Medicine Hat News Article on Shop the Hat

With the success of their online restaurant directory, next week TriCube Media will launch Medicine Hat’s first-ever online community business directory.
Shop the Hat is a full-featured community site where local retailers can catalogue their wears and services for the general public.

“It really gives a sense of what is in our community so people will shop here,” said Shannon Scott, TriCube’s director of multimedia marketing. “There is an emphasis on shopping locally. You don’t have to go somewhere else for these products or this service, we have it here.”

Interactive features allow companies to upload images or information, serving as a mini-website or an extension of their current site. For newer or smaller businesses that do not have a website, Shop the Hat can serve as a starting point in creating a digital presence, she added.

“A big portion of the site was designed to follow along with the advent of social networking,” said shopthehat.com creative director, Vaughn Royko. Regular updates posted online will feature local businesses and services on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The site was also designed to maximize exposure via search engines.

The website will also serve as a forum for businesses to promote sales, post articles of interest and share information with consumers. The friendly format will be beneficial for new, home-based businesses and even established companies, said Scott.

Medicinehatmenus.com has been a successful online destination for hungry Hatters and the need to create a full business directory soon became apparent, she said.
“It took a year of hard work to create this as a service to the community,” said Scott. “It was a real team effort in building this site and we are moving forward with a full multi-media application.”

“It’s the first and only of its kind, designed to champion our community.”