About

On.In.Media connects local people with their communities using smart technology and new platforms.

On.In.Media is a social platform provider specialising in aggregation and delivery of event listings. We develop new ways in which social and leisure businesses can manage and increase their online presence while continuing to embrace and support existing online and traditional media platforms.

On.In.Media operates both business-to-business support services and business-to-consumer services, such as 'social town hubs' focused on linking local social businesses with their customers.

Each social town hub is its own unique brand, tailored to - and targeted at - its associated town. On.In.Bridders is Bridport's unique social town hub, working to support, promote and develop Bridport's thriving social scene.

On.In.Media was founded in 2008 by Mark Diment and David Graham following their realisation that small to medium sized towns face difficulty in promoting themselves due to location-specific factors and their culturally unique backgrounds. This often results in unfocused promotional messages to the local community, including neighbouring towns, via local media. Promotion that has proven successful in these towns is generally focused at certain 'social bubbles' or micro-locations, thereby failing to integrate the town as a whole.

In situations where it is difficult to summarise a town, business or organisation in a handy sound bite for promotional purposes, we must utilise the latest technology to allow the wider community to experience their town's activities in the virtual form.

On.In.Media has been formed with the clear goal to provide this experience. We have structured the business so that the success of the businesses and communities we support also benefits and contributes to the continuing development of On.In.Media - a win/win scenario. It is in our best interest to be successful in our aims.

A side effect of this venture is that we are required to work with local creative talent. To encourage this, we modularise all work so it can be issued easily to freelancers, students and graduates. This provides upcoming talent a platform to shine from.

Our People

Our work is broken down into individually allotted tasks meaning that anyone with the right skills can take on work as and when convenient to them. Please contact us if you would like to join our team.

Our Bridport Research

Between 2008-2009, we conducted a year of research specific to Bridport, attending the majority of high profile events and talking to the town's business owners. We also joined the Bridport Chamber of Trade and Commerce to discover how the town operated and where any problems might lie.

• Bridport has always been recognised as a retirement town and holiday resort and, although things have changed over the past eight years, its core values remain the same.
• Most of the Bridport's social and leisure businesses are owned by people who have relocated from the city.
• People who move to Bridport are no longer predominantly retirees, but younger re-locators coming from professional backgrounds and bringing young families to the town.
• Background, age and family-energy means those relocating to Bridport are more likely to use their money to invest in the local economy by either creating new businesses or striving to make improvements to the town.
• Their professionalism results in a familiarity with well-executed promotion and, consequently, high standards are expected by the new generation of customer.
• They understand the core values of Bridport and wish to preserve them, whilst also wanting to build upon them.
• Year on year, this cycle continues to bring more new residents to the area, resulting in more investment being channeled into the community.

Our Goal for Bridport

• To become Dorset's principal centre for outdoor events.

Identified Obstacles

The following are identified obstacles to achieving our goal.

Customers find it difficult to get into town in the early hours of the evening

• Public transport from neighbouring towns and villages finishes shortly after 18:30.
• Reliance on family and friends - or driving oneself - is often the only transport option available.
• This creates low levels of independence within the rural communities - independence is something the youth desires.
• Those who are forced to drive into town are therefore tempted to drink drive at the end of the night.
• Bridport Councillor Karl Wallace attempted to drink drive from West Bay to his Bothenhampton home. Local media have also reported similar cases of drink driving due to end-of-night temptation.

Event organisers find it difficult to legally promote their event from the A35

• The Bridport bypass, the A35, which passes through the town boundary, is operated by a PFI (Private Financed Initiative) on behalf of the Highways Agency.
• The business goal of the PFI is to keep traffic moving and, as they are a private business, reduce any potential legal risk.
• This single focused arrangement means that legitimate promotion of events by the Automobile Association (AA) is often refused.
• As people travel from A to B via this road within Bridport, this is a clear handicap to promoting events within the town.
• Siemens Traffic Solutions have quoted us £45k plus communication costs to erect 2 Elektra variable message signs on the A35. This would provide the town with an outlet of event promotion and provide a risk free solution for the Highways Agency.

Bridport has no dedicated events location

• In order to encourage new outdoor events, there must be a dedicated events location that has no red tape attached.
• Askers Meadow, the field next to the town's main supermarket, is currently used for many high profile events but it has restrictions on its use as it is deemed a nature reserve.
• The town council is currently paid to keep it to restricted use.
• Access is currently from the A35 and, again, the Highways Authority restricts its use.
• An access route from the west side is required. An entrance already exists next to the petrol station.

No provision for event parking

• When Bridport does hold outdoor events, there is no dedicated parking.
• Existing town centre parking often becomes full.
• Most current parking is located at a distance from the event.
• All current parking is Pay and Display, making it inappropriate for a long-term event.
• The field next to Morrisons supermarket would be ideal for temporary event parking.

Lack of brown signage

• Harbour, Bridport Leisure Centre and the Tourist Information office are the only brown signage on the two main roundabouts.
• Neighbouring town Weymouth benchmarks the level of brown signage that should be used.
• New brown signage is required to direct tourists to the Beaches, Arts Centre, Cinema, Bowling, Golf Course and the St Michael's Studio complex.

General promotional signage or notice boards

• Compared to other seaside resorts, few 'managed' boards are available to promoters in Bridport.
• Signage that is available is often unmanaged, resulting in confusion.
• No digital signage is available, including inside the Tourist Information office.
• Promoters often have to resort to placing posters on street furniture.

Event site Bucky Doo Square

• Benches are fixed, making stages difficult to erect.
• The site is small, with a centrally placed lamppost restricting use.
• Idling cars queuing at the traffic lights mar the overall atmosphere.
• Making South Street one-way to restrict northbound traffic would open up the area of Bucky Doo Square and encourage 'café culture'. This would also solve Bridport's general traffic problem.

© ON.IN.MEDIA 2015. Also find ON.IN.BRIDDERS on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and You Tube