Cities, local businesses 'link' with Web ads

LAYTON — Chances are, if you want to find out about a city and its amenities, you'll check out its Web site.

More cities are providing information about their parks, city programs, government and business licenses on the Web. And now, on city Web sites across the Wasatch Front, you can find out about local businesses, too.

Layton is one of the most recent cities to jump on the "Community Videos" bandwagon, signing an agreement with CGI Communications Inc., which will produce 10 videos this summer showcasing Layton and its educational opportunities, quality of life and real estate, as well as economic development, parks and recreation, health care, shopping and dining and community services, said Jim Mason, Layton's assistant city manager.

The videos will be hosted on the company's mayors.tv Web site but will be accessible by a link at laytoncity.org.

And the city doesn't pay a dime for those videos, Mason said. To make money, CGI sells similar video ads to local businesses — ads that are featured on the city's welcome page on CGI's Web site.

The company has produced videos for Clearfield, Farmington, Heber City, Holladay, Lindon, Murray, North Salt Lake, South Jordan, South Ogden and Spanish Fork, as well as for cities across the United States. It has expansion plans in Utah for American Fork, Bountiful, Brigham City, Centerville, Lehi, Payson, West Jordan, West Valley City and Woods Cross.

The "Community Videos" link on South Jordan's Web site, www.southjordancity.org, is likely the best example in Utah of what CGI can do with its ad sales, with 11 businesses featured.

Mason said CGI plans to send a videographer to Layton July 22-24 for filming, and though CGI provides a scriptwriter, the city has full input into the creative process.

E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com