as setting a very high standard.”
2001 Best University Site – The Juilliard School
In awarding The Juilliard School with the 2001 Best University Site, the judges recognized the site’s “comprehensiveness,” adding, that it integrates “good use of technology, navigation, creativity and functionality,” and concluding, “The site speaks well to the nature of the Juilliard School.” Winning this award put The Juilliard School in the company of other “best of industry” winners, such as Disney, Fedex, Crate and Barrel, IBM, US Navy, and Nike, among others.
The Juilliard School is one of the foremost performing arts institutions in the world. This private conservatory of the performing arts offers programs through the Divisions of Dance, Drama, and Music from its campus at Lincoln Center in New York City. Juilliard represents the finest in performing arts education, growing with and responding to the needs of a thriving cultural community in the United States and abroad, its undergraduate student body of about 500 drawn from 45 states and 50 foreign countries. The Web site features Flash audio sequences, including a dynamic opening with controllable audio track, and an animated introduction to the school narrated by Joseph Polisi, Juilliard's president; several slide shows illustrating school history and divisions of study in depth, alumni news, a full version of the Juilliard Journal online, an interactive events calendar, audio and vdeo clips and a comprehensive press area, including downloadable high resolution photos. Ongoing plans for the site include a virtual tour and historical timeline.
Ira Rosenblum, Director of Publications at The Juilliard School, said: ““I was very excited to learn of this award. We all worked extremely hard to give the site just the right look and feel, to convey the spirit of the school. Obviously, that work has paid off.”
Outstanding Award for New York City Ballet
The New York City Ballet Web site has been a stand-out since it was first designed by IMA in 1998. A pronounced commercial success, more than $2.8 million in tickets and merchandise were sold on the Web site, in 2001. But more than that, the site is a reflection of the Ballet’s commitment to excellence. The site, redesigned in 2000 with DHTML and layers, it employs a soothing color palette and rich New York City Ballet imagery. Among the innovative features included in the enhanced launch were streaming video and a news feed of daily ballet-related items. There is wide-ranging interactive educational and reference information, extensive archives on the New York State Theatre, ballet staff, Company history, performances, and programming. The performance schedule includes immediate links to casting, running times, and Repertory Notes, continually updated ticket availability, and access to a wide range of beautiful NYCB merchandise. As with any site designed by IMA, the navigation and engaging format provides both experienced and novice users with a site that is easy to use and enjoy.
The Web Marketing Association judges spoke of the site’s excellent navigation, ticketing features, level of information, and ease of use.
The Carnegie Council on Ethics & International Affairs – A Web Standard
The Carnegie Council on Ethics & International Affairs is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to research and education in the field of ethics and international affairs. With content being of greatest importance to the site’s primary audience, IMA created a clean, easy-to-navigate site that puts the information front and center. In addition, there is a database-driven calendar to highlight coming events, the ability to order publications online, and various community features, such as public and private bulletin boards.
Judges of the site were particularly pleased with the site’s calendar feature, ease of donation via the web, and the great quantity of highly focused content.
More About Interactive Media Associates, Inc.
Interactive Media Associates, Inc. specializes in the planning, development and marketing of Internet services. The company provides expertise in areas including strategic consulting, business planning, service specifications, web site design, applications development, database and eCommerce integration, and account management. And through its ReliaServe subsidiary, IMA also offers site hosting. IMA has client concentrations in the publishing, direct marketing, and entertainment fields, including companies such as Highlights for Children, Newsday, Editor & Publisher, New York City Ballet, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, The Juilliard School, Paper Mill Playhouse, Mason Gross School of the Arts, The Carnegie Council for Ethics and International Affairs, Xyting Corporation, The VectorSpace Group and Chatham Systems Group. For additional information, call (973) 539-5255.
