case study: Offline Community Building

CHALLENGE: Strengthen the utility and brand of Crisp online magazine through offline community building, extending its online services to the real world and connecting its online community in the real world.

IMPLEMENTATION: Strong Bat brought Crisp magazine to life by producing a performance and networking event which showcased work from Crisp's featured artists - photographer Tom Legoff, artist Barbara Gross, performance poet Mark Palmer, the fashion designers of Space Girl along with models from their headlining slot in NYC's Alternative Fashion Show. The event then connected Crisp's online readers by broadcasting the event on the Web and to cybercafes in New York, Boston and L.A., sharing the experience with remote readers and enabling them to have their questions answered in real-time by our featured artists.

RESULTS: The event's innovative and pro-social intent were worthy enough to attract and secure participation from the cybercafes and sponsorship presences from Wit! Beer and Absolut. Success with our readers was such that it warranted Strong Bat organizing performances, genre-specific networking and recreational gatherings for the Crisp community in additional cities, extending our offline community building from New York, Boston, and L.A. to Boulder, Chicago, San Francisco and even Honolulu.