Press Release
For Immediate Release
October 17, 2007
Contact: Chris Black
press@geniusrocket.com
202 333 3853
Cell 202 302 4748
GeniusRocket Creates Virtual Madison Avenue
Bethesda, Md. --The team that harnessed the power of the Internet to change politics forever in presidential campaigns, as leaders of the 2004 Howard Dean campaign, has joined with Internet industry pioneers to create GeniusRocket, an online platform that links the talent of its creative community with companies to solve real world advertising and marketing challenges.
``Technology empowers consumers,’’ said Mark Walsh, the venture capitalist and Internet industry veteran who is CEO of GeniusRocket. ``GeniusRocket is a unique platform to connect advertisers directly to the energy and passion of the online creative community and discover fresh and new ways to market products and services.’’
``We understand and respect disruptive online communities,’’ said Joe Trippi, a co-founder of GeniusRocket who leveraged the power of the Internet in politics as manager of Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign to organize supporters and raise record amounts of campaign contributions. ``GeniusRocket is a way to deepen the relationship between consumers and advertisers in a creative new way.’’
"GeniusRocket places its advertisers directly into the stream of interactive media," said Adam Lehman, former SVP of AOL and a co-founder of GeniusRocket. "At GeniusRocket, advertisers 'crowdsource' to generate cutting-edge outputs - such as web videos, mobile ads and widgets – well-tuned for their viral marketing campaigns.”
``GeniusRocket offers the talented online community an opportunity to connect to advertisers, showcase their work and network among other talented creators,’’ said Mathew Gross, head of community for GeniusRocket.
Advances in technology and its use are straining traditional advertising solutions and models. TIVO, for example, allows television viewers to avoid all advertising commercials. As advertisers seek new ways to communicate directly and effectively with consumers, GeniusRocket enables advertisers, both large and small, to benefit from the collective “genius” of a large pool of young professional and emerging creative talent.
Advertisers bring their marketing needs to GeniusRocket which posts ``Requests for Brilliance’’ online and then solicits solutions from members of its creative community. Advertisers screen all completed projects and choose those which best meet the creative brief.
Creators earn cash by solving the marketing challenge to the satisfaction of the advertiser or by drawing the highest scores from members of the GeniusRocket community in monthly ``Rocket’’ competitions. GeniusRocket will also be awarding monthly Rocket Awards in advertising and other creative categories, such as "best acting" or "best 3-minute sitcom pilot."
GeniusRocket founders were among the first to recognize the power of the Internet to organize, connect and motivate communities of interest in politics and business. GeniusRocket is building an online community of young emerging creators including film makers, writers, photographers and designers and providing a social network platform for these creators to exchange ideas and find the talent to collaborate on successful advertising projects.
Much of the earliest user-generated advertising was rough, under-produced or failed to reflect the strategic goals of advertisers. GeniusRocket is attracting young professionals and emerging creative talent with experience and interest in marketing and advertising in order to produce more professional, polished executions that meet the creative needs of advertisers and brand managers. In addition, the GeniusRocket process itself can create positive viral marketing value for participating companies, as creators promote the advertisements they submit to their social networks and through other online sites to draw support for their submissions.
GeniusRocket founders include:
· Mark Walsh, the former CEO of VerticalNet and a former senior executive with GE and America Online
· Joe Trippi, the political consultant and strategist
· Adam Lehman, Managing Partner of Rock Ridge Ventures and a former Senior Vice President of America Online
· Nicco Mele, CEO of the internet strategy firm EchoDitto and webmaster of the Dean campaign
· Mathew Gross, director of Internet Communications for the Dean campaign who launched the first presidential campaign weblog
· Mike Ford, the veteran political consultant who was a senior adviser to the Dean campaign
· Bob Kiernan, a noted graphic designer and creative director and founder of Actual Size Creative, an interactive and print communications firm
For more information go to www.geniusrocket.com or contact press@geniusrocket.com.
