• by Sara Guaglione , May 26, 2017

Outdoor trade news site SNEWS, owned by Active Interest Media, debuted an updated Web site, new columns and video series. It has also and tapped a PR agency to assist in its rebrand this week.

SNEWS also has a new tagline: “We Know Outdoors.”

The site chose PR agency Darby Communications to provide PR services, graphic design, social media strategy and create a digital ad campaign.

Editor-in-chief of SNEWS Kristin Hostetter stated the new site is easier to read, faster and mobile-friendly. Eric Henderson, national sales and marketing director, hopes the changes will continue to "fuel tremendous digital growth."

According to SNEWS, from the fourth quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2017, sessions on the site increased by 120%, users increased by 135% and page views increased by 98%.

The redesigned site features a new, short-form video series called “The Innovation Project,” made in partnership with Marmot and Mountain Hardwear. Each episode spotlights an interview with a top independent specialty outdoor retailer. As of Wednesday, the series has over 200,000 page views.

SNEWS also debuted three new weekly columns to coincide with the redesign. “#CoolShops” introduces readers to a new specialty outdoor retail shop, each with a specific business model and connection with customers.

“# Questions With…” is a brief conversation with a personality in the industry and “Elevator Pitch” is a short-form column featuring brand new companies describing their innovative products.

Founded in 1984, SNEWS is based in Boulder, Colorado. It  also publishes OR Daily, the official publication of trade show Outdoor Retailer.