Wednesday, September 21 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM Track IV: Building Brands, Hollywood Style - Word of Mouth and Community Marketing As Hollywood continues to invest millions in the marketing of movies and television shows, studios are looking for new and innovative ways to generate buzz and build a fan base. This is especially true when targeting a young, 18-35 year old market. Although the "science" behind generating word of mouth marketing online (which is very different than buying Internet 'banners') is still in its infancy, companies like Friendster (16 million members strong) are partnering with entertainment companies to pioneer new ways of effectively reaching individuals with a message that they want to hear, and presenting it in innovative ways. When at these sites, members share their interests, likes/dislikes, in addition to demographic and geographic data, so marketers can potentially identify potential fans, personalize their approach, and then return again and again to keep them updated on new or existing programs/movies. By integrating online marketing techniques, the networks and studios are finding that they can (& do!) influence offline behavior. Scott Dornblaser, Vice President, Business Development, Friendster Pete Snyder, Founder and CEO, New Media Strategies Duane Dahl, President/Chief Executive Officer, PerfectMatch Scott Meldrum, President/CEO, HypeCouncil Dave Neupert, CEO, M80 Adrian Sexton, Vice President, Digital Media, Lions Gate Entertainment Steve Bradbury, President, Marketing By Design, Moderator Duane Dahl, President/Chief Executive Officer, PerfectMatch.com: PerfectMatch.com is a leading online relationship community and is recognized as the foremost authority in relationships on the Internet. Dahl and his team previously built and managed Kiss.com/uDate.com to over seven million members leading up to its sale to InterActiveCorp (Match.com) in 2002 for $150 million before reuniting in 2003. Perfectmatch.com, utilizing its’ revolutionary Duet Total Compatibility System, provides its’ members with a leading-edge assessment and scientifically-based approach to assist them in finding other adults looking for real love and commitment. PerfectMatch’s success leveraging the Hollywood entertainment industry includes serving as the online relationship backdrop for Warner Bros. movie "Must Love Dogs" featuring Diane Lane and John Cusack (this landmark placement included three product placements within the trailer and all of the film’s television commercials); a one-hour exclusive feature on the Dr. Phil Valentine’s show which paired up the entire live studio audience utilizing Duet; partnering with Sony Pictures on the movie "Hitch" and with MGM on "Be Cool"; and integration in the 2004 Lifetime Original Movie "Perfect Romance". During 2006, PerfectMatch will appear in two movies and in bookstores nationwide: the February 2006 movie "The Break-Up" starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston; "Loveless in Los Angeles" arriving in theatres next summer; and the book release "Finding Your Perfect Match" in stores in January. Jim Scheinman, Director of Business Development, Friendster: Jim heads up business development for Friendster, where he is responsible for structuring all major partnerships, creating new revenue opportunities and managing word of mouth marketing initiatives, in addition to playing key roles in product management and marketing. Prior to joining Friendster in 2003, he was Senior Vice President of Business Development at NBC Internet, at the time, a $2 Billion public company of NBC & GE. Previously he practiced corporate and intellectual property law at Gray Cary, a leading Silicon Valley law firm. Jim is a seasoned entrepreneur, having started a family business out of college that grew to become the largest worldwide provider of sports cards & memorabilia. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuropsychology from Duke University, and earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree with honors at King Hall, UC-Davis. Jim currently serves as Chair of the Social Networking Committee of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA). Scott Meldrum, President/CEO, HypeCouncil: As president and CEO of HypeCouncil, Scott Meldrum oversees the development and implementation of online advertising and publicity campaigns for clients in the entertainment and retail industries. Using marketing strategies that go beyond standard industry practices, he delivers innovative online advertising and publicity campaigns on behalf of clients like Electronic Arts, Shell Oil, Sony Entertainment, Disney, RadioShack, Best Buy and ABC Television. Meldrum founded HypeCouncil in 1999 following the success of marketing his own music CDs online. During the company’s formative years, Meldrum worked with established artists like Jennifer Lopez, as well helping relative unknowns, such as Papa Roach and Avril Lavigne, reach star status. Capitalizing on his experience in marketing music, Meldrum expanded the operation to include online advertising and PR programs for the television, film and video gaming industries. In the six years since founding HypeCoucil, Meldrum has gone from being an indie-rock artist to a well-respected figure in the online marketing community, often called upon for lectures and presentations around the world. Steve Bradbury, President, Marketing By Design, Moderator: Steve Bradbury is focused on the entertainment technology convergence and its resulting impact on the consumer experience. During a 20+ year career, he has brought extensive business strategy, corporate alliance, strategic marketing and operational management experience to both established and young entrepreneurial environments. He currently teaches the UCLA Extension course Hollywood & Digital, a salon-style program that connects working professionals with panels of senior executives from companies like DirecTV, Sony, ESPN, Fox, TiVo, NBC, Best Buy, HD Net, Movielink, E!, Activision, AEG and many others. Most recently, he served as Chief Corporate Relations Officer for Veritasiti Corporation, whose mission is to create a single ratings system for all forms of entertainment content. He has also worked at MGM and Universal and was President of Marketing by Design, a company which provided corporate strategy, business model analysis, tactical alliance and brand development support for clients such as Sony, The Improvisation, Proprietary Media, eSportsworld and Engage Games Online. Pete Snyder, Founder and CEO, New Media Strategies, Inc.: Pete is the Founder and CEO of New Media Strategies, the industry pioneer and market leader in online intelligence, brand promotion and brand protection, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Drawing on his background as a pollster and media consultant, Pete founded New Media Strategies in 1999, establishing a new industry in market research, brand marketing and communications. New Media Strategies uses technology to tap into the power of the Internet and the blogosphere, helping leading corporations and causes, including some of the biggest Hollywood brands, to promote and protect their brands and bottom lines, online. As CEO, Pete has guided New Media Strategies’ success and rapid organic growth. Over the past six years, New Media Strategies has built a blue-chip client base that features some of the best known brands and corporations in the world, including among others: ABC, AOL Time Warner, Atari, Boston Beer Company, Burger King Corporation, Dodge, Disney, EA, Elektra Records, HBO, Levi’s, McDonald’s, Monster, Northwest Airlines, Paramount Pictures, RCA Records, Red Bull, Reebok, Revlon, Sci-Fi Channel, Sony, USA Network, and Wyeth. Pete was recently honored as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards, and New Media Strategies was recently recognized on the "Inc. 500" listing of the Fastest Growing Companies in America. Proving that a company can focus on fast growth, profitability, and fun, New Media Strategies has been recognized by Washingtonian Magazine as one of "50 Great Places to Work" in Washington, and the Washington Business Journal recently honored New Media Strategies as one of Washington’s Best Places to Work. A former political media consultant and a pollster to New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Pete regularly appears as a commentator on the Fox News Channel and has served as a marketing and political expert on CNBC, The News with Brian Williams, CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, and Fox News Channel’s Your World with Neil Cavuto, Hannity and Colmes and Fox and Friends. New Media Strategies has appeared in national media publications including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and the Hollywood Reporter. Adrian Sexton is the Vice President, Digital Media,Li ons Gate Entertainment (AMEX: LGF), which creates, produces and distributes a broad range of motion picture, television and other filmed entertainment content worldwide. He spearheads Lions Gate’s interaction with strategic technology partners in digital cinema, wireless, high definition, piracy and digital media marketing. Working closely in corporate development with Lions Gate’s CEO and Vice Chairman, Sexton helped complete a $350 million credit facility with JP Morgan, involving the acquisition of Artisan Entertainment. Prior to Lions Gate, he worked at Sony Pictures Entertainment, HBO Pictures and 20th Century Fox in their corporate and creative departments. Sexton graduated with a dual B.A. in Government and English from Cornell University and received his Masters in Film from the University of Southern California as a Phi Kappa Phi fellow.