RepairPal    PlanetEye    VideoEgg    1800FREE411    Newsgator    Spock    Sharpcast    Retrevo    eSnips    Teleo    Xitel    Dragon

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Campaign
A Soup-to-Nuts International Marketing & Media Campaign that Targeted Multiple Audiences: Consumers, Retailers, Manufacturers and Partners, such as Sony

We worked with Australian-based Xitel to launch their flagship product HiFi-Link, an economically-priced hardware device that once connected to a TV, it produces a surround sound-like audio experience for consumers. Sold online and through retail outlets, the early campaign centered on driving traffic to stores and to specific websites to encourage consumers to buy.

Since part of Xitel’s strategy was also to secure partnerships, we developed an OEM PR campaign that included working with Sony some joint efforts. Over a four year period, we launched a series of new consumer hardware products into the marketplace.

International media buzz was extensive and positive and was as far-reaching as Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. We also garnered buzz on all the important hardware and gadget blogs and community sites, consumer and lifestyle magazines and worldwide newspapers. We hit a significant number of national and regional TV and radio shows and managed all the product reviews online, in their respective trades, as well as vertical market and business press.

We participated in countless media events, won industry awards and praise at CES and lined up three national tours that resulted in interest from Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, Time Magazine, Newsweek, New York Times and countless others.

Traditional media and online conversations with bloggers and vertical market sites were extensive and included a number of categories, such as digital audio, hardware devices and gadgets, music, women, men, lifestyle, youth and pop culture.

A chief goal was to reach as many consumer-facing press, gadget and hardware blogs and online youth sites as possible as well as all the music and audio media and blog influencers.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “Blodgett’s enthusiasm is only surpassed by her ability to deliver outstanding results time after time. Blodgett is a consummate professional whose fastidious attention to detail comes from strong convictions and a passion for making her clients succeed. If you want a winning PR team, you need Magic Sauce Media on your side.”
– Barrie Davis, CEO of Xitel

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RepairPal    PlanetEye    VideoEgg    1800FREE411    Newsgator    Spock    Sharpcast    Retrevo    eSnips    Teleo    Xitel    Dragon

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Campaign
Full Launch & Ongoing Push/Pull Media Campaign

We started with Sharpcast prior to their private alpha launch of a free service for consumers that was primarily focused on digital photo sharing. In a crowded market, we had to position Sharpcast as not only a leading player in this space with unique capabilities, but prime them for their future, which was in a market well beyond online photography.

Their synching capability was a key selling proposition, allowing consumers to have a Blackberry exchange like experience from their desktop or mobile device and also automatically and seamlessly recover and migrate all of their media.

The campaign focused on both B2C and B2B efforts, the goal of the latter was to help drive their OEM strategy, partnerships with carriers and mobile device and PC manufacturers.

We proactively engaged the blogger community early on and worked with strategic partners following the launch, such as Handspring, Corel and others. Through concerted PR efforts, Sharpcast won close to ten awards in a year, including CNET 5 Star Rating, Laptop Editors Choice, Frost & Sullivan, Digital Life Best of Show Award, Red Herring 100. They were also chosen to present at the Web 2.0 Launchpad, and Under the Radar Line at the Mobile Under the Radar event in Silicon Valley.

We pitched and landed opportunities for them to present at Web 2.0 Launchpad as well as the Wall Street Journal’s D Conference, an event that attracts Fortune 100 CEOs, media and top-tier venture capitalists.

We lined up well over fifty national press, analyst and blogger in-person and phone briefings, which included radio and TV interviews as well as one-on-ones with influencers in the advertising, digital photography, mobile & wireless, social media and Web 2.0 space.

Broadcast buzz was extensive including NBC News, CBS, Marketwatch, WUSA 9, KTLA, MSNBC, WKYT 27 News First, KCBS, Computer America, Dr. Science, KSFO-AM and others.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “Through relentless evangelism, commitment, and hard work, Blodgett took us from complete obscurity and put us on the map. She is extremely well-connected, devoted and knows how to effectively navigate in the technology industry.”
– Gibu Thomas, Co-Founder and former CEO of Sharpcast, previous Head of Carrier Sales and Business Development at Palm

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RepairPal    PlanetEye    VideoEgg    1800FREE411    Newsgator    Spock    Sharpcast    Retrevo    eSnips    Teleo    Xitel    Dragon

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Campaign
An Israeli-Based Web 2.0 Social Networking Launch into the U.S. Market in an Existing Crowded Space After Launch of MySpace, Ning, etc.

Focused on Vertical Communities, Mainstream Users Rather than Early Adopters; User Base Grew From 150K Users to 4 Million Worldwide

eSnips is a social sharing site where like-minded members can share any digital content showcasing their talents, interests, and passions with whoever they choose from one place. eSnips imitates what people do and how they live in the ‘real world.’

When we were asked to launch them into the U.S. market, they already had some traction but faced larger more well known competitors or perceived competitors in their category, such as Ning, MySpace and others.

We worked with their team to accelerate their user base virally through community efforts and reached out to bloggers and press across multiple vertical market categories that matched their micro-communities inside eSnips. The range was broad, including digital music, art, photography, spirituality, karaoke, and more.

We offered users tools to help them better engage, make money and have more fun. We started with customized widgets that they could use to pitch their own passions, whether it was digital music they were creating themselves, art they were selling or poetry they had written.

We reached out and encouraged users and bloggers to do the same by educating them how to create a widget from any file. It was a way to virally spread their own creations, whether it was a song or photo, and drive more users back to the eSnips community.

We implemented both an education and thought leadership campaign and rather than focus on Web 2.0 influencers, we went mainstream. We also hit the advertising sector, positioning the CEO as a thought leader in a crowded market. We did an online campaign around their Social DNA Facebook application to promote downloads, usage and feedback and we tapped into social networks, the blogosphere and Twitter to push contests, embedded customized widgets, news and highlights about cool happenings from within the eSnips community.

The Result: User Base grew from 150K users to 4 million worldwide. CEO became known within industry circles, customers were highly engaged and evangelized on eSnips behalf and communities formed within communities as a result of viral growth.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “Blodgett and team created a strategy that not only allowed us to successfully navigate our way through the social media maze and key influencers in the U.S. and Europe, but one that drove significant traffic to our site, increased brand recognition and created momentum for our communities. They also created a whirl of worldwide media and blog buzz at a time when we needed it most.”
-Yael Elish, VP, Product & Marketing, Waze, Co-Founder and former CEO, eSnips

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RepairPal    PlanetEye    VideoEgg    1800FREE411    Newsgator    Spock    Sharpcast    Retrevo    eSnips    Teleo    Xitel    Dragon

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Campaign
Repositioning & Rebranding Campaign: the Ultimate in CE Search to the First Matchmaking Service for People and Electronics; Coincided with New Logo, UI and Website Functionality

We worked with Retrevo to re-launch their brand and site, which included new messaging, a new logo, website and group blog. We utilized the power of the press, blogosphere and associated buzz generation opportunities to raise brand awareness and increase their customer base, which served to accelerate new partnerships and increase traffic to the site.

This effort resulted in a tagline and identifier change, from a vertical market search site to a matchmaker service that connects consumers with their favorite consumer electronics and gadgets. In other words – from a geek, largely male and early adopter message to one that would have more mainstream appeal and resonate with women, seniors, baby boomers and students as well.

Retrevo used Marketing and PR to help grow website traffic and repeat usage with a goal to become the one place consumers come for all their consumer electronics needs. A second goal was to increase Retrevo’s brand awareness partly by getting Retrevo’s executives viewed as experts across industry sectors, including CE Shopping, CE Support, consumer lifecycle, online lifestyle, social shopping and vertical search.

Through a partnership with PC World, we communicated the ‘open gates publishing model’ to the advertising and new media worlds, as well as business press influencers as a way to demonstrate that Retrevo was ahead of the curve on new publishing trends. Instead of posing restrictions on where and how you view your content, including reviews, Retrevo and PC World were delivering content in a way that enriched the consumer search and buying experience online.

PR also leveraged survey and poll results, and proposed a media and blogger event around gadgets and geeks and came up with creative angles to invoke passion around consumer electronic purchases, particularly at topical times of years, i.e., sporting events, entertainment, father’s day, back-to-school and so on. We also recommended a creative mailer to build brand awareness.

The Result: increased traffic, users, brand recognition, and positive interest from advertisers and strategic partners.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “Blodgett and her team did an outstanding job with strategy and outreach to mainstream media, niche blogs and the publishing industry. They have the passion and drive to take companies into the mainstream at the critical juncture of their evolution.”
– Vipin Jain, CEO, Retrevo

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RepairPal PlanetEye VideoEgg 1800FREE411 Newsgator Spock Sharpcast Retrevo eSnips Teleo Xitel Dragon

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Campaign
B2B Online Video Launch as Category was Gaining Momentum; Business Strategy Change, Market Education; Mainstream Media Buzz, B2B Education to Content Providers & Creators through Strategic Online Outlets, Blogs & Social Networks

We launched VideoEgg (now, SayMedia) following an early stage investment but before their Series A round with August Capital.

Following an early stage splash at one of the top conferences in the industry, we centered our efforts on an education campaign around online video. Because online video was and remains such a crowded space and there were numerous start-ups at the time offering one ‘free’ online video solution after another, it was confusing who did what and what the value add was and why.

Because the industry itself was also early, vendors were still testing business models and assessing whether those business models would bypass the consumer altogether, get traction from small content providers and bloggers or hit the big boys out of the gate. After all, the large traditional TV networks were also looking for compelling online strategies and partners to move them into the new “always online” world.

Some solutions targeted individual A-list bloggers, others went after media companies, while others were attempting to take a bite out of YouTube user base. We worked with them through a strategy change, which moved from a free model for bloggers to a service that connects brands to consumers with video and rich media. Their mission: to redefine brand advertising in a new media environment.

Education, messaging, positioning, events, speaking engagements, a high profile press bash in San Francisco, and massive outreach to vertical press, trades, consumer press, business and broadcast media, advertising rags and blogs, vloggers and podcasters were all part of our communications campaign.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “In the world of PR, Blodgett is no less than a force of nature. She knows everyone, and everyone knows her. If you’re a newcomer to the technology scene or have to work with it, they’ll make sure you get off the ground with tenacity and hit all the right people at the right time.”
– Kevin Sladek, Co-Founder, VideoEgg, Now SayMedia

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RepairPal    PlanetEye    VideoEgg    1800FREE411    Newsgator    Spock    Sharpcast    Retrevo    eSnips    Teleo    Xitel    Dragon

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Campaign
Define New Industry; Up Against Large Industry that Hasn’t Moved in Decades; Opening up Proprietary Content to Consumers for First Time; Massive Consumer Outreach On & Offline

RepairPal had a unique proposition at launch. What Kelley Blue Book does for buying cars, RepairPal does for fixing them. Given that the proprietary information was not previously available, the campaign was an intensive education one that involved beating the pavement again and again with key influencers in the auto space, as well as any avenue that would reach consumers who wanted an honest deal.

Because the target audience was so broad, the range couldn’t have been more diverse. From Consumer Reports, Readers Digest, Good Housekeeping, O’ Magazine, Maxim, Popular Science, Daily Candy and Martha Stewart to auto magazines, fashion, women’s, aging, baby boomer and lifestyle blogs, we went exploring.

We garnered interest from radio and TV as well as their online equivalents and hit the major personal finance and business press and bloggers to educate, entice and tell their story in an irresistible way, something we ace again and again.

We proposed contests, widgets, a creative mailer and an on-the-ground consumer awareness campaign through independent auto mechanics as well as a series of humorous viral videos.

The Result: through concerted efforts beyond our launch strategy, our campaign not only increased traffic to their site, but that traffic was sustainable traffic. Growth accelerated interest from strategic partners and helped management pitch their story with more credibility to investors and other niche players they had to win over early on.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “Blodgett is simply the best communications expert I’ve ever known – she has a nose for opportunities that can’t be beat.”
– David Sturtz, CEO, RepairPal, former hedge fund analyst Volpe Brown Whelan & Co.

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RepairPal    PlanetEye    VideoEgg    1800FREE411    Newsgator    Spock    Sharpcast    Retrevo    eSnips    Teleo    Xitel    Dragon

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Campaign
Joint Launch with Microsoft: the Travel Industry Meets Social Media & Online Communities

We jumped on board prior to PlanetEye’s launch of a Microsoft-backed online travel planning service. Free to consumers, PlanetEye’s objective is to make it easy to find the best places around the world to stay, eat and experience – all based on travel preferences and interests.

Our goal was to drive traffic to the site, build up credibility so industry players would sign on (content providers and distribution channel partners), and create brand recognition so that travelers, photographers and writers would start to use the service and contribute to the site.

It was a push/pull campaign that included B2B efforts to drive partnerships and gain credibility in conjunction with a mass consumer media effort to generate awareness about a new way to experience travel. We lined up over forty in-person and phone briefings with key influencers who covered travel, lifestyle, food and wine, niche restaurants, weddings and events, spas and cruises, hospitality, as well as general consumer and media targets.

The market range was broad and international, including consumer outlets such as Martha Stewart, Modern Bride, Good Housekeeping and iVillage to major business press on and offline, broadcast TV and photography and travel rags and blogs to the early adopter Web 2.0 bloggers and influencers. A social media campaign was an integrated part of our strategy as was leveraging relationships with Canadian and Seattle influencers and ‘geek’ press to drive reviews of the site after PlanetEye went live.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “Blodgett and her team got us in front of all the right influencers nationwide across all mediums in an organized efficient manner allowing us to be significantly recognized and honored in our industry. I wouldn’t even consider taking my business elsewhere.”
-Butch Langlois, former President & CEO, Planeteye Inc.

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RepairPal    PlanetEye    VideoEgg    1800FREE411    Newsgator    Spock    Sharpcast    Retrevo    eSnips    Teleo    Xitel    Dragon

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Campaign
Tease Campaign Followed by a Viral Campaign; Traditional Media Pushing Controversial Buttons Around Privacy on the Web and the Importance of Vertical Search Beyond Google

We worked with Spock on a three-tier campaign that focused on vertical search, privacy and advertisers. By developing an integrated social media and viral communications program that educated the market about vertical search, we were able to kick start relationships with key industry influencers early on. Our strategy included advertisers who want to reach people in specific niche categories.

The campaign included an executive media push, positioning Spock executives as thought leaders on privacy and how it impacts business and society as a whole. We hit broadcast TV and business media on and offline.

Because Spock’s search engine focuses entirely on people, privacy and security alarm bells rang early on. Instead of playing to or avoiding media and consumer fear, we educated people how to start managing their online reputations. We successfully managed a controversial article with Time Magazine and negative online chatter over Internet safety, particularly as it pertained to children.

In addition to a strategy that focused on thought leadership and attracting potential advertisers, our goal was to get more users to the site. Prior to its initial launch, we did a teaser campaign and secured on-stage demos at high profile industry shows.

We created a program for vertical market industries around events and holidays such as politics, entertainment, sports and celebrities. Part of the strategy was not just to generate buzz about the site but solicit help from users to enhance content on the site and encourage others to participate. This included online games, widgets and contests to engage users and spiral user growth. PR Week wrote about the campaign.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “Blodgett’s zest for Spock led her to go out on a limb for a product that was still a work in progress. They also engaged directly with people and taught us why it’s important to be out there, and to be honest, and communicative about what’s happening in the company.”
–Jay Bhatti, Co-Founder, Spock, now Intelius

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RepairPal    PlanetEye    VideoEgg    1800FREE411    Newsgator    Spock    Sharpcast    Retrevo    eSnips    Teleo    Xitel    Dragon

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Campaign
Massive Mainstream Media Exposure & Thought Leadership for CEO Nationwide; Combined with B2B Education to Potential Advertisers in Each Regional Market

Immediately Following Launch, User Base was at 10K – PR Push Led to More Than 5 Million Users within 6 Months

We launched Jingle Networks’ 1-800-FREE411 service, the first free national directory service, starting with a national education campaign that targeted both consumers and potential advertisers in each regional market.

Our strategy included a heavy focus on broadcast media – both TV and radio, as well as large online media outlets and blogs. Tyra Banks even mentioned the service on her show. We hit podcasts, vlogs, strategic newspapers, and advertising rags since it was as important to have consumers use the service as it was to get advertisers on board.

Working in conjunction with advertising partners to pitch local angles in regional markets, we nailed a feature in an Atlanta consumer magazine and network TV interviews with the CEO in markets such as Boston, Los Angeles, Providence, Dallas, New York, San Francisco and others. We generated a feature in Fast Company Magazine within a six month period following their launch as well as developed thought leadership for the CEO around strategically placed speaking panels.

The Result: more users, increased credibility, new partners and a brand that was becoming recognized around the country, an important qualifier for advertisers who want to spend their money strategically.

Media Buzz is a Sample, not an Exhaustive List

[/column] [column width=”24%” padding=”0″] “When we launched 1-800-FREE411, Blodgett and team obtained the best possible media coverage and buzz for us. We were featured simultaneously in WSJ, USA Today and the NY Times. No one does it better”
– Scott Kliger, former CEO and Co-Founder of Jingle Networks (800-FREE-411)

“Blodgett coupled a deep understanding of our product and audience with her powerful media network. The result was explosive consumer adoption. She’s ethical, smart, creative and tireless. They were a perfect match to meet our company’s objectives and take 800FREE411 to a mainstream market with great success.”
– Tom Latinovich, Co-Founder, Jingle Networks (800-FREE-411)

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Fans of Yossi are everywhere, the latest in LA at the 140 Character Conference, held in Hollywood’s Kodak Theater late last month.