Build something newsworthy.
Content management
UX & UI Design
Information Architecture
Web Design
Custom Development, Strategy Workshops
News & Politics
2022 - Ongoing
Punchbowl News is a rapidly growing political news organization delivering critical updates from Washington, D.C. through a subscriber-based newsletter. Their audience relies on them for real-time insights, with daily editions and an expanding range of offerings, including in-depth features, live events, and sub-brands like The Vault, which focuses on financial news. As their readership and influence scaled massively, Punchbowl News needed a trusted digital partner to help them adapt quickly, enhance their content strategy, and maximize audience engagement. We stepped in to provide exactly that.
The Challenge
Taking it to the next level
Punchbowl News had ambitious goals for expanding and optimizing their digital presence. They needed a nimble, communicative, and creative partner to help execute their vision at the speed of their growth. After working with us on their high-profile feature The Leaders, they saw firsthand how our approach — seamless collaboration, structured processes, and innovative design — could bring their ideas to life.
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The Process
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Scaling at the speed of news.
The success of The Leaders cemented our partnership, and by March 2023, we became their primary digital partner, driving continuous innovation and growth. We took on increasingly complex projects to help scale their platform, working alongside them — communicating not just daily but hourly — to turn bold ideas into tangible solutions, ensuring their website continues to evolve alongside their growing influence. We set up Slack channels to help keep us all informed and in the loop. That has allowed us to develop strong, active relationships, a must in the world of news.
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From inbox to impact.
We led a homepage refresh and navigation overhaul, making it easier for readers to discover and engage with Punchbowl’s growing content library. Through this, we were able to give Punchbowl the ability to transform newsletter content into standalone articles—both free and paid—extending their impact beyond their core subscriber base.
Extra! Extra!
We worked with Punchbowl’s product team to bring the Punchbowl News Portal to life on their website. This opened up the opportunity for an all-new subscription revenue by providing one-of-a-kind data-driven political insights in a way that perfectly suits their target audiences.
The cutting edge.
Beyond incremental improvements, we also execute larger strategic projects like The Future Of and The AI Impact. For these initiatives, we assemble dedicated teams that bring focused expertise while ensuring that the core site continues to evolve in parallel. This dual-track approach allows Punchbowl News to innovate rapidly without sacrificing stability, keeping them at the forefront of political journalism.
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Punching up.
Our ongoing work with Punchbowl News is driven by impact. We focus on continuous improvements — taking ideas, priorities, and wishlist items and translating them into enhancements that drive user engagement and operational efficiency. At the same time, we remain responsive, resolving urgent issues and adapting quickly to new needs.
The Process
Scaling at the speed of news.
The success of The Leaders cemented our partnership, and by March 2023, we became their primary digital partner, driving continuous innovation and growth. We took on increasingly complex projects to help scale their platform, working alongside them — communicating not just daily but hourly — to turn bold ideas into tangible solutions, ensuring their website continues to evolve alongside their growing influence. We set up Slack channels to help keep us all informed and in the loop. That has allowed us to develop strong, active relationships, a must in the world of news.
From inbox to impact.
We led a homepage refresh and navigation overhaul, making it easier for readers to discover and engage with Punchbowl’s growing content library. Through this, we were able to give Punchbowl the ability to transform newsletter content into standalone articles—both free and paid—extending their impact beyond their core subscriber base.
Extra! Extra!
We worked with Punchbowl’s product team to bring the Punchbowl News Portal to life on their website. This opened up the opportunity for an all-new subscription revenue by providing one-of-a-kind data-driven political insights in a way that perfectly suits their target audiences.
The cutting edge.
Beyond incremental improvements, we also execute larger strategic projects like The Future Of and The AI Impact. For these initiatives, we assemble dedicated teams that bring focused expertise while ensuring that the core site continues to evolve in parallel. This dual-track approach allows Punchbowl News to innovate rapidly without sacrificing stability, keeping them at the forefront of political journalism.
Punching up.
Our ongoing work with Punchbowl News is driven by impact. We focus on continuous improvements — taking ideas, priorities, and wishlist items and translating them into enhancements that drive user engagement and operational efficiency. At the same time, we remain responsive, resolving urgent issues and adapting quickly to new needs.
The Solution
In a high-stakes, fast-moving industry, Punchbowl News needed a partner that could move at their pace. Our collaboration has played a pivotal role in the organization’s rapid evolution. By expanding their digital capabilities, streamlining their content strategy, and enhancing their user experience, we’ve helped them increase audience engagement, broaden their revenue streams, and solidify their position as a must-read news source for decision-makers in Washington and beyond.
Key Process Solutions
Messaging strategy workshop, to uncover key audiences and core messaging needed to tell a compelling story
Stakeholder coordination to ensure feedback was heard and communicated between teams
UX research including a navigation analysis and heuristic evaluation to discover the most impactful way to present content across the site
A robust, flexible template to help strategize and manage individual user types while making design decisions
Key Features
Visually bold homepage that aligns Apollo’s digital space with their brand’s energy and aesthetic
Digital stage to bring Apollo’s content to a wider audience and encourage engagement with their work
Custom calendar that makes a large amount of content easily digestible and speaks to different audiences and their needs
Digital content library to make archiving content easily, while continuing to showcase it in an impactful way
