There's Still Time to Vote: One Non-Profit Organization Can Win a $25,000 Social Media Makeover

2009-07-02 00:00:00

Orlando, FL (July 2, 2009)—More than 1,500 charities are vying for a chance to win CommuniCause, a nationwide online contest that awards one winner a social media makeover. Launched earlier this year by Orlando-based interactive agency Mindcomet, the CommuniCause campaign gives Americans the opportunity to vote online and rally support for their favorite 501c3 non-profit organizations. The winning organization receives $25,000 in consulting services from MindComet to help improve its social media presence and fundraising outreach efforts. The campaign concludes on July 31st.

Anyone with an E-mail address can visit CommuniCause.com and nominate a charity or vote for a previously-nominated organization. The site structure consists of a voting engine updated daily and social media tools, including a CommuniCause Facebook Fan Page, Twitter profile, badges and links—allowing participants to easily share campaign information and rally more voters to their cause. Users can vote only once on the Website using a valid E-mail address, but can cast a second vote on Twitter and encourage more votes through “retweets” of a custom message. Upon conclusion of the campaign, one winner will be selected at random from the top ten qualified 501c3’s, based on votes.

“Social media is a powerful communications medium that is underutilized, particularly by non-profit organizations lacking the resources to get up the rapidly evolving learning curve,” said Marcelle Turner, CEO of MindComet. “We launched CommuniCause to raise awareness for deserving organizations and get help selecting a pro-bono project, but quickly realized the campaign wasn’t just about picking a winner. Every participating organization is benefitting by learning how to use social media tools to increase visibility and rally support.” The New York Times mentioned CommuniCause in a recent story on how charities are leveraging the internet for fundraising.

 More than 1,500 charities have been nominated to date, from large, established national charities including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), to niche support organizations like Atlanta-based AMPUCAMP.org, to military charities with large networks of support including Soldiers’ Angels, Operation Quiet Comfort, For The Troops & eMail Our Military. Organizations are enthusiastic about the campaign. “Social media is revolutionizing the way Americans communicate. We are convinced that it can enable us to do a better job of reaching and mobilizing our diverse constituencies – law enforcement, child welfare workers, educators and parents – to keep children safe.,” said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of NCMEC. Commented Patti Patton-Bader, founder & CEO of Soldiers’ Angels, “our close contact with the Milblog community (military-focused blogs) has been a great asset—when popular milblogs posted about it, the votes came rushing in. It’s been encouraging to see concrete proof of the effectiveness of our social media efforts, but it’s also helped us see that we’ve barely scratched the surface of potential in this arena.”  

About MindComet
Headquartered in Orlando and founded in 1999, MindComet is a leading interactive marketing agency specializing in social media, campaign design and branding, and technology development. The agency has implemented award-winning, relationship-building marketing and communications campaigns for many Fortune 500 companies. MindComet’s team delivers an unparalleled combination of strategy, creativity and technology to produce solutions that deliver lasting fan relationships for client partners. Over the years, MindComet has donated time and services to Habitat for Humanity, the Orlando History Center, the American Cancer Society, Race for a Cure and Toys for Tots. Last year, MindComet became a founding member of doterati, Central Florida’s up-and-coming non-profit interactive marketing, media and technology education group. For more information, visit www.mindcomet.com.

Charities Reap Benefits of Contests on Internet

2009-05-09 00:00:00

Originally published in New York Times, by Stephanie Strom

The opportunities for nonprofit groups to win money through contests are proliferating, adding yet another weapon to charities’ fund-raising arsenal.

The latest example starts on Sunday when visitors to the Target Corporation’s Facebook page can vote for one of 10 charities eligible to win a portion of $3 million the retailer will be giving away.

“It’s a national trend, not only in the philanthropic sector but also among businesses, to look at how best to leverage social media,” said Laysha Ward, Target’s president of community relations. “Contests like this can help our nonprofit partners learn to use this new media to build not just financial resources but also awareness.”

GlobalGiving, an online system through which donors can support charitable projects around the world, is in the middle of a contest that will give American nonprofit groups the chance to win as much as $6,000 and a permanent berth on GlobalGiving’s list of vetted programs.

“Many nonprofits are looking to diversify sources of funding and leverage new kinds of social networks in different ways,” said Mari Kuraishi, co-founder and president of the GlobalGiving Foundation.

Ms. Kuraishi and Ms. Ward also pointed out the benefits to their organizations.

For Target, Ms. Ward said, the contest is an opportunity to demonstrate the company’s commitment to supporting nonprofit work and enhance its brand. For GlobalGiving, it is an opportunity to expand its work in the United States, Ms. Kuraishi said.

In recent years, companies like Amazon.com and Trip Advisor have had contests similar to Target’s. And in each of the last two years, American Express has sponsored a contest called the Members Project, which gives its cardholders the chance to propose charitable projects and then vote for the one they think most deserves to win some of the company’s money.

In April, the actor Hugh Jackman challenged Twitter users to explain in 140 characters or less why he should support their favorite charity. The charity supported by the most convincing “tweet” would win $100,000 from Mr. Jackman — although two organizations, Operation of Hope and Charity Water, ended up sharing the prize. Also using Twitter, Bob Woodruff, the television reporter who sustained serious injuries while covering the Iraq war, and his wife, Lee, will try to raise $1.65 million over the Memorial Day weekend for their foundation, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which aids injured service members and veterans.

The contests push charities to use the Internet in new ways. One of the surprise findings of the Case Foundation’s Giving Challenge, a contest conducted through Causes on Facebook and Parade Magazine in 2007, was that participating charities with similar missions often worked on behalf of each other so that each one would have a chance to win a daily prize of $1,000 for having the most unique donors in a 24-hour period.

“One of the big takeaways from this was that some of the small guys on the block were able to do some really powerful things,” said Jean Case, chief executive of the foundation.

The point of the Giving Challenge and many of the recent contests has not been to judge the participants’ fund-raising prowess but rather to gauge interest in their work and cause. Participants in the Giving Challenge, for example, won prizes based on how many unique donations they received, not how much money they raised.

The Kids in Need Foundation, which works to provide free school supplies to needy children and school districts, is participating in two contests this month, Target’s and CommuniCause, which offers a “social media makeover” as a prize.

David Smith, the foundation’s executive director, said the organization had been looking to cultivate more individual donors to decrease its reliance on corporate donations. “That’s why these programs are so good for us right now,” Mr. Smith said, “because they require using things like e-mail, Facebook pages and other social networking tools that we’re experimenting with to win.”

On May 2, for instance, Kids in Need was 71st on the list of favorite charities on CommuniCause. It set to work sending out e-mail messages, and a few days later it had risen to ninth place, Mr. Smith said.

Operation Gratitude, which sends care packages to soldiers deployed abroad, is hoping to win the Target contest to have more money to pay its biggest expense — postage. The organization, which relies on volunteer labor and corporate product donations, can ship 7,000 to 8,000 packages a day, but only if it has $80,000 to $90,000 to cover the mailing costs.

“I’m by nature an incredibly competitive person, so this has kind of sparked my juices,” said Carolyn Blashek, founder of the organization. “Social networking dovetails with what we do in so many ways, and since May is Military Appreciation Month, there’s a whole lot of symbiosis for us in this contest.”

MindComet Launches CommuniCause, Giving One Lucky Non Profit a $25,000 Social Media Makeover

2009-04-27 00:00:00

Orlando, FL April 27, 2009 -- MindComet, Orlando’s leading interactive agency, announced the launch of CommuniCause.com today, a campaign that gives America the opportunity to vote online for their favorite 501c3 non profit to win a $25,000 social media makeover. The makeover includes MindComet’s expert consulting services to help improve the winning non profit’s social media presence and fundraising outreach.

Participants are encouraged to visit the CommuniCause.com Website and nominate a charity they feel is most deserving of winning the social media makeover, or fans may vote for a previously-nominated charity. Upon conclusion of the campaign on July 31st, a winner will be selected at random from the top ten qualified 501c3’s, based on votes, providing the winner up to $25,000 in social media consulting services. The site structure consists of a voting engine updated daily and social media tools including a CommuniCause Facebook Fan Page, Twitter profile, badges and links to content sharing sites allowing participants to easily receive and distribute campaign information.

“We’ve always been passionate about contributing our time and services to local organizations. This year in particular, there are so many deserving causes in need of help. We decided to launch CommuniCause to allow America the opportunity to vote and help us determine who could really use a helping hand with their outreach efforts,” stated Marcelle Turner, CEO of MindComet. “Our hope is that the campaign will bring the participating organizations some national awareness through affiliation with the program, provide their constituents a focused mission to champion, and will ultimately result in a nationwide uplift in charitable giving driven by the power of social media.”

Over the years MindComet has donated their time and services to Habitat for Humanity, the Orlando History Center, the American Cancer Society, Race for a Cure and Toys for Tots. Last year, MindComet became a founding member of doterati, central Florida’s up-and-coming non profit interactive marketing, media and technology education group with two executives currently holding board positions.

FACUG Conference is being held in Zephyrhills, Florida March 13 through 15

2009-03-14 00:00:00

Originally published by Hewie Poplock

We are within weeks of the FACUG Spring Conference in Zephyrhills, Florida. The Florida Association of Computer User Groups, FACUG is the leading regional association of its kind in the country. It is a southeast regional, non-profit tax exempt association, of independent computer user groups including PC and MAC groups.

The 16th annual spring conference of the Florida Association of Computer User Groups, Inc. (FACUG) will be held Friday March 13 through Sunday March 15, 2009 in Zephyrhills , Florida. This year's event is expanding and partnering with the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG) as a regional conference and will be open to the public as well. The theme of the conference is "How to educate & help computer users through our user groups about convergence, communication and collaboration." I wanted to share some of the presentation topics for this exciting event.

Remember that this year the conference is open to the public and all interested people are invited. This is a great opportunity for members of user groups, non-profit organizations, any club or organization, or for any business. Information on pricing, registration, and hotel accommodations are available on the FACUG website. http://www.facug.org The price includes Saturday and Sunday meals.

Several of our sponsors will also be presenting sessions, and participating in a vendor fair on Sunday. New sponsors are being added, but confirmed as of this writing are Microsoft, Steganos, Techbargains.com, ai Squared, Magix, Smart Computing Magazine ,and Rebit.com.

For more information go to http://www.facug.org, email either information@facug.org or me, at director3@facug.org

BarCamp experience and Unconferences - I went to my first BarCamp in Orlando last spring. I discovered that this activity attracted several hundred computer enthusiasts, most of whom were unfamiliar with our local user group and I had never seen any of them at any other local events.

Florida BarCamps are held in Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, The name came from the word “foobar” and not from local drinking establishments, where they are frequently held. Barcamps are very loosely arranged “unconferences” where it is free to attend and the speakers are decided at the very last minute. It is based on the community and anybody who wishes to speak just puts themselves on the schedule. So, it is very informal and very community driven.

Our speaker, Peter Radizeski is one of the major forces of the Tampa BarCamp and will discuss how they work and how your groups can participate or create your own unconference.

Business, Education & Non-Profit In Virtual Worlds - I was introduced to virtual worlds with Second Life. I thought it would be an exciting way to hold meetings and to socialize on-line. Elizabeth Stenger, a mentor and well known in Second Life will give a background of this and other Virtual worlds, how they are used in education, non-profits and how they might be used for your group.

Liz will demonstrate getting started in Second Life and creating your own avatar (personality). This should be an eye-opening session. It’s a lot of fun to get into virtual worlds, however, be careful, as it can become addictive!

Cloud Computing is one of the new buzz words. Many companies like Microsoft and Google are making programs available on-line instead of installing them on your computer. You can share documents and even collaborate in their formation and editing without passing them around. You don’t need lots of versions floating around between members of your group.

Robert Dempsey is a leader in web development and will tell us what exactly cloud computing is, what's available, what are the pros and cons.

doterati & its Florida initiative - This is an organization that’s all about you and what you do in the interactive media, marketing and technology arena. doterati is all about building community, consensus and camaraderie among like-minded individuals and groups.

Tara Lamberson is the President of doterati and will speak about this new and growing group. In this age when many user groups are shrinking, we have a new and innovative group that is filling needs of the technology users, professionals, and innovators. Come listen to Tara tell of doterati’s approach.

Editing & Storing Photos on line for Free - Come and hear Stan Ashbrook explain how to organize, tweak, create, e-mail, display, and store their digital photos on-line. This is a good example of how Cloud Computing is used. This session will save you lots of time and money, and make it easy to share your photos.

How to Increase Membership, Interest and Speakers in your User Group - This session will be led by Jeff Robins and Sam Wexler, two members of FACUG’s Board of Directors and leaders of two very successful user groups in south Florida. They will discuss several proven ways to increase membership, interest in your group, and how to get speakers for your meetings.

Implementing CMS (Content Management System) using Drupal - Cheryl Wilson, FACUG’s award winning web mistress, will present a way to manage your group’s website with a new content management system, Drupal. She will walk us through installing the program and show how easy it is to get it up and running.

Using Drupal, which is a free software package that allows an individual or a community of users to easily publish, manage and organize a wide variety of content on a website. Sites developed with this system will also provide a great opportunity for communication between its members.

Social Networking for Computer User Groups - Mike Ungerman, a long time computer user group leader and first president of FACUG, will demonstrate NING, a free social networking application that establishes individual social networks for any group which can be public, semi-public, or 100% private.

Mike will show how Hewie Poplock (me) and he have developed the Windows Special Interest Group (SIG) NING website to be able to have an announcement and discussion area that is much like our meetings, but available 24/7. Mike also started a private NING site for a class reunion and doterati uses NING for its site. You will learn how easy you can set up this means for communications for your group.

Print Verses On-line Newsletters Many groups are struggling to decide if they should abandon the costs and efforts needed for a printed newsletter in lieu of an Acrobat and on-line version only. Jeremy Hilton, MindComet's Vice President of Media and Technology, will provide a unique perspective into solving this dilemma and how to create email newsletters.

Remote Presentations The ability to use remote presentations opens a new door for user group meetings. In this day when companies cannot pay the expenses to send speakers to your meetings, they are willing to provide presentations from their offices or homes remotely. Don Singleton is a longtime leader of the Tulsa (OK) Computer Society and APCUG. He will demonstrate from Tulsa how to do a remote presentation.

Social Media : Creating better Communications within your Group One of the most interesting and knowledgeable people whom I have met recently is Mark Krupinski. When I talk with him, he just disseminates so much information about so many different ways of communicating through websites.

We are lucky to have him speak about the general area of social media and the many ways organizations can use and misuse it. Mark is both Community Manager for Rasmussen, Inc. and Vice President-elect of doterati.

Twitter - A Tool Your Club May Find Useful - Chuck Vroman has been a speaker at several FACUG conferences and a longtime member of the Tampa Bay Computer Society. He will discuss one of the most popular forms of social media, Twitter. New in 2006, Twitter is a social networking and micro- blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

If you watch CNN or your local newscasts, your announcer will talk about their Tweets. Once you become familiar with this way of communications, you will see how widely used that it is. Chuck will talk about Twitter from the beginner’s perspective. You will see how easy it is to use and how many people use it to communicate information.

Wikis - A Powerful Collaboration Tool for your Kit - FACUG’s and Tampa Bay Computer Society’s Dave “Doc” Dockery will talk about Wikis and how our groups can use them. Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content using any Web browser. It’s open editing supports hyperlinks and has simple text syntax for creating new pages and cross links between internal pages on the fly.

Turner Speaks About Branding at Yale Universitys Annual Newspaper Conference

2009-03-13 00:00:00

MindComet, a leading interactive agency in central Florida, recently attended the first-annual New England Collegiate Newspaper Business Conference hosted at Yale University to speak to student newspaper business teams about branding and marketing. Marcelle Turner, the President of MindComet, led a workshop entitled “Branding: Selling Your Product” in an effort to teach the group various aspects of branding, including brand strategy, brand positioning, and brand monitoring. Students from Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, Wellesley, and Georgetown attended the two-day conference to learn from professionals in the field and from each other. By attending workshop groups, participating in round table discussions and networking among peers, they were able to reach the ultimate goals of improving business practices for college newspapers and gaining insight into increasing the overall reach of newspaper distribution.

The Yale Daily News hosted the first-annual New England Collegiate Business Newspaper Conference from February 20-21, focusing on the publishing and business aspects of collegiate newspapers. Attendees explored advertising, business development, new market reach, graphic design, and corporate infrastructure strategies. MindComet was requested by the Yale Daily News to give attendees information on how to reach consumers beyond campus based on their successful experience in marketing.

"During the session, I challenged students to think about themselves as a representative of their brand and what they could do as individuals to extend their reach," commented Marcelle Turner. "Today, with a surplus of ways to get news and information, newspapers need to leverage these outlets such as Twitter and Facebook to reach their existing audience and attract new customers because that's where they are spending their time and thus expect you to be as well." Other workshops included presentations on advertising in the current economic climate, a collegiate newspaper´s digital presence, new media initiatives, and the importance of design in communicating information.

Turner's past speaking engagements have included: Ad2 Orlando: The Future of Advertising - B2C Email Campaigns and Measurement, The National Fisheries Institute 2007 Annual Conference, Elekta 2007 Annual Conference: Web 2.0 Strategies - Understanding Consumer Generated Media and Office Depot Success Strategies for Businesswomen - Interactive Marketing Opportunities for Small Business. Turner's next speaking engagement is at the International Business Summit in Tampa Florida speaking on Marketing in the Age of
Diversity. Visit MindComet.com for more information.

About MindComet
MindComet is an interactive marketing agency specializing in social media, campaign design and branding and technology development.

About the Yale Daily News
Founded January 28, 1878, the Yale Daily News is the nation's oldest college daily newspaper. The News now publishes Monday through Friday during the academic year and serves the communities of Yale University and New Haven, Connecticut. In addition to the daily newspaper, the News publishes Scene, a Friday supplement with reviews and articles about arts and culture, and Sports Monday, a Monday section providing expanded, in-depth sports coverage. The News also publishes several special-occasion issues every year, including the Parent's Weekend issue, the Harvard-Yale Game issue, the Freshman issue and the Commencement issue.

The Yale Daily News is produced by a very dedicated, all-volunteer undergraduate staff. Most of the reporters are freshmen and sophomores, while the editorial board is, with few exceptions, comprised of juniors. The Yale Daily News is the primary division of the Yale Daily News Publishing Co., which is headed by the YDN’s editor in chief and its publisher. In addition to the daily newspaper, the YDN Publishing Co. produces the monthly Yale Daily News Magazine and the Insider's Guide to the Colleges.

MindComet to Host First Ever Florida DrupalCamp

2009-01-28 00:00:00

MindComet, the Interactive agency with headquarters in Orlando, FL will host the first Florida DrupalCamp February 7th, giving developers and others interested in learning more about Drupal, a place to meet and learn with a full days worth of training sessions. DrupalCamp is being offered as a free, one-day training event from 9am-5pm with a networking event following. Classes and discussions are tailored for beginners to experts from topics on Killer Modules to Start-to-Finish sessions on Configuration, Design and Photoshop.

Drupal is an open source content management platform that supports a variety of websites from personal websites to large community-driven websites. The software allows individual(s) or a community of users to publish, manage and organize content on a website. Out of the tens of thousands of people and organizations that use Drupal, developers use the software primarily for community web portals, discussion sites, corporate web sites, Intranet applications, personal web sites and social networking sites. Drupal also had dozen of add on modules that enable features such as content management systems, blogs, forums, peer-to-peer networks, newsletters, podcasting and picture galleries.

“With so much customization that Drupal offers, we realized we needed more than just an online group or a short meeting each month to share ideas and learn from others,” commented Andrew Riley, MindComet's Software Development Manager and Co-founder of Florida DrupalCamp. MindComet leverages the open source software based on its clients needs including the ability for users to upload and change content on the fly to leveraging the different features such blogs, forums and newsletter built within the content management system. Riley will be presenting a session at the camp on DisneyChildrensHospital.com, a Florida Hospital website built on Drupal's content management system.

Topics being covered in the Florida DrupalCamp include: Intro to Module Development, Laying out Content with Views and Panels, Start-to-Finish: Design for Drupal and Start to Finish: Photoshop to Drupal. Presenting at the event include Mike Anello, Co-Owner of Anello Consulting, MindComet's Software Development Manager, Andrew Riley, also presenting from MindComet is Alex Zelenak a Senior Designer and Doug Green from Engineer / Partner, CivicActions. For a full list of presenters and schedule visit: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pK5OnlfsP9Y1NUvxGDtTDMg.

The organizers of Florida's DrupalCamp have its sponsors to thank for making the event possible including: acquia, CivicActions, Right Sprocket, Packt Publishing, Lullabot, efSmart, Starbucks Coffee Company and Einstein Bros. Bagels. To register for the event, visit: http://drupalflorida.eventbrite.com. The event location is located at 385 Pearl Lake Causeway, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714. For future events and information on Florida DrupalCamp, follow them on Twitter @fldrupacamp.

Go the Extra Mile

2009-01-12 00:00:00

Originally published in FuelNet.

Proven ways to get closer to your customers online

January 12, 2009
Edited by: Ken Beaulieu in: Customer Relationship Marketing

As people increasingly move online to research purchases, request information, and conduct transactions, human interaction is being replaced by points and clicks. For businesses, this is both good and bad news. While the Web offers unparalleled convenience and efficiency, online customer relationship building doesn’t just happen — companies need to go the extra mile. Here are some ways to put your best virtual foot forward as part of a relationship marketing strategy:

Learn the secrets for engaging emotionally with your customers and prospects to ensure long-lasting and profitable relationships in FuelNet Monthly. Get entertaining, provocative insights into today’s best business ideas — and idea makers — that are shaping marketing, generating sales and producing profits.

Offer member benefits. Encourage customers to tell you more by registering on your site. In exchange for their information, offer access to “members-only” sales, resources, or promotions. “This helps customers feel valued and allows opportunities to deliver special offers tailored to their needs,” says Megan Smith, marketing consultant for Richards Relationship Marketing, in Dallas.

Be responsive. Since nothing kills relationships like unreturned email messages, responding to queries should be a top priority. “If a brand fails to use the communication channels provided to customers, [it] risks not only losing the customer, but also backlash due to poor service,” says Kelly Reaves, media director at MindComet Corp., in Orlando, Fla.

Get customers involved. Give customers an emotional stake in your success, and encourage viral marketing by asking them to provide expert commentary or referrals. Ann Roskey, a customer relationship management expert with Accela Communications in Southboro, Mass., recommends producing video customer testimonials for the Web. Or host an online video contest and get customers to create their own testimonials. “This would give [businesses] the benefit of a customer endorsement — the best kind of word-of-mouth marketing there is,” Roskey says.

Acknowledge economic challenges. Even as spending slows, creative businesses are finding ways to turn adversity into opportunity. Reaves cites Houlihan’s Cinco de July-O email promotion, which invited consumers who cancelled summer vacations because of gas prices to a celebration at the chain’s restaurants. The campaign increased sales 26 percent over the previous year.

For more customer relationship marketing tips, download the January issue of FuelNet Monthly, an 8-page newsletter designed to help owners and managers of companies of every size maximize their marketing opportunities and grow their business. Other issue highlights include:

4 email marketing trends you can’t ignore in 2009
Tips for building customer relationships online
How to bridge the gap between marketing and PR
The secrets to superior customer service
Ways to spread your advocacy message online

Permalink: http://www.fuelnet.com/?p=856

Tags: customer relationship building, customer relationship management, relationship marketing

doterati's 2009 Board Elections Elect Two of MindComets Leadership Team

2009-01-09 00:00:00

January 9, 2009 -- doterati, Central Florida’s interactive marketing, media and technology not for profit organization held their 2009 board elections at CoLab Orlando January 9th where MindComet’s Jeremy Hilton and Kelly Reaves were nominated for positions and elected. The nominated slate was voted in ‘as is’ by the paying members who attended the board elections or voted in by proxy. doterati focuses on advancing the central Florida interactive marketing, media and technology community by serving as an association for professional development, education and community networking.

Jeremy Hilton, MindComet’s Director of Information Systems and also a founding member of doterati was nominated and elected for doterati's Community Director position. Hilton manages MindComet’s system engineering, software development and quality assurance group. His passion for social media has led him to furthering MindComet’s involvement in the community in addition to educating our clients on social media strategies. As Community Director for Doterati, Hilton will foster the growth of doterati’s online community through participation in social media, online discussions and developing content for the doterati website. Hilton will also focus his efforts on expanding the offline community through partnerships with other local organizations. For more information on Hilton visit his doterati profile.

Kelly Reaves, MindComet’s Media Director was nominated and elected for doterati's Communications Director position. Reaves currently oversees MindComet’s email and media team managing multiple online initiatives and email communications programs. As Communications Director for doterati, Reaves will assist the Secretary/Vice President - Administration and the remainder of the Board on all communications related to the board of directors in addition to serving the general membership by fostering communications efficient and effective directly with members or as a liaison between committees. For more information on Reaves, visit her doterati profile.

doterati was formed in early 2008 with an advisory council and 2008 doterati board shaping how the association would benefit central Florida’s leaders, influencers, knowledge seekers and other digital marketing enthusiasts. A placeholder website launched in June and offline events and networking events popularly known as 'tweet ups' began to occur in mid 2008. The community now has over five hundred online members. For the full list of elected members and to learn more about doterati, visit: http://doterati.com.

Companies' message to children: We Care

2009-01-05 00:00:00

Originally published in the Orlando Sentinel.

Linda Florea |Sentinel Staff Writer

January 5, 2009

A team of interior designers and administrative staff from Baker Barrios Architects Inc. joined other volunteers from furniture dealer Workplace Resource of Central Florida, EA Tiburon, DLR Group, MindComet Corp., VOA Associates Inc., Full Sail University, SunTrust Banks Inc. and L2 Studios recently at the Walt Disney World Branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida in Pine Hills.

The companies put together a holiday event known as We Care, a partnership of nonprofit groups and businesses conducted in 23 cities nationwide and for the second time in Orlando. The event, begun more than 10 years ago by Geiger International, allows children to make holiday crafts as gifts for loved ones or to keep.

The event fills a need for children whose families might not be able to provide gifts or afford a visit from Santa Claus. The 180 children who attended this year's We Care event ranged in age from 6 to 18.

"The Workplace Resource team is gratified to be able to continue the We Care legacy of giving back to those in the community who are less fortunate," said Steven Edwards, managing partner of Workplace Resource, a Herman Miller furniture dealer.

The companies contributed thousands of dollars in material and labor to provide supplies, staffing, entertainment and decorations. The evening included face painting, balloon artists, popcorn, holiday music and an opportunity for the children to have their picture taken with Santa

Briefly . . .

Maxwell Lightning Protection of Florida had a Christmas party toy fundraiser for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots. Piles of toys were donated, and $2,000 was raised. Maxwell Lightning donated $1,000 to Toys for Tots, $1,500 to the Orlando Sentinel Family Fund, $1,000 to The Russell Home, $1,500 to Boggy Creek Gang, $800 to Give Kids the World plus $3,850 in grounding for a new playground, $1,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, $1,000 to American Red Cross, $250 to MDA, $1,000 to Wounded Warriors and $250 to Lymphoma Research Center.

Lockheed Martin employees donated more than 900 gifts to Orlando's Community Care for the Elderly during the holiday season. Recipients include seniors in Brevard, Orange and Seminole counties. Donations included food, clothing and personal care items. Lockheed Martin employees come together twice each year to support CCE gift drives. Lockheed Martin had its first CCE holiday gift drive six years ago.

PBSJ Corp., with an office in Orlando, recently announced the award of a grant for $9,000 over three years to the Melissa Pellegrin Memorial Scholarship through the Society for Technical Communication in Orlando.

Wealth management firm 1694 Inc. donated $4,800 to sponsor Project Vandalism, an Orlando nonprofit that raises money for victims of spinal-cord injuries to buy handicap-accessible vans. Daniel J. Voccia, president of 1694 Inc., also raffled off $1,694 to support the cause before the "Walk Because You Can" event Nov. 16.

Staff, faculty and students at the four Central Florida University of Phoenix locations collected more than 500 food items during a two-week drive to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.

EA Tiburon of Orlando recently donated $12,500 to Oak Ridge High School for the Electronic Arts Next Level Digital Media & Gaming Program to provide curriculum to motivate and retain talented students. The grant money will provide tools, training, mentors, field trips and educational programs.

Bloomingdale 's employees at The Mall at Millenia celebrated the holiday season by collecting about 75 new toys and gifts for children in Central Florida served by Mustard Seed. The effort was organized by Bloomingdale's Partners in Time, an employee committee encouraging and coordinating philanthropic opportunities.

Tijuana Flats of Winter Park donated 116 bicycles and helmets to the students of Frontline Head Start recently. This is the 13th year that the restaurant has donated holiday gifts to the students.

The Retired Employees Association of Lockheed Martin of Central Florida recently donated $1,000 each to the Mustard Seed Furniture and Clothing Bank of Central Florida, Seniors First Inc., Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Florida and the Russell Home for Atypical Children.

E-mail your information to businessnews@orlandosentinel.com or call 407-420-6063.

Website Redesign Invokes Lifestyle and Emotion to Reposition Canned Tuna as Contemporary Food Choice

2008-12-15 00:00:00

December 15, 2008 -- The National Fisheries Institute and its trade group, TheTuna Council, engaged Orlando-based Interactive Agency, MindComet, to redesign TunaFacts.org, the Tuna Council’s website. The new site harnesses the convenience, taste and fun of canned tuna as part of every day, on-the-go lifestyles. The site also offers independent, new data suggesting Americans simply do not eat enough fish of any kind for optimum health and important studies demonstrating the importance of eating fish like canned tuna for heart health and fetal development The Tuna Council represents the major U.S tuna brands, in the U.S. which include Bumble Bee®, Chicken of the Sea® and StarKist®.

Prior to the redesign the Tuna Council site consisted of rational and fact based information with little emotional and branding elements. The newly redesigned site now portrays tuna as a lifestyle brand through new data, content and imagery. Additionally, the new website offers over forty recipes based on cuisine, technique and meal type to find recipes of their liking and rate them accordingly while reading up on the latest health, nutrition and safety information pertaining to tuna.

To allow the NFI and the Tuna Council the flexibility to update content on the fly, MindComet built HealthyTuna’s website on an open source content management system (CMS), Drupal. “In addition to the ease of adding content we also leveraged Drupal’s functionality to give the Tuna Council the ability to change out the translucent background color of the site based on preset date or manually to a new color of their choice assisting with the emotional and branding aspects of the site” commented Andrew Riley, lead developer of the project and Associate Director of Software Development at MindComet. “We feel the updated layout of the site provides the end user a more enjoyable experience. Additionally, we were able to incorporate new imagery of tuna dishes letting consumers see the healthy and savory options tuna can add to a consumers everyday diet,” stated Mary Anne Hansan, Vice President, National Fisheries Institute, Tuna Council.

MindComet and the National Fisheries Institute have worked together or previous web based projects including the redesign of AboutSeafood.com and EatShrimp.com.
For more information on NFI, seafood recipes, seafood safety and seafood sustainability information, visit AboutSeafood.com. For more information pertaining to shrimp recipes and its health benefits, visit EatShrimp.com.

About the Tuna Council
The Tuna Council represents U.S. canned tuna processors speaking for the tuna industry on numerous issues from fishing access arrangements and federal and state regulations, to sustainability and domestic marketing.

Bankers Healthcare Group Redesigns Website to Accommodate Customers Needs by Increasing Site Usability and Enhancing Brands Website Look and Feel

2008-11-10 00:00:00

Bankers Healthcare Group, a lender focused in the healthcare industry, partnered with leading central Florida interactive agency, MindComet to redesign their website to better accommodate their customers needs. Bankers Healthcare Group lends unsecured working capital to healthcare professionals focusing solely on funding the needs and aspirations of healthcare professionals nationwide. BHG’s loan programs consist of providing working capital, debt consolidation, expansion & improvements, equipment financing and practice acquisition targeted mainly to medical doctors, dentists, veterinarians and chiropractors.

Despite the current national economic crisis, BHG continues to lend unsecured working capital to healthcare providers in need. As a private equity corporation, BHG is able to lend quickly and efficiently to all specialties within the healthcare arena. With that, BHG focused on updating the existing website to provide loan applicants ease of use over the loan application process and useful information to aid customers in determining if BHG could meet their loan requests. The newly redesigned BHG site allows loan applicants the preference of filling out loan applications online, over the phone or by faxing in applications in a simple three step process. With offices in upstate New York and South Florida, BHG’s national reach allows loan applicants to apply for financing of working capital needs unsecured, up to $200,000. Beyond that, BHG offers funding up to $400,000 secured. Applicants are approved within 24 hours where BHG can provide approved customers with with loan proceeds within a week of approval.

BHG has been honored the past three years by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S.. “Our strong customer service and unmatched speed in funding our customers has given us a competitive advantage over the traditional lenders and we show this through our new website with an easy three step loan application process, helpful resources and multiple ways of contacting us for additional support,” stated President of BHG, Robert Castro. “We simplified BHG’s loan application process to three steps considering a doctors limited time, also giving BHG sales representatives the required information needed to process loans more quickly and efficiently going back to BHG’s goals of providing unparalleled customer service and unmatched speed in funding,” commented MindComet’s Executive Vice President, Doug White.

Aside from Bankers Healthcare Groups website, BHG also focuses marketing efforts on direct mail, print advertising, search engine marketing and attendance of relevant tradeshows. Additionally, BHG has partnered with MindComet to assist in the area of email marketing communications providing customers an additional way to receive information on BHG and other resources. For more information on Bankers Healthcare Group, visit http://www.bhg-inc.com.

About BHG
Since 1992 Bankers Healthcare Group, Inc. has been providing unsecured working capital for healthcare professionals of all specialties throughout the United States. Our growth and success is attributed to our business model, built and designed to support the needs of our customers. With a proven track record of success, Bankers Healthcare Group was ranked as the 5th Fastest Growing Private Company by Inc. Magazine in 2005, and was again recognized in 2007 and 2008.

WenteVineyards.com Redesigns Website to Showcase the Desintations Appeal

2008-09-29 00:00:00

WenteVineyards, a family owned wine vineyard located just outside the Bay area in Livermore, California partnered with MindComet, a leading Interactive Agency out of central Florida to revamp their website to better portray the destination’s attributes. The California vineyard includes a restaurant, Greg Norman designed golf course, summer concert series and location for hosting weddings and other events.

Wente engaged MindComet for their expertise in creative design and development that would take their outdated and hard to update site to a look and feel that would portray the website as if visiting the vineyard itself. Additionally, MindComet focused on giving Wente’s team more control and flexibility with updating each section of the site. The newly redesigned site included added functionality such as photo galleries that highlight the property, downloadable wine notes to better educate wine drinkers, a wine finder on where consumers can buy Wente’s wine and a daily updated restaurant menu. The redesigned site was built using a content management system (CMS) allowing Wente’s staff to update content pertaining to their area of expertise as needed.

“In having visited Wente’s vineyard prior to the redesign allowed our team to better visualize what a consumer should experience when they visit the site, which is more than just a winery,” stated MindComet’s Executive Vice President, Doug White. Wente Vineyards Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Amy Hoopes commented, “The redesign and layout better portrays what you can expect if you visit the vineyard, while giving our staff ease of control in updating the site to provide visitors with the most up to date information on Wente’s news and events”.

In being in business for 125 years, Wente Vineyards is in full swing post launch with a special prix fixe dinner offering, newly released wines from the Nth Degree Syrah, events such as a print making event by Edmee Acuna Keele and upcoming holiday festivities. All information on Wente’s news and upcoming events are available on their website, http://www.wentevineyards.com.

About Wente Vineyards
Wente Vineyards is the oldest continuously family owned and operated winery in California. Based in the Livermore Valley, just 30 miles east of the San Francisco Bay, Wente Vineyards is a dynamic winery that continues to innovate, building on its proud history. In addition to producing world class wines, the winery offers wine country experiences, including a Restaurant, Events Center, Summer Concert Series, and Greg Norman designed Golf Course. Wente Family Estates is the national and international sales and marketing organization for Wente Vineyards as well as our other Livermore Valley wineries, TamEstates and Murrieta’s Well.

MindComet Presented with Four WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association

2008-09-16 00:00:00

The Web Marketing Association (WMA), an organization of volunteered advertising, PR and design professionals working to improve the quality of website development and online marketing announced today that MindComet, Central Florida’s leading interactive agency won four WebAwards. The WebAward Competition, the premier award event for web developers and marketers worldwide has been helping interactive professionals promote their companies and work to the outside world for 12 years running.

With four WebAward levels (Best of Show Website, Best Website of Industry, Outstanding Website and Standard of Excellence) MindComet took home two Outstanding Website Awards and two Standard of Excellence Awards. The Best of Show Website goes to one website each year. The Best Website of Industry is a head-to-head competition against websites entered in the same category. Outstanding Website Awards recognize those with outstanding sites while the Standard of Excellence Award recognizes the excellence that all websites should strive to be like.

With each submission being judged on seven different criteria earning a score between 0 and 70 points, MindComet ranked above the Industry average and WebAward average for all four awards in their categories. Winning alongside Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online in the entertainment category, MindComet received an Outstanding Website Award on their Web 2.0 style work on CelebTV.com. MindComet’s second Outstanding Website Award was in the food industry category for the National Fisheries Institute’s, AboutSeafood.com website with highlighted mentions around the design, ease of navigation and information available. For the two Standard of Excellence Awards, MindComet received one for the development of the online motorsports authority site, Speedtv.com in the TV category alongside FOX's "House" and the other for the development of Florida Hospital’s Global Robotics Institute website in the healthcare industry placing alongside the Mayo Clinic.

“The WebAwards recognizes individuals and organizations hard work and creativity put into the development and marketing efforts of top websites throughout the world,” comments David Martin, Creative Director at MindComet. “To see that our work on behalf of our clients have surpassed the industry and WebAward averages shows the creativity, thoroughness and dedication it takes from an award winning team”.

On its twelfth year running, the WMA WebAwards showcases the best websites in 96 industries in addition to setting the standard of excellence for all website development. Over 2,400 sites from 40 different countries were submitted for this year’s competition where all entries were judged on design, copy writing, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation and use of technology. A complete list of winning sites can be found at the WebAward site, http://www.webaward.org. To view MindComet’s 2008 award winning sites, visit: http://www.celebtv.com, http://www.aboutseafood.com, http://www.speedtv.com and http://www.globalroboticsinstitute.com.

About the Web Marketing Association

The Web Marketing Association is working to create a high standard of excellence for website development and marketing on the Internet. Staffed by volunteers, it is made up of Internet marketing, advertising, PR and design professionals who share an interest in improving the quality of website development and marketing on the Internet. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association's annual WebAward Competition has been helping interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world. Now in its eleventh year, the WebAward Competition has become the premier award event for web developers and marketers worldwide.

Florida Hospital Partners with MindComet on the Strategic and Creative Development of the Disney Childrens Hospital at Florida Hospital Website

2008-08-27 00:00:00

August 27, 2008 Orlando, FL -- MindComet, the premiere interactive agency based out of central Florida unveiled the Disney Children’s Hospital at Florida Hospital website (http://www.disneychildrens.com) today. The site, which is devoted to providing care givers with information on the hospital’s pediatric specialties and programs, is the newest venture for the hospital group acting as a model for pediatric hospitals beyond the region.

The Disney Children’s Hospital at Florida Hospital focuses on providing patient caregivers a destination facility for pediatric treatment with an emphasis on international patients for pediatric surgery and neurology. The website is devoted primarily to parents researching pediatric hospitals providing them a wealth of information on the hospital’s advanced pediatric surgeries. Additionally, the website provides information on Kids Docs’, Disney Children’s Hospital at Florida Hospital group of 60 pediatric specialists as well as the hospital’s Child Life Specialists who take the ease out of a hospital stay. The website can be described as a unique experience with different creative Disney themes including the rain forest, underwater habitat, the forest and savannah which all correlate to the different nature scenes within the hospital. The website’s overall theme portrays “healing through imagination,” which aims to provide a sense of comfort to the audience researching medical needs.

“The experience of the website shows the collaboration between Florida Hospital and Walt Disney World which has combined the magic and hope of Disney with the care and compassion of Florida Hospital, allowing parents to feel more at ease when researching pediatric needs for their child,” comments Marcelle Turner, President of MindComet. As quoted on the site, Lars Houmann, President of Florida Hospital states, “Together, we are building a children’s hospital we hope will usher in a new era of healthcare and serve as a model for future hospitals.”

MindComet and Florida Hospital have partnered on previous engagements including the creative development and strategy of Florida Hospitals Global Robotics Institute (http://www.globalroboticsinstitute.com/), Florida Hospital Celebration Health’s Center for Adhesions (http://www.adhesionscenter.com/) and Florida Hospital’s Employee Choice Healthcare System (http://www.myemployeechoice.org/). For more information on MindComet, visit http://www.mindcomet.com.

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About Florida Hospital
Florida Hospital, comprised of seven Orlando Hospitals, is owned and operated by Adventist Health System, a part of the worldwide organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church with the Disney Children’s Hospital concentrating on pediatric surgical advancement with a focus on innovative technology and quality outcomes. For more information on Disney Children's Hospital at Florida Hospital, visit http://www.disneychildrens.com.

MindComet Campaign to Rocket into Space

2008-08-21 00:00:00

Originally Published in Clickz News.

When the executive producer of a game about a war against space aliens decides himself to travel to space, what can be expected? That he designs a marketing campaign around his space travel, of course.

Richard Garriott, a luminary in the video game industry, made arrangements to travel to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in October. From there, a marketing campaign was crafted to promote the "Tabula Rasa" game released last year.

"He worked for years on this science fiction game, going into space, fighting on other planets, and he's going to go to into space himself. It makes sense that with him going into space we should tie this in," said Starr Long, the producer of "Tabula Rasa" at NCsoft.

NCsoft teamed up with digital agency MindComet to create a campaign to get gamers to participate, and sign up for the game. The result is "Operation Immortality." Users can go to the site to "leave your mark." The mission is to collect an imprint or "reboot" of humankind, a time capsule telling of humanity's greatest achievements through user comments and polls. Users can vote on the best songs, musical groups, movies, and other icons deemed important.

All contributions, including the digital DNA of select users, will be uploaded to a 16 gigabyte Flash drive and brought to the International Space Station as an "offsite backup." The DNA samples include 40 winners from weekly drawings, a number of members of the press, and celebrities. Some of those celebrities include best selling author Tracy Hickman, Olympic gold medalist Scott Johnson, and Texas musician Joe Ely.

MindComet crafted the campaign, though the agency split several marketing duties with NCsoft. "It was a partnership, there were things they wanted to handle internally, and things they needed our support with," said David Martin, creative director at MindComet.

On the Operation Immortality site, users can respond to polls and submit their thoughts on what they think are turning points in history. Visitors can also learn more about the Tabula Rasa game

E-mail campaigns targeted current and inactive NCsoft customers including customers of other games. "Predominantly we want to tap into existing NCsoft customers, inactive customers, users in other campaigns; [we] sent targeted e-mails to those targeted groups," Martin said.

Messaging included information on new features and deployments that were part of Tabula Rasa. In the case of inactive users, the messaging urged them to get on board the Operation Immortality campaign. "We changed the messaging [for different user segments], with different subjects, e-mails, different calls-to-action," said Martin.

The site was launched on July 30, and will run close to the time when Garriott rockets into space in October. A banner ad campaign, run by NCsoft, continues to maintain the momentum. The buy includes a homepage takeover on MMORPG.com featuring a Tabula Rasa and Operation Immortality inspired background. The media buy includes homepage takeovers and banners running on other game enthusiast sites as well.

An additional site supporting the campaign is Richard in Space, which details Garriott's experiences and objectives in going into space.

The contest will end before the Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches on October 12. However, NCsoft has further plans. "There's going to be in-game events while Richard is in space -- inside the game," Long said. The details have yet to be announced. "We'll be in communication with him while he's there."

MindComet Promotes NCsoft's Tabula Rasa with "Operation Immortality"

2008-07-30 00:00:00

MindComet Campaign Developed to Drive Users to Free Trial of Fast-Paced Sci-Fi Gaming Title

MindComet, Central Florida’s premier digital agency and marketing technology developer, today announced the launch of “Operation Immortality,” the campaign designed around NCsoft’s Tabula Rasa® online computer game which gives users the ability to help fight human extinction. NCsoft® Corporation (KSE: 036570.KS), is the world’s leading publisher and developer of online computer games including the popular Lineage®, GuildWars® and City of Heroes®.

By interacting with Operation Immortality, users are able to contribute to mankind’s greatest achievements, upload personal messages for future generations to see, and may have their DNA digitized and stored in space – all within the idiom of the game. Richard Garriott, a leading game pioneer and also the executive producer of Tabula Rasa, is boarding a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in October 2008 where he will take with him the digital archive of participants’ selected “greatest achievements of mankind” and a snapshot of humanity itself. The archive will be stored at the International Space Station to serve as a remote “offsite backup” of humanity, should we suffer a fate where, like in Tabula Rasa, mankind must fight for their survival.

“One reason we decided to work with MindComet is the consultative and collaborative approach to their work,” said David Reid, VP of Marketing, for NCsoft. “Understanding the business of digital gaming media companies like ours is part of what separates MindComet from the vast majority of other digital agencies.”

MindComet and NCsoft expect Operation Immortality to extend and enhance other marketing efforts and drive more Tabula Rasa downloads to avid gamers through buzz creation on gaming communities and email marketing communications. MindComet’s developers have created a compelling, realistic experience by adding the same complexity and depth to Operation Immortality that the already popular Tabula Rasa’s users demand.

“The partnership with NCsoft is further evidence that MindComet is gaining nationally due to our unique expertise in the fast-growing world of digital social networks and gaming,” said Tara Lamberson, MindComet’s VP of Marketing and Solutions. “Everyone on MindComet’s digital marketing team looks forward to delivering a unique user experience in addition to new Tabula Rasa players for NCsoft.”

About NCsoft Corporation
NCsoft North America is headquartered in Austin, Texas and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation. NCsoft, with its own development and publishing offices in Texas and California, also works with other NCsoft subsidiaries and third party developers throughout North America to develop and publish innovative online entertainment software products. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles in the last three years and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage/Lineage II, City of Heroes/City of Villains®, Guild Wars/Guild Wars Factions®/Guild Wars Nightfall®, Guild Wars: Eye of the North™, Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa, Exteel™and Dungeon Runners™. More information about NCsoft can be found at www.PlayNC.com

MindComet Presents Redesigned EatShrimp.com to Express a Fresh and Savory Appeal

2008-06-16 00:00:00

Leading Social Media Agency Helps Make EatShrimp.com an Important and Healthful Consumer Resource

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing seafood health and education, and the Shrimp Council team up to redesign EatShrimp.com. NFI engaged MindComet to help the organization create a new look and feel for their informative seafood websites www.aboutseafood.com and www.eatshrimp.com.

After successfully launching the redesign for AboutSeafood.com in late May 2008, MindComet and NFI transitioned their focus to the EatShrimp.com site redesign. The new site is more consumer focused, sharing health, and nutritional information about shrimp under the NFI and Shrimp Council brand.

Employing some of the same widely used functionality on AboutSeafood.com, such as the popular recipe search, MindComet’s work on EatShimp.com enhances site usability while increasing consumer engagement. MindComet includes the EatShrimp widget designed last year for the EatShrimp site continuing to allowing EatShrimp.com users and shrimp fanatics a quick way to access their favorite recipes on their desktop. The website design provides shrimp lovers with recipes, health, and nutritional information all pertaining to shrimp, including cooking methods, nutritional facts, and cooking related videos.

“From finding and sorting through recipes, videos or nutritional information, the new site organization provides consumers enhanced usability and an improved user experience,” says NFI’s Vice President of Membership and Marketing, Judy Dashiell. “We hope the new look, feel, functionality and additional information will provide shrimp lovers a one stop location for all information pertaining to shrimp.”

For more information on the NFI and recent work with MindComet, visit www.aboutseafood.com and www.eatshrimp.com.

About NFI
The National Fisheries Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to education about seafood safety, sustainability, and nutrition. From vessels at sea to your favorite seafood restaurant, our diverse member companies bring delicious fish and shellfish to American families. NFI promotes the US Dietary Guidelines that suggest Americans include fish and shellfish in their diets twice per week for longer, healthier lives.

NFI and its members are committed to sustainable management of our oceans and being stewards of our environment by endorsing the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Fisheries. Our investment in our oceans today will provide our children and future generations the health benefits of a plentiful supply of fish and seafood tomorrow.

From responsible aquaculture, to a marketplace supporting free trade, to ensuring the media and consumers have the facts about the health benefits of fish and shellfish, NFI and its members support and promote sound public policy based on ground truth science.

iMedia - Dear Dawn: Is soliciting user content safe?

2008-06-13 00:00:00

Originally published in iMedia Connection. By Dawn Anfuso

Great user-generated content comes from great brand planning. MindComet explains how to create a framework for creativity.

Question:
eMarketer pronounced on April 17, "(t)he user-generated content movement is no longer a fad," in its piece "Can User-Generated Content Generate Revenue?" But UGC still seems to imply giving up control of my campaign. Does it have to be that way? What should I be doing to take advantage of UGC's popularity safely?

Answer:
Good question.

The article you mention projects that the number of UGC creators will rise from 77 million in 2007, to 108 million in 2012, which is a big number. On its face, UGC does seem like a volatile way to carry a message or build a brand. Many marketers are struggling with the dichotomy of campaign control verses the popularity and cost savings associated with UGC options.

I reached out to Tara Lamberson, vice president of marketing at MindComet, for some perspective and tips. Lamberson has four years of leadership experience at the interactive agency and is a recent co-author with MindComet President Paul Lewis of the book "Gen Y: Inside the Mind of Millennials."

"UGC is popular, but it can get out of control without the right parameters," Lamberson confirms. "UGC campaigns are more than funny videos or a vehicle for internet celebrity, although that is what many marketers associate with UGC. Ironically, great UGC is actually about great planning -- setting up a framework so that the user creativity can shine within a proscribed setting. This can prevent many of the pitfalls we commonly associate with bad UGC. It doesn't have to be an either-or scenario."

The type of framework, Lamberson says, depends on your campaign goals. But first, you must identify your target audience. Then, you can determine how you want to engage that audience, whether it's by having people submit commercials or simply contribute their own experiences to your brand messaging.

Whichever direction you choose, it helps to frame your UGC campaign as a competition and offer an award for participation. "Otherwise there isn't enough incentive for consumers to act, to put themselves out there," Lamberson says.

Making it a competition also provides for setting up quality control from the beginning with your rules for submissions and contestant registration process. "It is very important to get these pieces right," Lamberson says.

But even with rules and restrictions, "some UGC creators will get carried away," she adds. "So it is vital to also have a process that manually reviews and filters submitted UGC for profane and or obscene content prior to them being posted on the campaign site. We typically use a hybrid method leveraging an automatic technology solution in addition to the human element for manual reviews."

Another way of creating some structure is by giving creators a template or roadmap to follow. "Creating two or three starter or seed videos gives UGC creators examples to reference," Lamberson says.

Seed videos provide an additional benefit in that they can start the buzz online, serving as teasers to your promotion on YouTube and throughout the web. "Working with blogger networks to distribute seeded videos and information about the campaign site helps -- when individuals post on their blogs it creates several links back to your campaign promotional site, providing the initial exposure needed to tap into the mainstream online audience," she says. "It is critical in any word-of-mouth outreach to determine key influencers within the audience that will in turn spread the message."

According to Lamberson, search engine optimization -- making sure your home website or microsite is optimized so UGC creators can easily find it -- is equally important as seeding videos and blogger participation. "Optimizing pages and keywords within your campaign site increases organic search engine results," she says.

A final step in managing a UGC campaign, Lamberson says, is to implement an email communication campaign. "Email communications with UGC creators should follow a rough three-step design sent to users during the course of the campaign," she says. "First there should be an intro email, redefining the campaign and reiterating the rules of the contest. Second should be a referral email encouraging users to invite their friends to participate or to pass along content. The third email element should be winner notifications, announcing weekly winners and the grand prize winner."

For more insight on how to keep your brand from being harmed by user-generated content, see "Sandwich eaters spark UGA debate."

If anyone else has strategies to share, please add them to comments below.

And send me your questions -- yours might get featured in the next Dear Dawn!

Dawn Anfuso is senior editor at iMedia Connection.

Adding Greater Usability to the Mix, MindComet Makes Aboutseafood.com a Consumer Friendly Resource

2008-06-06 00:00:00

Today MindComet, Central Florida’s leading interactive agency and the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing seafood education, safety, and sustainability, re-launched NFI’s website. Aboutseafood.com delivers greater access and interactivity for consumers, partners, and the members of NFI. The site redesign brings new social media and consumer generated elements to the site including downloadable recipe cards, multiple blogs, seafood safety news for pregnant women, and an interactive human body, which highlights the benefits seafood has on correlating body parts such as the brain and heart.

The web redesign project began in January 2008 with several stakeholder interviews. While the website mainly focuses on the consumer interests it also serves the needs of industry insiders including NFI members and their partners. After collaborating with NFI to gather data from the existing site, MindComet began the development process. Within a few short months the creative design and web development were complete. MindComet successfully launched the redesign of the web resource for all things seafood in late May 2008.

“We really wanted the site to share seafood health benefits and consumer safety information while also being be fun and engaging to the end user,” said Vice President of Membership and Marketing, Judy Dashiell. “With the site having consumer generated media capabilities such as user submitted recipes and videos, it allows the consumers to not only obtain information, but to share their own as well. “

MindComet works with NFI on additional web related projects including online media buying, recipe widget development and search strategies for the Shrimp Council’s website EatShrimp.com. Additionally, MindComet is developing NFI’s eatshrimp.com website redesign, expected to launch in late June. For more information, visit www.aboutseafood.com.

About NFI
The National Fisheries Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to education about seafood safety, sustainability, and nutrition. From vessels at sea to your favorite seafood restaurant, our diverse member companies bring delicious fish and shellfish to American families. NFI promotes the US Dietary Guidelines that suggest Americans include fish and shellfish in their diets twice per week for longer, healthier lives.

NFI and its members are committed to sustainable management of our oceans and being stewards of our environment by endorsing the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Fisheries. Our investment in our oceans today will provide our children and future generations the health benefits of a plentiful supply of fish and seafood tomorrow.

From responsible aquaculture, to a marketplace supporting free trade, to ensuring the media and consumers have the facts about the health benefits of fish and shellfish, NFI and its members support and promote sound public policy based on ground truth science.

David Martin Promoted to Creative Director

2008-06-03 00:00:00

Originally published in Clickz: Events & Accounts.

MindComet promoted David Martin to creative director (April 2008.) Before joining the Orlando, FL, -based interactive agency, Martin worked as art director for WBCC TV, a public broadcasting affiliate.

Read David's bio.

MindComet Hosts Florida Drupal Users Group

2008-05-30 00:00:00

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, started hosting the Florida Drupal Users Group beginning in May 2008. Drupal is a free, open source content management system (CMS) written in the programming language PHP. A large community now helps develop Drupal, including many programmers and designers from Florida.

“I’m very excited about the growth and opportunity this user group will provide the community of users and developers in our area,” said MindComet Software Manager Andrew Riley. “One of the fundamental principles of open source software is to share knowledge and learning. We hope to increase visibility and understanding for the software, in addition to teaching the community.”

The group is composed of programmers, creatives, as well as general technology enthusiasts. Higher than expected numbers of non-technical community managers are starting to participate in order to learn how to utilize Drupal for their content. “We are starting from the beginning and teaching everyone from the ground up,” commented Riley. “We have experts and novices. While the lessons tend to focus on fundamentals, the networking opportunities are limitless.”

In their brief existence the group has attracted members from as far away as Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa. The group will also be hosting free conference calls to allow for additional accessibility - for those that are unable to make the trek to Orlando.

The Florida Drupal Users Group has close ties with FL Creatives, Doterati and they are exploring relationships with UCF, USF and other academic institutions to encourage expansion across a wide variety of skill levels. Drupal’s founder, Dries Buytaert, was also named most promising innovator of 2008 by Business Week.

About Drupal Groups
Groups.drupal.org facilitates collaboration for collections of Drupal fans everywhere. We host local meetup groups like Toronto and South Africa. We host working groups like Views developers and High performance. These groups each get a home page where they can post. Those posts are offered via email and RSS to those who wish to subscribe. The posts are tagged for interesting browsing. http://groups.drupal.org/florida

BtoB Feature: Targeting iPhone Users

2008-05-28 00:00:00

Think different: Some companies are targeting iPhone users when they go mobile
Originally published in BtoB Magazine.

By Amy Syracuse
Story posted: May 27, 2008 - 11:48 am EDT

Ask an iPhone user what the device means to him or her and you'll likely hear that its advanced capabilities and user-friendly interface have been nothing less than life-changing.

Read More: Sidebar: To optimize or not to optimize?

Such statements might sound like hyperbole—the ravings of an ardent group of Apple-eyed gadget geeks. But recent studies indicate there is truth behind them. The iPhone is changing lives, at least where mobile Web use is involved.

A survey of 50,000 U.S. households conducted by iSuppli Corp. in the fourth quarter of 2007 found that iPhone users spent just 46.5% of their time on the device making calls, compared to 71.7% for the typical cell phone user. The rest of the time, they were reading and sending e-mail, browsing the Web and checking out Google Maps, among other tasks.

As these consumers’ behaviors change so, too, must those of marketers. Realizing this, more companies are testing campaigns targeting iPhone users to determine whether the way to their hearts is the $400-plus device they’re carrying in their pocket.

One example is Payless Car Rental, which this month unveiled an iPhone-optimized Web site that helps consumers research and reserve rental cars with minimal typing and clicking. The site focuses on the functions that most interest mobile users, with buttons for “Reserve a Car,” “View, Modify, or Cancel Reservation” and “Locations.” It also has a “Call to Book” button that connects directly to a call center.

According to Justin Talerico, CEO of ion interactive, a company that offers iPhone-optimized landing pages and other post-click marketing services, optimization should improve consumers’ interactions with marketing messages. And even though the iPhone was designed for easy browsing of the Web in its traditional format, there is room for improvement.

“[iPhone users] come to the table in a more … purposeful state of mind,” Talerico said. “In a way, they’re easier to convert. But you make them harder to convert if you give them an experience that’s subpar.”

Companies can deliver more satisfactory iPhone browsing experiences by simplifying landing page messaging, developing pages that load quickly over lower bandwidth connections, using fonts that are readable on a 3.5-inch screen and eliminating the need to scroll, regardless of whether the device is in portrait or landscape mode, Talerico said.

Jeff Lin, project leader of Payless Car Rental’s Web marketing strategy team, believes optimization paid off for Payless. “The number of iPhone … visitors and bookings has increased many fold since the launch of the interface,” he said. The press that accompanied the debuth has also helped with branding, Lin added.

Payless drives traffic to its iPhone site through RSS feeds, publicity and links on www.apple.com and www.paylesscarrental.com. Other companies have used online advertising to connect iPhone users with optimized content, said Jason Spero, VP-marketing for mobile advertising network AdMob.

In April, AdMob client Land Rover Group made online advertising purchases targeted to iPhone users. When they clicked, consumers reached landing pages where they could watch video, view pictures, access a store locater and click-to-call for a test drive.

Companies can target advertising buys within AdMob’s network according to device manufacturers and models, country or region, demographic groups and other factors. Spero called Land Rover’s work “highly successful” and said iPhone users are only becoming more active. “We have seen traffic to iPhones and iTouch devices grow rapidly in the last year,” he noted.

As much as the iPhone has already altered mobile Web usage, Tara Lamberson, VP-marketing and strategy for marketing agency MindComet Corp., believes more “life-changing” developments are on the horizon.

The June release of Apple’s Software Development Kit means select external developers and enterprise customers will be able to create custom widgets, games and even software platforms for the device. Marketers can use branded versions of such applications to boost brand awareness or deliver a call to action, said Lamberson.

In the long term, Lamberson thinks truly advanced mobile marketing capabilities—things like geo-targeting based on a user’s GPS coordinates—aren’t unrealistic. But with such opportunity comes tremendous responsibility.

“Direct marketing on the iPhone should be permission-based,” she said. But for those consumers who wish to receive iPhone marketing, “companies can be more relevant just by using those devices.”

DMNews talks with Mark Hardison, VP of marketing for restaurant El Pollo Loco

2008-05-19 00:00:00

Originally published in the May 19, 2008 Issue of DMNews

Mark Hardison, VP of marketing for Mexican-inspired fast food restaurant El Pollo Loco, explains how the chain was able to connect on a social level to engage consumers with a user-generated video campaign.

Q: Why did El Pollo Loco decide to explore UGC with the “Where's the flame grill?” campaign?

A: Our presence in the market that we do business in was previously limited to broadcast advertising and traditional media. We sought to have our consumers tell us why our product is so much better than other grilled chicken.

Q: Why did you feel a user-generated campaign would be more effective than a traditional media or broadcast advertising?

A: We wanted to connect directly with the consumers and give them a voice. This was our first foray into a consumer-generated campaign.

Q: So how did the campaign (with agency MindComet) work?

A: We really wanted to promote the fact that many of our competitors don't have flame grills in their restaurants. We wanted to point out that difference and drive it home for our target audience. At first, we had these really high hopes of getting consumers to take video cameras into our competitors and ask thecashier where the flame grill was and see what kind of responses we had. But when we met with our counsel, they said that we couldn't do that. We learned so much from the legal end on this.

Q: How did you reach consumers and what did they have to do?

A: We promoted it with an e-mail campaign and through blog posts on our site ElPolloLoco.com. We asked consumers to create a small video describing why El Pollo Loco flame grilled chicken is so much better than any other way of cooking chicken.

Q: What was the response rate?

A: We had more than 117 videos sent to us in 30 days. We had 30,000 new views on the microsite that had a duration of more than 2.5 minutes. So we had a lot of good interaction with consumers. If you submitted a video that was viewed the most you won a cash prize, a grill of your own and a gift card to El Pollo Loco.

Q: What were some of the key takeaways?

A: We think there is a lot of power in consumer-generated media. It is fun to have people interact with the brand in such an intimate way. Also, we learned about legal risk in consumer-generated media as well.

http://www.dmnews.com/DMNews-talks-with-Mark-Hardison-VP-of-marketing-for-restaurant-El-Pollo-Loco/article/110262/

MindComet Helps NCM Fathom Promote Unique In-Theatre Anime Events to Consumers Nationwide

2008-05-07 00:00:00

The highly anticipated in-theatre events featuring live action Death Note and Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody

NCM Fathom, the entertainment division of National CineMedia, joined forces with MindComet, Central Florida’s leading interactive agency to promote two Anime events, which premiered in select theaters nationwide over the spring months of May and June. Death Note, a live action version of the hit supernatural mystery ran only two nights, May 20th and 21st. Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody ran shortly thereafter in theaters June 11th and 12th.

With the events featuring Death Note and Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody sharing the same audience, MindComet and Fathom leveraged existing channels and used cross-marketing to promote the events. MindComet enlisted the help of anime forum administrators who posted information about the upcoming Fathom events on their boards, infiltrating and educating the anime scene. MindComet turned to bloggers from popular consumer generated media network SocialSpark who blogged about the films and provided their opinions and insight on anime related activities.

“Anime has such a large following that we knew, once we got the word out about these unique events, that the seats would start selling,” stated Laura Lear, Director of Marketing – National CineMedia. “Fathom has experienced great success bringing one-of-a-kind anime events to movie theaters and we’re delighted to give fans the chance to see some of their favorite anime characters on the big screen.”

Fathom excels in bringing top-notch entertainment to movie theaters across the country. MindComet works closely with Fathom to promote many of its events including the theatre re-release, accompanied by exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, of the original Rambo movie, First Blood, as well as the live action Death Note, and Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody. For more information, visit Fathom Events.

About National CineMedia, LLC
National CineMedia (NCM) LLC operates the largest digital in-theatre network in North America through long-term agreements with its founding members, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest theatre operators in the U.S., and through multi-year agreements with several other theatre operators. NCM LLC produces and distributes its FirstLook pre feature program; cinema and lobby advertising products; comprehensive meeting and event services and other entertainment programming content. NCM LLC's national network includes over 15,400 screens of which over 13,550 are part of the company's Digital Content Network (DCN). NCM LLC's network covers 170 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). During 2007, approximately 625 million patrons attended movies shown in theatres currently included in our network (excluding AMC Loews). National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 43.6% interest in and is the managing member of NCM LLC. For additional information, visit www.ncm.com or
www.FathomEvents.com.

NCM Fathom Leverages MindComet's Interactive Approach To Promote A Hearty Classic in Theaters

2008-05-05 00:00:00

The Movie That Started It All: Rambo in First Blood is Brought Back to Theaters for an Exclusive One Night Event

In May 2008, NCM Fathom, the entertainment division of National CineMedia, joined forces with MindComet, Central Florida’s leading interactive agency to promote a unique event featuring the re-release of Rambo: First Blood. Fathom specializes in producing unique cinema experiences to target audiences across the nation. The event ran for one night only, May 15th, in select theaters nationwide. Along with showing the original Rambo, patrons were treated to an alternate ending, and a never-before-seen interview with Sylvester Stallone.

To promote the event, MindComet generated online interest with an interactive website including a Rambo poll, a quiz with leader board rankings, and a printable Rambo mask that fans were encouraged to wear at the screening. Led by consumer generated media tactics, consumers visiting the site viewed the movie trailer, press release aggregators, and partner websites.

“We were thrilled to present such an iconic classic on the big screen, accompanied by never-before-scene footage. This gave people a chance to go to the movies and see an event they know they’re going to enjoy,” said Marketing Manager Jamie Woglom of Fathom.

MindComet works closely with Fathom to promote many of its exclusive events including 199 Lives: The Pastrana Story, as well as the live action Death Note, and Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody. All Fathom events feature never-before-seen footage, such as behind-the-scenes interviews, alternate endings and more, making these events a one-of-a-kind experience for audiences across the country.

About National CineMedia, LLC
National CineMedia (NCM) LLC operates the largest digital in-theatre network in North America through long-term agreements with its founding members, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest theatre operators in the U.S., and through multi-year agreements with several other theatre operators. NCM LLC produces and distributes its FirstLook pre feature program; cinema and lobby advertising products; comprehensive meeting and event services and other entertainment programming content. NCM LLC's national network includes over 15,400 screens of which over 13,550 are part of the company's Digital Content Network (DCN). NCM LLC's network covers 170 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). During 2007, approximately 625 million patrons attended movies shown in theatres currently included in our network (excluding AMC Loews). National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 43.6% interest in and is the managing member of NCM LLC. For additional information, visit www.ncm.com or
www.FathomEvents.com.

The Interactive Media Council, Inc. announces MindComet as 2008 Media Award Winner

2008-04-23 00:00:00

The Interactive Media Council, Inc. (IMC), a nonprofit organization of leading web designers, developers, programmers, advertisers and other web-related professionals, announced today that MindComet, Central Florida’s leading interactive agency, is a 2008 Interactive Media Awards™ winner in multiple categories. The Interactive Media Awards™, developed by IMC, recognize the highest standards of excellence in website design and development and honor individuals and organizations for their outstanding achievement.

MindComet is recognized in several categories including Best in Class Award “Manufacturing” with an overall score of 480 for its FLSmidth Minerals Global Website. The Best in Class award is the highest honor bestowed by the IMC. It represents the very best in planning, execution, and overall professionalism. To win this award MindComet’s site successfully passed a comprehensive judging process, achieving very high marks in each criteria - an achievement only a fraction of sites in the IMA competition earn each year.

MindComet was also recognized for the IMA Outstanding Achievement Award in several categories including “Web Design/Development” for MindComet’s Corporate Website, “Employment” for its work on ARAMARK’s College Recruiting Website, and “Education” for MindComet’s development of an interactive educational tool for SONY Electronics. The Outstanding Achievement award is the second highest honor bestowed by IMA and an extremely challenging award to win.

"The IMC recognizes the great talent driving the success of the interactive and new media industry," said Paul Lewis President and CEO of MindComet. "This year we competed with numerous finalists from across the globe, we are proud to have demonstrated the innovation and creativity necessary to win."

Every year the Interactive Media Awards™ elevate standards of excellence on the Internet and offer winners the opportunity for important recognition by their peers and a panel of experts. IMC serves as the primary sponsor and governing body of the Interactive Media Awards, establishes the judging system, and provides the judges for the competition, receiving hundreds of nominations from all corners of the interactive industry. Finalists are selected by a panel of industry experts in the categories of Design, Content, Feature Functionality, Usability and Standards Compliance. To win an IMA sites must excel in each criterion, rising above other submissions' sites.

About Interactive Media Council
Interactive Media Council (IMC), formerly known as Benjamin Services Group, Inc. (BSG), was originally created in 1998 as a loose collaboration of like-minded web professionals providing application development, creative services, e-business consulting and other marketing-related services to new and established businesses in the New York City area. Following the downturn in the New York web services marketplace, BSG began a greater focus on professional development and skill set collaboration among existing and new members, forming the beginning of a group dedicated to elevating standards among web professionals in usability, compatibility, code quality, content and more.

In 2002, BSG was formally dissolved and the Interactive Media Council was established. In 2006, IMC launched the Interactive Media Awards as a method of providing accomplished and talented web professionals with the endorsements and tools necessary to be recognized in the marketplace as leading providers of top-tier services.

MindComet Diversifies Client Roster in 2008

2008-04-14 00:00:00

MindComet announces significant diversification to its client portfolio in 2008. The opportunity to work with new brands has been fueled by expanding account teams, industry subject matter expertise and high-demand services such as viral & social media strategy and iPhone development.

The company has formed relationships with several new clients in recent months including NCM Fathom, Peachtree Financial, Wente Family Estates, Silver Hill Financial, Bankers Healthcare Group and CompleteTax (CCH.) In addition to new clients, MindComet has also expanded its engagements with current clients such as APM Terminals, Summit Energy and HDI.

“Opportunities are flourishing,” states MindComet President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Lewis. "We have a proven track record for delivering successful digital strategies to our client partners and I continue to see more and more companies shifting their budgets towards online initiatives."

Sales of strategic consulting and strategy development been particularly strong in Q1 due to the ever-shifting digital landscape. MindComet has seen this principle ring true across BtoB and BtoC clients, in addition to applying across various industries.

“In addition to building upon our financial service clientele, we’ve also extended into luxury marketing which has opened doors based on our demonstrable high quality design capabilities,” stated MindComet Senior Vice President of Sales and Strategy Douglas White. “I’m also personally excited to see us explore relationships with more entertainment brands. We have quite a few teams very excited to collaborate on the consumer driven strategy work.”

“Organizations everywhere are giving serious consideration as to how they need to adapt in order to thrive in such an interconnected world,” stated Lewis. “At MindComet we thrive on helping our clients develop strategies that will perform and have staying power in this exciting time.”

CelebTV.com and MindComet Team to Improve Usability and Engagement for Entertainment News and Content Consumers

2008-04-10 00:00:00

Today MindComet (www.mindcomet.com) and CelebTV.com, a division of Intersport, Inc. and leading creator, producer and distributor of world-class television and digital programming, launched CelebTV’s new enhanced website. The CelebTV site features breaking celebrity news coverage, professionally produced entertainment and user generated content.

By implementing the latest in Open Source technology www.CelebTV.com provides expansive video integration, ad targeting, and SEO optimization. Using open source technology produced tremendous costs saving enabling CelebTV.com to invest in the latest development technologies improving site design and user experience.

“The implementation of user commenting has provided immeasurable impact to our brand and our website’s engagement with users. I look forward to seeing the future evolution of user interactivity and how it will shape the way consumers engage with our content," Jason Coyle, President Digital Media, CelebTV.com.

AJAX programming enables the CelebTV.com site to provide an enhanced user experience. Users at the CelebTV.com site need not wait to download breaking video news coverage, which AJAX enables the site to update automatically. Containing a number of different windows and pull down menus that independently update from each other at a users request, the AJAX enabled site resembles familiar desktop applications—giving users faster access to information with multiple navigation options, without having to click through multiple pages or wait for downloads.

By implementing advanced consumer comment functionality, MindComet also provided ownership of CelebTV content to users. The advanced user commenting feature creates engagement within the site community. Other MindComet site enhancements include live streaming video integration, and an RSS solution which enables users to access content whenever and wherever they want on mobile devices, RSS readers, and personalized site aggregators like FeedBurner.

“We’re very pleased with the outcome of this launch because it reflects the progressive CelebTV entertainment brand while giving back something new and fun for the CelebTV.com community users,” said Tara Lamberson Vice President of marketing for MindComet. “It is always exciting to increase interactivity and enhance user engagement with content.”

About CelebTV.com
CelebTV.com delivers television-quality videos and up-to-the-minute entertainment news 24/7. From the red carpets and clubs to the courthouses, CelebTV.com brings you Hollywood's hottest news on demand. CelebTV.com produces over a dozen video reports daily, distributed via strategic partnerships with the dominant broadband and mobile video providers today.

CelebTV.com is a division of Intersport, Inc., a leading creator, producer and distributor of world-class television and digital programming. For more information, visit www.intersportnet.com.

MindComet Selected by BtoB Magazine as Top 100 Interactive Agency for the Second Year

2008-04-07 00:00:00

Recognized for Excellence in Interactive MindComet Keeps Expanding Its National Reach.

MindComet, Central Florida’s leading interactive agency, today announced that for the second year in a row it has been chosen by BtoB as one of the Magazine’s 100 Top Interactive Agencies. Each year, BtoB Magazine honors the achievements of the top business-to-business agencies in the United States. This year MindComet was one of only two Florida agencies to win the prestigious honor.

The annual Top 100 list was culled from four categories of agencies: small, midsize, large, and interactive. Eligible agencies offer full-service marketing, advertising, and communications services and are judged on five factors: outstanding work performed in 2007, percentage of b-to-b business, client wins, and business growth.

“We are very proud to be part of the BtoB Top 100 for a second year,” says Paul Lewis, MindComet’s President. “MindComet’s focus on driving results for our clients at each step of the engagement from consultation, to design, to integration, and execution, continues to expand our national presence. Our team loves what they do, and clearly, it shows. We are working hard to be on track for next year’s list!”

MindComet Teams Up With Fathom Events To Promote Groundbreaking Cinema Entertainment to Consumers Across the Country

2008-04-07 00:00:00

199 Lives: The Travis Pastrana Story in Theaters for Two Nights Only

NCM Fathom, the entertainment division of National CineMedia, joined forces with MindComet, Central Florida’s leading interactive agency to promote the exclusive in-theatre event featuring 199 Lives: The Travis Pastrana Story. With only a few weeks lead-time, MindComet drove awareness and ticket sales by creating and implementing a microsite that vividly encapsulated and conveyed the event’s unique branding, including an event video trailer and ticket information.

199 Lives ran for two nights only, April 16th and 17th, in select theaters nationwide giving motor sports fans in select cities just under two hours of non-stop action-packed entertainment. The unique event content follows 24 years of Travis Pastrana’s life through motocross, rally car racing, and his passionate desire to take everything to the extreme.

Fathom events are typically presented in theatres on one or two nights, giving consumers a brief window to secure tickets and catch the event. To meet this challenge MindComet created content for multiple racing and motorsport forums and email newsletters to increase awareness. MindComet advanced promotional efforts using partner websites, video sharing sites, and their network of motorsport enthusiasts, significantly increasing ticket sales.

“We were really excited to offer this event to a unique audience that typically doesn’t get to see this type of event. Fans were able to go to their local movie theatre and watch what they love, on the big screen,” commented Marketing Manager, Jamie Woglom of Fathom.

“The opportunity to promote an event under shortened timelines and with limited release is always an exciting challenge,” says Kelly Reaves, Fathom’s MindComet Media Manager. “It is a bit like guerrilla marketing; we get the team in, make a big impression, and get out quickly. It is always a lot of fun.”

MindComet works closely with Fathom to promote many of its exclusive events including the theatre re-release of the original Rambo movie, First Blood, as well as the live action Death Note, and Bleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody. All Fathom events feature never-before-seen footage, such as behind-the-scenes interviews, alternate endings and more, making these events a one-of-a-kind experience for audiences across the country.

About National CineMedia, LLC
National CineMedia (NCM) LLC operates the largest digital in-theatre network in North America through long-term agreements with its founding members, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest theatre operators in the U.S., and through multi-year agreements with several other theatre operators. NCM LLC produces and distributes its FirstLook pre feature program; cinema and lobby advertising products; comprehensive meeting and event services and other entertainment programming content. NCM LLC's national network includes over 15,400 screens of which over 13,550 are part of the company's Digital Content Network (DCN). NCM LLC's network covers 170 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). During 2007, approximately 625 million patrons attended movies shown in theatres currently included in our network (excluding AMC Loews). National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 43.6% interest in and is the managing member of NCM LLC. For additional information, visit www.ncm.com or
www.FathomEvents.com.

Using e-mail to promote conferences and events

2008-04-03 00:00:00

Originally published in BtoB Magazine.

By Judith Nemes

E-mail is one of the most popular ways for b-to-b marketers to publicize conferences or other events they’re hosting or attending. But to make sure customers and prospects learn about relevant events, marketers should gather user profile data on a regular basis and use it to target e-mail messages appropriately, said Tara Lamberson, VP-marketing at MindComet, an Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based interactive agency.

“It’s all about relevancy,” Lamberson said. “The more targeted your e-mails, the better chance you have of attracting [recipients’] interest in your upcoming event.”

Here are some tips she offered to make the most of your event-oriented e-mail campaigns.

1) Make sure the right people get invited to events they’d care about. If you already have established groups of people who come to conferences, e-mail is a great way to retain those attendees and give them information about upcoming seminars or conferences, Lamberson said.

If you’re just beginning to gather subscriber data, use surveys to determine what kinds of events customers and prospects would be interested in. Tapping advanced relationship marketing and behavioral targeting also can provide intuitive recommendations for relevancy, she said.

In addition, marketers are moving away from sending long newsletters listing upcoming events for the month or quarter, Lamberson said. “Marketers assumed the user would scroll through and pick the one that’s relevant for them,” she said. “The trend now is to send a targeted communication that has only two events instead of 10 to a customer who might be more likely to check them out.”

2) Timing matters. Marketers that send messaging out too far in advance run the risk of participants forgetting about the event. But if there’s too short a window, there’s a strong likelihood the e-mail recipient won’t attend, Lamberson said.

If the event is offline and participants need to book travel or seek budgetary approval, Lamberson recommended sending an initial notice between six months and 90 days in advance. For online events, messaging 90 days in advance gives interested recipients enough time to put it on their calendar, she said.

Sending out reminders as the event nears is important, too. Some companies ask people who sign up when and how they’d like to receive reminders—for instance, more e-mails or a text messagemeaning texting via cell phones?.

“If a user can tell you when and how to remind them, they are more likely to attend; and they might even refer colleagues because they’re satisfied with their experience,” she said.

3) Keep event announcements concise. A short e-mail is critical, Lamberson said. The top of the message should contain a brief sentence or two describing the event. Then, use a bullet format to tell e-mail recipients why they should attend, she suggested. Add a link to another site for more detailed information, and always have a call to action in every e-mail so recipients can sign up immediately if they want to, she said.

4) Don’t focus exclusively on the acquisition end of the event. Most marketers focus all their energy—and budget—on drawing people to their company’s events. However, there’s also great value in connecting with attendees via e-mail once the conference is over, Lamberson said. She suggested sending attendees from a recent event an e-mail with a link to an online survey to provide feedback. “It’s a great way to capture quantitative data, get testimonials and find out if this kind of event is still relevant for them going forward,” she said.

Mimeo taps customer evangelists to beat industry averages

2008-03-04 00:00:00

Originally published in DM News.

Whether you run a small or midsize business or have been stranded on a business trip away from your in-house copy center and administrative staff, you've probably used a chain copy center. Anyone among us has probably searched for one to make a deadline in Minneapolis or Miami at some point — I know I have.

Mimeo.com is one company that has taken the bricks-and-mortar model and set out to prove that stationary copy centers are no longer the gold standard of business copy services by offering a one-stop printing shop found exclusively on the Web. Despite being one of the fastest growing companies both on the Web and in the digital printing vertical, Mimeo needed to get the word out. Enter e-mail.

Mimeo's e-mail strategy converted referred leads into paying customers and centered on viral and social components. The e-mail program messaged active customers with a referral campaign to promote Mimeo.com's offerings. By soliciting the help of existing Mimeo.com customers, the campaign was more effective in leveraging viral facets and reaching interested consumers who were more likely to take the recommendation of their friends and social contacts.

The integrated, holiday CRM referral campaign consisted of two main e-mail messaging components. For each referral, existing customers were directed to enter their friends' contact information into the campaign's landing page, which automatically updated Mimeo's CRM database. Existing customers who participated were rewarded with $25 Amazon.com gift cards.

The new customer referrals received notification e-mails from Mimeo informing them of who referred them. Each e-mail call to action, “See why your friend is delighted with Mimeo.com,” directed consumers to the Mimeo campaign landing page to enter their contact information. Participating new consumers were offered $100 in free printing services from Mimeo.

The campaign surpassed Mimeo's expectations. The average open rate of Mimeo's integrated holiday e-mail campaign was 44.46% with a click-through rate of 74.67%, and the referral portion of the campaign garnered an open rate of 54% and a click-through rate of 42.8%. New customer conversion rates were at 8%.

Seeking a solution that would complement its existing virtual printing center business structure, Mimeo turned to e-mail to assist with customer acquisition. Mimeo decided on an e-mail referral program that integrated its CRM system because it wanted to obtain new leads while rewarding their current customers. By creating an e-mail platform that tracked all customer communications while simultaneously updating Mimeo's existing CRM database, Mimeo used its sales life cycle to support its marketing initiative.

This campaign is a great start to Mimeo.com's entry into the e-mail marketing world and once again proves that satisfied customers are still an Internet business' greatest marketing asset.

iMedia Connection Brand Summit Interview

2008-02-13 00:00:00

Originally published in iMedia's Brand Summit Coverage.

MindComet VP Tara Lamberson talks shop and helps us make sense of the headlines that impact interactive marketers.

Tara Lamberson, VP of marketing and strategy at MindComet, lends her expertise as we probe the recent news stories that have shaped interactive marketing.

iMedia: By all accounts, there are some pretty gaudy predictions for growth in online advertising. But how do you see interactive responding to the possibility of a recession?

Lamberson: Since interactive is more accountable, it probably will not be as negatively impacted by an economic downturn. In fact, it may rise due to that accountability, and we've seen some of our larger national consumer clients already make larger commitments for 2008. Some discretionary work may suffer, like developing cool spec micro-sites for clients. But we think that the delta away from traditional may actually increase toward digital due to digital's increased accountability.

iMedia: Every few months, we hear about another small startup trying to break into the search market and take down Google. Do you see a real opening for a new contender in the search field?

Lamberson: We don't. One of the things we can all learn from the Microsoft bid on Yahoo is that there really is no clear No. 2, and there probably won't be for some time. Even the married "MicroHoo" would capture only about 30 percent of the search market. That said, different types of focused search within verticals (like within healthcare, what Expedia is doing and in social media and mashups) are on the rise and will create niche opportunities.

iMedia: Yahoo has been taking a beating lately, but it was once a model for internet success. Do you think Yahoo can return to its former glory, and what do you think the company will need to do to get there?

Lamberson: Yahoo jumped into a number of markets and opportunities without a clear and cohesive business strategy. The company still has some amazing properties and products in its portfolio. But it has not managed to harness them. According to reports, Jerry Yang has been taking a hard look at making these elements sing in concert. But it may be too late. The company has a ton of great technology and a zillion users, so the potential remains.

iMedia: If the Microsoft/Yahoo deal goes through, how do you see it changing interactive?

Lamberson: These are two organizations that have historically employed disparate business strategies, and there definitely could be some problems with integrating the two from an alignment standpoint. Yahoo has had trouble integrating its own purchases of other technology companies, and it is sometimes difficult to see the intended application of some of Microsoft's releases. Given the enormous complexity of this merger, we speculate that any impact, be it favorable or unfavorable, will not be felt anytime soon.

iMedia: What do you make of Google's decision to collaborate with Publicis? Will this lead to the birth of the so-called new agency model?

Lamberson: Google's goal is to reach closer to its advertising clients and support them in more sophisticated applications of technology. The agency's goal is to help position its clients' brands on the cutting edge of technology solutions, while still remaining involved in the creative strategy differentiation. I worry that there could be conflicts of interest within this collaboration because if you think of Google as much as a media channel as a technology, then it's akin to thinking of an ad agency as being in partnership with a TV network.

Better Communication Leads To Higher Retention Rates

2008-02-04 00:00:00

Originally published in MediaPost's Online Media Daily.

by Tara Lamberson, Monday, Feb 4, 2008 7:45 AM ET Rising employment rates have made college recruiting an even more competitive proposition for U.S. companies large and small in the last few years. As a result, many U.S. employers are exploring new approaches to recruit and retain top talent.

From large Web-managed recruiting services such as Monster or CareerBuilder to consulting firms that specialize in "recruitment process outsourcing" (RPO), many companies are turning to third-party solutions to control cost impacts and lost productivity associated with recruiting and retaining qualified applicants.

Companies that have embraced new Web strategies to optimize recruitment communications have found success. According to a recent study conducted by KPMG, just by improving their corporate recruiting Web sites, in 2007 British companies Unilever, the BBC, and the Royal Mail improved their recruitment while reducing their use of recruitment agencies by up to 80%.

Can companies that embrace Web 2.0 technologies improve recruiting efforts? Over the last year, my company has worked with a large global food services corporation to pilot a "Managed Email Communications" program to strengthen the company's effort to attract, recruit, and retain its fall college class. The goal of the program was to use closely tailored email messaging and viral marketing to increase awareness of company branding and generate interest in the company's college recruitment program. Each email communication was formatted so that recruits were specifically targeted with relevant content, engaging and informing identified students about the company at each stage of the recruitment process.

The campaign consisted of four messages in a series. More than half of the candidates opened the first message, with more than 20% clicking through to the company's Web site to learn more. The strong calls to action for the first message led to the higher click-through Rates (CTR), indicating that the email campaign clearly connected with its audience. With prompts in the first message to 'Learn More' and 'Contact Us' as well as links to the company's press room, investor relations, U.S. business and international Web sites, students were urged to learn about the company and prepare for interviews.

To extend the reach of the pilot campaign, a viral component was added--empowering candidates to "forward to a friend" information about careers with the food services company and available job opportunities. The viral component extended campaign outreach to candidates who otherwise may not have learned about the company, and expanded the company's recruitment database. The viral portion of the recruitment campaign led to a strong pool of additional candidates as each friend contacted through the viral campaign was invited to learn more about the company from either candidates selected by the food services giant or self-selected candidates with a clear affinity for the company.

The email recruitment program decreased attrition rates between those interested in the college program, those accepted, and those who arrived. The continued email communication generated excitement through the fall 2007 recruiting season. Progressive communication methodologies bring recruits closer to their employers and ensure return on investment. The food service giant experienced decreased attrition rates, reflecting the fact that new recruits felt connected to the organization more quickly, which experts know translates into stronger employee-retention rates. Overall, the company found that the email program increased internal recruiters' productivity and efficiency.

By taking advantage of the company's strong corporate presence and powerful brand recognition, the email communication program carried the right messages at the right time to future hires. The email program continues to assist the company in refining the execution of its recruiting process from analysis to understanding of our core audience, and to tracking trends. Each aspect of the email campaign affords the company new opportunities to tailor its messaging and future communications with recruits while using the viral component to build and expand its future recruitment initiatives.

With performance-based metrics now the norm in other areas of Web-based advertising, applying these accountability technologies to recruiting and retention makes sense. Using email recruiting and retention programs, companies may track performance and tie costs directly to results. As this piece illustrates, in addition to improving the quality of recruits and increasing retention rates, email can produce measurable results.

Thinking About Jumping Ship - MindComet's Take on Talent

2008-01-29 00:00:00

Thinking About Jumping Ship?
by Tara Lamberson

Originally published on TalentZoo.

Anyone on the hiring end knows that our industry is currently experiencing a worsening talent drought. Some of you may be looking around – in fact, I’d bank on it since you are reading this on the Talent Zoo website. It may be a good time to reevaluate your current position. Through staying close to our team here at MindComet I am able to share some of their insight into key points you should consider. Read these and think hard about how they may apply to you.

Who do I work for?

Interactive marketing is about building client relationships using marketing, communications, and cutting edge technology to support the building process. In other words, your company is worth little without its team members. You should start your relationship building practice within, and with your employees first. In the interactive space, where money isn’t everything, fun, nurturing, and exciting opportunities rule the day. Team members need leaders that listen, qualified teammates who know how to collaborate, the ability to enjoy life outside work, and room to move horizontally or vertically depending on preferences for knowledge expansion across mediums or increased corporate responsibilities.

Where am I working?

Employees are tired of Chicago winters, the cost of living in New York or San Francisco, and the traffic in Los Angeles or Seattle; they may be thinking about a change of venue. Whether they are looking for a lifestyle change, the ability to buy a house, or take mass transit to work, there are many alternatives. For those who want to make their mark, there are plenty of opportunities in smaller venues to play a larger role (and maybe even have a life) in nascent interactive markets.

Moving to a smaller market no longer means sacrificing working with the best and brightest. At our company, we have some of the most geographically diverse and talented team members of any interactive agency nationwide. Our team includes members who started their careers in LA, Denver, Miami, Chicago, and New York who left the environmental stress of larger markets for the higher quality of life that Central Florida offers. The pull of less stress is a major one that you need to consider.

What am I doing?

Interactive agencies should provide their employees a unique mix between an interactive marketing and consulting, and the opportunity to create and advance new technologies. Large market interactive agencies partner with industry leaders around the country to provide clients with the highest level of collaborative return. While it is very important to give team members access to blue chip and bleeding edge work experience, operations and overhead costs associated with larger markets often drive other metrics which negatively affect team building.

Companies with smaller market headquarters can keep production costs low enough to give them an edge over the larger agencies in key geographical areas while still having a presence for accounts in those larger markets. So, it is vital that you get to interact with the clients and learn consultatively – otherwise, why would you stay where you are?

Who am I working with?

Interactive agency team members work very closely with one another often under time constraints and other external pressures. Therefore, employers must take hiring for these teams very seriously. New interactive candidates should be given the opportunity to participate in behavioral interviews and undergo situational response assessment prior to being invited on board.

We hold recruiting socials that allow candidates an opportunity to mingle with executives and future team members. Social events also provide an opportunity for candidates to brainstorm and present to the team. Candidates are given unique homework assignments so they can show us their skills in a real life interactive agency scenario. This process allows both the candidate and the company to assess if the fit is right. Your interview process should not start and end across a desk.

Am I having any fun?

Every company tells recruits that they are committed to a positive work environment, but not all companies take nurturing a positive work environment, and fun, seriously. Due to the nature of the interactive vertical, your company’s reputation for being “not fun” may already precede your recruiting attempts. The best companies in our space have team members who truly love their jobs and the culture THEY create. But, your employer should work at nurturing it.

If the extent of your firm’s team-building is a monthly happy hour, maybe you should be thinking about sending out your resume. With interactive employment in a seller’s market, what are you waiting for?

MindComet's Take on How to Hang on to Digital Talent

2007-12-18 00:00:00

What's Going on in Their Heads as They Decide Whether to Stick With You
By Tara Lamberson

Originally published in AdAge (subscription required).

Anyone on the hiring end knows that digital agencies are suffering from a worsening talent drought. You can probably bank on the fact that some of your sharpest talent has one foot out the door. For that reason, you've got to be sure you're tuned in to what your employees are thinking, what they want and what might be driving their dissatisfaction.

I've tried to stay close to our team here, and based on their feedback, here's some insight into the questions your employees may be asking themselves and the issues that matter most to them. Consider how the following might apply to you and your team:

For whom do I work?
Interactive marketing is about building client relationships, using marketing, communications and cutting-edge technology to support the building process. In other words, your company is worth little without its team members. You should start your relationship-building practice with your employees first. In the interactive space, where money isn't everything, fun, nurturing and exciting opportunities rule the day. Team members need leaders who listen; qualified teammates who know how to collaborate; the ability to enjoy life outside work; and room to move horizontally or vertically depending on their preferences for either knowledge expansion across media or increased corporate responsibilities.

Where am I working?
Employees are tired of winters in Chicago, the cost of living in New York or San Francisco and the traffic in Los Angeles or Seattle; they may be thinking about a change of venue. They also may be looking for a lifestyle change, the ability to buy a house or the option of taking mass transit to work. Those who want to make their marks may be looking for opportunities to play larger roles in smaller venues (and maybe even have a life) in nascent interactive markets.

And for many professionals in the interactive space, moving to a smaller market no longer means sacrificing working with the best and brightest. If you're trying to keep your people in these larger markets, know that the pull of less stress is a major one you need to consider.

What am I doing?
Interactive agencies should provide their employees with a unique mix of interactive marketing and consulting, as well as the opportunity to create and advance new technologies. Large-market interactive agencies partner with industry leaders around the country to provide clients with the highest level of collaborative return. While it is very important to give team members access to blue-chip and bleeding-edge work experience, the operations and overhead costs associated with larger markets often drive other metrics that negatively affect team building.

Companies with smaller-market headquarters can keep production costs low enough to give them an edge over the larger agencies in key geographic areas while still having a presence for accounts in those larger markets. So it's vital that the people you employ in these larger markets get to interact with your clients and learn consultatively -- otherwise, why would they stay?

With whom am I working?
Interactive-agency team members work very closely with one another, often under time constraints and other external pressures. Therefore, employers must take hiring for these teams very seriously. Candidates should participate in behavioral interviews and undergo situational-response assessment before to being invited onboard. For example, we hold recruiting socials that enable candidates an opportunity to mingle with MindComet executives and future team members. Social events also provide an opportunity for candidates to brainstorm and present to the team. Our candidates are given unique homework assignments so they can show us their skills in real-life, interactive-agency scenarios. This process allows both the candidate and the company to assess the fit. The interview doesn't start and end across a desk.

Am I having any fun?
Every company tells recruits it is committed to a positive work environment, but not all companies take nurturing a positive work environment -- and fun -- seriously. Because of the nature of the interactive vertical, your company's reputation for being "not fun" may already precede your recruiting attempts.

The best companies in our space have team members who truly love their jobs and the culture they create. But you have to work at nurturing it. We hold annual companywide retreats, for example. In the past two years, our retreats have been held in the Bahamas and at Club Med.

If the extent of your firm's team building is a monthly happy hour, some of your people are probably sending their resumes to me now as you're reading this. You can stop that, of course. But you've got to be tuned in to what your employees want. Otherwise, they'll walk.

MindComet Takes Note at PMI Conference

2007-10-15 00:00:00

Bringing new knowledge and efficiency to MindComet’s workflow

Orlando, FL – October 15, 2007 – Today MindComet (www.mindcomet.com) Director of Project Management Jennifer Carey joined a select group of project management professionals attending the 2007 Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Global Congress in Atlanta, Georgia. PMI global congresses are the premier events of choice for professional development and education, networking, information sharing and recognition for project management practitioners worldwide. They enable professionals in all industries to come together and exchange ideas while earning Professional Development Units (PDUs).

“Anyone in project management knows that PMI accreditation is vital toward understanding how best to move complex tasks forward. But, this is more true in the interactive space than in any other today because of the pace of change in development,” said Carey. “This is all about bringing best practices to our clients’ increasingly complex projects, of course.”

MindComet’s leadership recognizes the importance of attending PMI events. “I think it’s indicative of where we stand as a company now,” said Paul Lewis, MindComet President, and CEO. “PMI accreditation is no less vital to project managers as CLE is for lawyers or CMEs for doctors. Today’s project management is so far beyond the old school way of thinking ‘how do we work faster – and we’re pleased to have Jennifer leading this initiative for our company.”

About PMI
With nearly 250,000 members in more than 160 countries, Project Management Institute (PMI®) is the leading membership association for the project management profession. PMI is actively engaged in leading the profession by setting professional standards, conducting research and providing access to a wealth of information and resources. PMI also promotes career and professional development and offers certification, networking and community involvement opportunities. For more than 38 years, PMI has advanced the careers of practitioners who have made project management indispensable in achieving business results. Please visit www.pmi.org for more information.

MindComet Participates in First-Ever Orlando Barcamp

2007-09-27 00:00:00

Tech Guru’s Event among the Most Exclusive for Web Developers

Orlando, FL – September 27, 2007 – Today MindComet (www.mindcomet.com) team members took part in the first ever Barcamp event held in Orlando. The invitation-only event founded in 2002 by technology guru Tim O’Reilly has evolved into a nationwide semi-annual assembly of tech professionals from all walks of life. At BarCamp Orlando, attending MindComet team members discussed the latest in JAVA, .net, Ruby, Linux and PHP with technology thought leaders.

Jeremy Hilton, Director of Information Systems at MindComet expressed his excitement around the team’s Barcamp attendance, “I’m stoked. Not only is Barcamp an environment that is conducive to learning, it’s definitely a great place to network and recruit future MindComet team members.”

Bridging the gaps between and among all different tech users, Barcamp events make it a point to foster sharing and learning in an atmosphere of camaraderie. Since its inception, there have been over 100 Barcamp events held in various cities across the US. As the Barcamp tradition becomes more popular in Orlando, MindComet team members look forward to growing with the event and taking on more of a leadership role.

Click here to read more on Barcamp Orlando.

MindComet Announces the Opening of New Headquarters

2007-07-03 00:00:00

A growing staff has caused MindComet to outgrow its third office in seven years. The company will be hosting a christening party to announce the grand opening of its new headquarters later this summer. Located just 10 minutes from downtown Orlando, MindComet’s substantial growth pattern over the past few years has driven the construction of its own building to be an absolute necessity.

Equipped with enough space for the company to grow by as much as 150%, the building will be outfitted with biometric security, interactive whiteboards and flat screen TVs displaying MindComet’s portfolio and current projects' status. The new space features a state of the art, diesel generator backed server room and with more than double the meeting space MindComet looks forward to developing even stronger relationships with clients with more frequent and productive on site client meetings.

While company growth originally inspired the idea of constructing a privately owned building, its also expected to encourage higher levels of creativity and innovation. “I’m really excited to see how the environment will affect our thought processes and inventiveness. It’s going to be classic MindComet inside with fun, energizing colors and nice new workstations. We’ll also have plenty space which I’m hoping will be conducive to some pretty good brainstorm sessions,“ stated MindComet CEO, Paul Lewis.

“It’s unbelievable when you factor in the history of MindComet. I look back to when I started here five years ago and all our employees fit comfortably in a small office suite- now we have our own building, “ said Lewis.

MindComet’s new headquarters was designed and constructed by Scott Associates Architects who are equally known for creativity in architecture and interior design. To see details on the launch party please visit www.mindcomet.com/ocho.

Cure Cancer by Singing?

2007-06-22 00:00:00

MindComet and PayPerPost, two local central Florida businesses may be onto a correlation between singing in front of people and curing cancer; or at least they hope so. The team will be co-hosting the first annual Karaoke4Cancer event to benefit the American Cancer Society. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 28th at local hotspot, Latitudes in downtown Orlando and will be open to the public. All proceeds going directly to the foundation that has raised over $100 million for continued research, support for survivors and their families and nationwide education on prevention.

MindComet’s pursuit to become more proactive about the cause and desire to offer a hand was spurred by the loss of a co-worker to colon cancer in 2006. This tragedy prompted the idea to celebrate life and survivorship while also raising funds to put toward further research, thus prompting a partnership with American Cancer Society.

Cause marketing efforts have quietly slipped into the online space with campaigns run by the American Heart Association to the Toys ‘R’ Us Holiday Toy drive to VH1’s Save the Music Campaign. Both MindComet and PayPerPost have added one to the list leveraging use of technology to help generate more awareness around the event. Online components include an online donation option, video blog posts, an integrated online invitation and numerous online channels of promotion.

Both companies take pride in regularly contributing to various community causes including Habitat for Humanity, Sadie Holmes Help Service and supporting a team to run in the IOA Corporate 5k. “I’m glad to see this event taking place, it’s been something we’ve wanted to do for a long time now. We hope our partnership with American Cancer Society will be something we can continue to nurture over the years and develop as something we’re able to contribute to regularly,” stated MindComet CEO Paul Lewis.

More about Karaoke4Cancer and how to donate to the cause can be found at www.karaoke4cancer.com.

MindComet VP Invited to Speak at DMA Conference on Direct Marketing to Business

2007-04-15 00:00:00

Tara Lamberson, MindComet’s VP of Marketing and Solutions, has been elected to participate in the Direct Marketing to Business (DMB) Conference hosted by the Direct Marketing Association. Lamberson will present on how to enhance customer relationships digitally- through leveraging relationship marketing, data collection and relationship profiles. Other attending companies include Xerox, SIGMA Marketing Group, IBM, GM, and Cisco Systems.

The Direct Marketing Association is the leading global trade association setting and advocating responsible industry standards. The DMB Conference was created for marketers across all industries to share ideas and gain knowledge on leveraging tools such as databases, brand management, media planning and many more to supplement their direct and interactive marketing strategies.

Since its inception MindComet has punctuated the importance of creating ongoing and lasting relationships. Advocating relationship marketing to the BtoB world Lamberson points out some of its benefits. “Most don’t realize that focusing on developing a true long term partnership with your client instead of the one-time transaction will help both increase new customers through referral channels as well as reduce costly customer attrition.”

The presentation will also highlight data collection and utilization as well as managed email communication as ideal tools to assist in relationship building. MindComet currently serves many of their clients with invaluable blog and podcast strategies allowing for more open and candid communication lines with customers. Another facet of the presentation is not to jump in too deep, committing to too many avenues of communication from the start. “We like to remind that these forms of communication shouldn’t be forced and you can gain a lot from focusing on even just one channel,” cited Lamberson.

The DMB Conference will take place April 16th to the 18th at The Rosen Center in Orlando, Florida. Lamberson’s speaking engagement will take place on Wednesday the 18th at 8:30 am.

MindComet's Marketing Podcast Subscription Rates Reach All Time High

2007-04-08 00:00:00

MindComet’s marketing podcast series, Internet Marketing Voodoo, was recently served to the highest number of subscribers to date, since its inception in January 2006. Over the past four months, the 100% increase in podcast listeners reinforces the necessity for tools like Internet Marketing Voodoo within the marketing/advertising industry.

Currently ranked in the top 3 on iTunes for marketing podcasts, the series caters to both marketing industry leaders and business professionals seeking up to date information on the latest trends and patterns in online marketing. Internet Marketing Voodoo features host and MindComet CEO, Paul Lewis as he interviews marketing directors, interactive gurus and brand managers regarding the ever-changing medium. Internet Marketing Voodoo has been fortunate to host guests such as Avinash Kaushik of Intuit, Mike Chapman from eMarketer, Gal Trifon of Eyeblaster and Brent Hill of FeedBurner.

“We were thrilled when we saw the figures for the recent subscription rates,” stated MindComet’s VP of Marketing, Tara Lamberson. “It’s indicative that we are providing the level of value we have been striving to achieve over the last year. We plan to surprass this current trend by introducing a new format for the show this spring.”

In addition to providing clients with solutions that go above and beyond expectations, MindComet is in continual pursuit of sharing knowledge and educating professionals of the benefits and inner-workings of interactive marketing and the global shift away from traditional marketing and advertising. MindComet also offers a corporate podcasting service to clients searching for a new and relatively untapped channel to communicate with their audiences.

Internet Marketing Voodoo can be subscribed to through either iTunes or RSS reader for updates to be automatically downloaded. New episodes can also be found at www.internetmarketingvoodoo.com.

MindComet Amongst Top 100 BtoB Agencies for 2007

2007-04-05 00:00:00

MindComet announced today recognition for their selection as one of BtoB's Top Agencies for 2007. The Top Agencies 2007 report, published by BtoB Magazine, a leading publication dedicated to business-to-business marketing, selects the leading small, midsize, large and interactive agencies based on criteria including revenue growth, b-to-b client additions, office expansions and service offerings.

"We are honored to be recognized by BtoB Magazine as a top interactive agency," said Paul Lewis, president and CEO of MindComet. "Last year positioned us for growth, allowing MindComet to move into 2007 with an expanded senior management team and new service offerings tailored for our clients. Our commitment to understanding our client's business and integrating interactive strategies that will improve their return is our top priority."

Nearly 50 percent of the interactive agency's partnerships developed from the business-to-business sector in 2006, servicing industries from healthcare and manufacturing to professional services and telecommunications. The agency designed and developed custom solutions for each partner including managed email communications, online applications, business blogs and media strategies to improve operational efficiencies, lead generation and conversions.

"Companies that have relied on traditional marketing in the past are recognizing the value of integrating interactive within their operations," said Tara Lamberson, vice president of marketing for MindComet. "This shift online is opening opportunities to develop solutions that build customer relationships and create an engaging user experience. Online video, podcasts, corporate blogs and Internet applications are in high demand from b-to-b marketers across the board."

The interactive agency continues its rapid growth into 2007 with MindComet making a series of announcements regarding national expansions and movement into a state-of-the-art headquarters in Orlando, Florida at the close of Q2.

For more information on business-to-business interactive marketing solutions contact a MindComet representative.

MindComet VP Visits Korea to Create Awareness Around Business Blogs

2007-03-09 00:00:00

Ross Yaeger, MindComet’s VP of Operations, was selected to speak at the UFI Seminar in Seoul, Korea in early March. UFI is a global association of the exhibition industry holding. The discussion, presented to over 200 attendees, will hinge around how businesses can benefit from and utilize blogs as a communication tool for exhibition purposes.

UFI, the association of the world’s leading trade show organizers, fairground owners and exhibition industry executives chose Yaeger to share the strategies and value of business blogging to attendees at the UFI Open Summer Seminar 2007.

“Blogs can be a powerful tool in establishing and maintaining an image of leadership and people should recognize them not only as a channel of communication about an event but also creating records of what goes on there,” stated Yaeger. “With the costs that go into hosting seminars and conferences, leveraging different forms of social communication can also help to negate some of those costs by creating an ongoing engagement with a lot of cost efficiencies.”

MindComet currently hosts 12 business blogs and has provided blog strategies to numerous clients to help create and encourage customer relationships and interaction through a unique conversation format. It has been a priority of MindComet’s to help educate the industry on the importance and relevance of blogging in both a BtoB and BtoC format.

MindComet was also in attendance at the UFI Open Summer Seminar in Helsinki, Finland in June 2006 where SVP of Sales and Marketing, Paul Lewis was invited to speak on how attract the digital generation to tradeshows. “I’m so proud MindComet continues to be invited to the UFI seminars. We’re looking forward to hopefully attending again next year,” stated Lewis.

MindComet Celebrates 5th National Expansion in Austin, Texas

2007-02-13 00:00:00

MindComet, a national, full-service interactive agency, announced today the official opening of MindComet Austin, the agency's fifth national expansion that will service Southwest operations, clients and business development throughout Texas and the Southwest territory. Located in the heart of downtown Austin in a thriving interactive community, MindComet Austin connects the team with client partners including Time Warner Cable, Daucourt Martin Imports and Hoover's and strengthens national and international expansion efforts.

Clients, partners and local agencies throughout Central Texas gathered to celebrate the launch on Thursday, February 8th, for margaritas, appetizers and music atop the roof at Iron Cactus on 6th Street in Austin. Themed "MindComet Loves Texas", the night of networking hosted by Snowflake Rosen, general manager of southwest operations for MindComet, presented a warm welcome and made it known that MindComet will be a strong interactive presence throughout the Southwest for years to come.

"We are one of the few innovative, interactive agencies with a national presence in Austin," said Rosen. "The thriving interactive communities in Central Texas have opened opportunities for MindComet to expand and bring full service solutions to our clients throughout the Southwest."

In late 2006, Rosen left the agency's Orlando headquarters, where she led Southeast client accounts for over five years, to develop and strengthen MindComet's presence in the Southwest territory. Since, Rosen has engaged over six new client partners in the area and continues servicing Fortune 500 companies with headquarters in the Southwest region.

The launch of MindComet Austin follows the agency's trend of record-breaking growth in 2006 with 80% revenue increases, ground-breaking on their new corporate headquarters and an expanding senior management team.

Contact the Austin Interactive Agency.

View photos from "MindComet Loves Austin."

MindComet Expands Its Online Brand Management Service

2006-12-06 00:00:00

Enhanced Offering Provides Detailed Consumer Generated Media Analysis and Development of Online Communications Strategies for Effective Reputation Management

MindComet Corporation, a full service interactive agency, today unveiled its enhanced Online Brand Management service offering, a comprehensive solution complete with consumer generated media monitoring, detailed reporting and analysis and—most importantly—concrete, data-backed development of online communications and public relations strategies.

“With the control of information now firmly in consumer’s hands and CGM outlets multiplying by the hundreds every day, effective brand management is more important—yet more time consuming and costly—than ever,” said Paul Lewis, president and CEO of MindComet. “Our customers require robust measurement capabilities and comprehensive, actionable solutions that help them proactively take back control of their brands.”

MindComet’s Online Brand Management solution gathers consumer generated media (CGM) and industry generated media (IGM) data using criteria customized for each company, its brands and its competitors. Online video sites, podcasts, blogs, forums, communities and review Web sites are a few select channels that will be monitored for both CGM and IGM.

The result: MindComet can effectively monitor a brand’s reputation, assess the competitive landscape, report trends and help its client partners develop action plans to promote and position their brands in ways that differentiate them from the competition.

“What’s really unique about MindComet’s offering is that it goes beyond metric measurement—it’s a turnkey management solution,” said Lewis. “We use the data to develop an online communications strategy that meets our client partners’ objectives. Most importantly, our team can execute the strategies we outline, so we’re truly a one-stop shop for everything from brand monitoring to executing action plans that deliver ROI, and that provides real value.”

MindComet’s Online Brand Management solution is fully customizable and can be designed to meet a broad range of objectives—from increasing the amount of online discussions about your brand, combating negative online coverage, turning active consumers into brand loyalists and more. The service can be used to monitor a specific campaign or at the enterprise level to manage a portfolio of brands.

With recent media reports illustrating increased consumer scrutiny of leading brands, it is more critical then ever before for companies to effectively measure their online business reputation.

Internet Marketing Voodoo Welcomes New Host; Subscriptions Soar for Top Rated Business Podcast

2006-10-17 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation, a full service interactive agency, today announced President and CEO Paul Lewis to take over the hosting reigns of their popular business podcasting series Internet Marketing Voodoo (IMV). Lewis is replacing Ted Murphy, former president/CEO and IMV voice since January 2006. Lewis' first podcast "Enterprise Blogging" featuring corporate blogging software company iUpload CEO Robin Hopper launched today.

Murphy wrapped up his hosting gig on a high note, after producing over 30 episodes for the series, with his farewell show on Monday, October 2nd featuring Mark Naples, managing partner of WIT Strategy. The two thought leaders discussed user generated content, a movement Murphy incorporated into MindComet's sister company, PayPerPost. Murphy will continue his presence in business podcasting by hosting a PayPerPost related spin-off series launching this November.

Highlights under Murphy's direction included episodes surrounding best practices and strategies on:
    • Email Marketing with Jeanniey Mullen and Paul Beck, co-founders of the Email Experience Council;
    • Mobile Marketing with Jamie Wells, managing partner of TCS Mobile;
    • Integrated Promotions with Lisa Jenkins, electronic marketing manager for the House of Blues;
    • Web Analytics with Avinash Kaushik, senior manager of web research and analytics for Intuit;
    • RSS with J.B. Holston, president and CEO of NewsGator;
    • Customer Relationship Management with Ginger Conlon, editor-in-chief at 1to1Media and in a later     interview with Art Hall, vice president of customer care operations at NetBank.

"I was fortunate to interview widely respected names in Internet marketing and a diverse group of authorities on emerging digital communication channels, " said Murphy. "Paul shares that same excitement and passion as a technologist himself and the caliber of guests he has lined up will continue to provide that strategic insight valuable to our audience. I'm certainly looking forward to listening in and following the growth of the show."

In addition to Lewis' first episode on enterprise blogging, upcoming highlighted podcasts will feature one-on-one interviews with Anastasia Goodstein, publisher of Ypulse.com and author of Totally Wired, a book about teens and technology to be published by St. Martin's Press in March of 2007; and Robin Kent, CEO of SpiralFrog, an online music destination offering ad-supported legal downloads of audio and video content debuting in December of this year.

"Ted put Internet Marketing Voodoo on the map in the business podcasting industry with its candid show format, quality and world-renowned guests," said Lewis. "Taking over from here, I'm excited to continue the level of excellence that was established and cover the emerging trends, digital channels and evolving advertising strategies that our listeners must keep attune with. We want the show to be a knowledge repository of Internet marketing strategies for anyone in the industry, both business-to-business and business-to-consumer."

Paul Lewis has presented across the world providing insight on Generation Y, enterprise blogging, e-marketing and behavioral targeting. In addition to his new role as president/CEO and host of IMV, Lewis is currently authoring the soon to be released "Y: Outside the Polls and Inside the Minds of Millennials", a research initiative and publication into the marketing strategies for reaching the highly segmented and desirable Generation Y.

For more information:
• Subscribe to the Internet Marketing Voodoo podcast in iTunes.

• Subscribe via RSS.

MindComet Team Storms Club Med on "I Create" Company Retreat

2006-10-12 00:00:00

The MindComet Headquarters will be closed on Friday, October 13, 2006 as the Orlando based team takes on their annual retreat embracing this year's theme "I Create." The full service interactive agency will spend the weekend at Club Med in Sandpiper Key developing strategic growth initiatives for the transition into 2007. Core focuses include the agency's online media buying, mobile marketing and search engine marketing solution offerings among their extensive line of interactive services.

"This is a time for each team member to create. Create vision, create change and create innovation," said MindComet President and CEO Paul Lewis. "We want to create the opportunities that continue to drive the growth of the company and the passion for business creativity. We are challenging ourselves to think bigger."

For immediate assistance contact Kathleen Demaray, Orlando Office Manager, at 773.875.1845.

SPEED, MindComet Hit Full Throttle at WebAwards

2006-10-11 00:00:00

SPEEDtv.com, the Web site attracting fuel-injected racing fanatics from across the world, was named "Outstanding Web Site" by the Web Marketing Association's 2006 WebAwards. Full service interactive agency MindComet developed and maintains the award-winning Web site for long-term client partner SPEED, one of the fastest growing sports cable networks in the country.

"We are thrilled that SPEEDtv.com has won a WebAward as an ‘Outstanding Web Site'," said Mark Mitchell, director of SPEEDtv.com. "Together with our development partner MindComet, our goal has always been to provide the audience with a comprehensive mix of high-quality content in a package that utilizes the latest technology while remaining easy to use and pleasing to the eye. We are honored to be recognized by our peers for those efforts. We will continue to set the bar high and provide maximum value for both our visitors and the advertisers and sponsors who support our site.”

In a fierce, competitive undertaking, SPEEDtv.com reigned at the top of the judges' scorecards, ranking above both category and overall entry averages for each of the seven criteria and scoring 68 of a possible 70 points. The site took perfect scores in design, innovation and content and surpassed competitors in technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use.

"We gave them a reason to extend their involvement online by focusing on interaction and really developed a functional, user-friendly, engaging site," said Scott Allen, vice president of experience at MindComet. "Every step in our creative process ties in preparations to integrate user generated content to build a true racing community."

SPEEDtv.com continues to be an industry trendsetter in 2006, adding or enhancing several of the site's main attractions including a free video player featuring SPEED programming highlights and news clips, interactive chats with race drivers and SPEED announcers, content partnerships with FOXSports, RACER Magazine, MXi Magazine, RaceFan.com and others, communities including SPEEDtv.com's message boards, SPEED Insider and podcasts including Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain and The SPEED Report.

“This serves as a reminder that we are on the right track…but we know we have to work hard to keep up with all of the emerging trends and technologies,” said Joe Tripp, SPEEDtv.com senior editor. “As an extension of the network, SPEEDtv.com serves as the 'mother ship' for many of these platforms, particularly SPEED on-demand, SPEED on-board pass, on-demand video, podcasts and mobile. Our goal is simple -- to make SPEEDtv.com the number one motor sports and auto enthusiast destination on the Web, available WHENEVER and WHEREVER our users want it.”

In addition to the enhanced features of SPEEDtv.com, MindComet furthered the network's Web presence by developing and launching over a dozen mini-sites for additional SPEED brands and programs and encouraging fan interactivity through MySpace profiles for popular programs including PINKS and Unique Whips. The widespread, significant Web presence through online channels and social networks continues to drive traffic to SPEEDtv.com and influence tune-ins for their network's hit programming.

To view the award-winning Web site visit: http://www.speedtv.com

MindComet Corporation Announces New President and Service Offerings in Support of 2007 Growth Strategy

2006-09-25 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation, a Full Service Interactive Agency, today announced a sizeable reorganization, including naming Paul Lewis as President/CEO. Lewis, who served as MindComet’s SVP of Sales and Marketing for the past five years, has had an instrumental role in shaping the company’s growth and service offerings.

Ted Murphy, former President/CEO, will maintain his position as Chairman of the Board and continue to provide vision, direction and inspiration to MindComet. Murphy will now preside as President/CEO of PayPerPost, a spinoff of MindComet launched in June. “I have been in the process of shifting greater responsibility to the MindComet management team over the last year in preparation for this event,” Murphy states. “I am fortunate enough to have cultivated an outstanding management team. I am confident that our team will continue MindComet's long history of growth, innovation and dedication to our client partners."

MindComet has engaged over 20 new client partners in 2006 and has seen sustainable revenue growth upwards of 80% year over year under the direction of Lewis. "Paul and I have worked closely together to build this company from the ground up. He has been a critical component in our success and shares my passion for everything interactive," said Murphy. "He is an experienced leader, a technology guru and an inspiration to the team. My money is on continued growth." Murphy will maintain his majority equity position in MindComet.

Each year MindComet embraces a new theme to serve as the organizational guide light for team members. Lewis has decided this year's theme will be "I Create". “We have built our business on creativity and change; we love the fast paced online world, and enjoy developing something from nothing," Lewis commented. "We want to create relationships. We want to create technology. We want to create results. But most importantly we want to create the continued passion in our organization that drives all of these things."

In addition to the promotion of Lewis, several other MindComet veterans will receive promotions as part of the reorganization. Promotions include: Doug White, SVP of Sales; Scott Allen, VP of Experience; Ross Yaeger, VP of Operations and Tara Lamberson, VP of Marketing & Strategy. "I am delighted to have the opportunity to work more directly with these talented executives," commented Lewis. " This is the management team that will propel the agency forward in 2007 and beyond."

MindComet will continue along its path of strong and consistent growth by focusing on adding and expanding service offerings and disciplines including: search engine marketing, online media buying, mobile marketing, HR communications strategies and online brand monitoring. Under MindComet's expanded senior management team, the company is well positioned to increase its notoriety as a full service interactive marketing powerhouse.

To facilitate their rapid growth, MindComet will continue to seek out top talent within the industry, open additional regional offices and explore long-term relationships with client partners. MindComet broke ground on a brand new $4.1 million dollar facility in August. The facility expects to open doors in early Q2 to accommodate MindComet's expanding team.

MindComet Hires Senior Account Executive

2006-05-18 00:00:00

Answering sales growth rates peaking in excess of 100 percent and the expansion into global territories, MindComet announces the hiring of Bruce Neslaw as a senior account manager. Neslaw joins MindComet at their Orlando headquarters from Teramedia, specializing in direct and interactive marketing with emphasis on email marketing, integrated campaigns, search engine marketing and customer database management.

"MindComet is honored to bring on an industry visionary with the caliber that Bruce Neslaw holds," said MindComet President and CEO Ted Murphy. "At a time when Internet marketing budgets are reaching new heights, having Bruce's knowledge and experience opens many opportunities to meet our client's demands." Neslaw's passion extends to client needs analysis and developing custom integrated solutions. "He is one of the best in Internet marketing consulting, and we're excited to see the changes that lie ahead," said Murphy.

Neslaw's focus will continue to center on the core of interactive marketing—establishing relationships with consumers and personalizing marketing messages. Integrated solutions will incorporate MindComet's new media vehicle services including blogging, podcasting, viral marketing and social networks.

Prior to joining the MindComet team, Neslaw was the vice president of sales at Teramedia, consulted for affiliates of DIRECTV and BellSouth and held the position as regional account manager for InterActiveCorp representing properties including Citysearch, Ticketmaster and Match.com. Neslaw is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and is married with two children.

MindComet Reports Record Sales in Q1, Sees Explosion of Spending on Online Advertising and Interactive Services

2006-04-04 00:00:00

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, announced record sales growth of nearly 100 percent over Q1 of the previous year. The increase has been fueled by the acquisition of new clients as well as increased spending by current client partners. MindComet has already booked sales throughout 2006 equivalent to the revenue generated in all of 2005.

The company has formed relationships with several new clients in recent months including GMC, White Castle, USA Mobility, TNT and Armstrong. In addition to new clients, MindComet has also expanded its engagements with current clients such as StudentCity.com, FOX, Speed Channel, Tyco Healthcare and Living Independently.

“Business is booming,” states MindComet President and Chief Executive Officer Ted Murphy. "Demand for interactive services wasn't this strong in the dotcom era. We have had to double the size of our interactive strategy team twice in the past 12 months to keep up with the market for our services. Companies are realizing the value Internet marketing can provide when coupled with a strong strategy."

Sales of strategic consulting and managed services have been particularly strong in Q1. "The interest in our Managed Email Communications ('MEC') service has been phenomenal," said Murphy. MEC now accounts for nearly 15 percent of MindComet's revenue, up from 8 percent in 2005. Quarterly sales of other managed services including eWareness, Media Management and SEO are up over 50 percent.

“The need for an effective Internet strategy is stronger than ever,” stated MindComet Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Paul Lewis. “Marketing managers have come to realize just how important the Internet is and the unique opportunity it provides. If our double- to triple-digit growth every quarter for the past seven years is any indicator of the market space’s future, I believe spending on online advertising and interactive services will continue to trend upward at a significant rate.”

Internet Marketing Voodoo Podcast Remains Atop iTunes

2006-03-13 00:00:00

Four weeks after rising to the number one spot, Internet Marketing Voodoo still tops the iTunes’ chart for Internet marketing podcasts. Traffic to the site and downloads of the podcasts have surged as marketers have shared the site with their colleagues all over the world.

"We are seeing incredible traffic," commented podcast host Ted Murphy. "We are having difficulty keeping up with the show requests." Internet Marketing Voodoo continues to serve as the number one podcast resource for executives and marketers to uncover strategies and the latest emerging trends within online marketing. With the first episode launching earlier this year in January, Internet Marketing Voodoo’s subscriber base has grown exponentially, as the content continues to be syndicated on blogs, media outlets and marketing resource sites across the Web.

Murphy, the president and ceo of MindComet, has interviewed recognized industry leaders in Internet marketing such as show guests Avinash Kaushik, senior manager of web research and analytics at Intuit Inc., Shay Studley-Toland, communications director at Tyco Healthcare and Ginger Conlon, editor-in-chief at 1to1 Media. The guests have shared tips and advice on internal email marketing, customer relationship management, loyalty programs, web analytics, podcasting, blogging and brand terrorism. Future topics include paid search and organic search strategies and integrating podcasts into online promotions.

The Internet Marketing Voodoo podcast is part of MindComet's Voodoo network. The network consists of blogs and podcasts dedicated to issues facing today’s marketers. The network covers topics including web analytics, search engine marketing, email marketing, consumer generated media and more. For more information or to subscribe to the podcast visit http://www.InternetMarketingVoodoo.com.

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MindComet’s Managed Podcast Services
MindComet assists clients in optimizing their customer relationships. Their Managed Podcast Services bring Fortune 1000 companies the ability to narrowcast their branding to a segmented market of listeners. They work cooperatively to develop a customer relationship strategy that strengthens the bond to both existing customers and prospects through leveraging emerging technologies and mediums such as podcasting. For more information on MindComet’s services call 866.650.7919.

Internet Marketing Voodoo Podcast Tops iTunes

2006-02-03 00:00:00

Internet Marketing Voodoo storms to number one, topping iTunes' chart for Internet marketing podcasts. Still in its infancy, the weekly podcast show has edged out over forty marketing-related podcasts, nearly tripling its subscriber base in one month.

MindComet, the agency developing the podcast, has brought on prestigious guests within the online marketing industry to uncover the myths and theories behind Internet marketing. Guests include Director of Interactive Services for Darden Restaurants, Michael Friedman, and President of Dozier Internet Law, John Dozier. Coupled with show host personality, Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet, they have covered topics from podcasting to the legal issues with corporate blogging, online communities and loyalty programs.

“We are getting great feedback from our listeners. Our first four episodes are really doing their job of helping corporate executives understand emerging marketing trends in under 15 minutes,” said Murphy. “We have an incredible lineup of guests joining us in the coming weeks."

Internet Marketing Voodoo is the first MindComet branded podcast. The agency is well known for developing podcasts for their Fortune 1000 clientele. MindComet’s Internet Marketing Voodoo demonstrates to their clients the ability to reach a targeted segment of the estimated six million podcast listeners.

The “Voodoo” series launched in January 2006 with new episodes broadcasting weekly. To subscribe to Internet Marketing Voodoo visit the podcast section of iTunes or http://www.InternetMarketingVoodoo.com.

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MindComet Launches Internet Marketing Blogs and Weekly Podcast

2006-01-11 00:00:00

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, has aimed a series of seven blogs and a weekly podcast to C-level executives and marketers. The firm hopes to set straight the myths and theories behind some of the hottest topics in the marketing industry today with real world experience, research, and expert tips and advice. The blogs and podcasts are dedicated to uncovering and relaying the most effective techniques for online marketing. Dubbed “Voodoo," an index of the various blogs and podcasts can be found at www.InternetMarketingVoodoo.com.

MindComet has recognized the increasing responsibilities placed upon chief marketing officers and the frustration caused by uncovering the hype surrounding blogging, podcasting, search engine marketing, consumer generated media, and other ever-evolving tools, techniques, and mediums in Internet marketing. The blogs and podcasts provide instant access to targeted content that gives them the information they need to make informed marketing decisions. MindComet’s “Voodoo Blogs” are launched in coordination with the “Internet Marketing Voodoo Podcast," a weekly show hosted by MindComet President/CEO, Ted Murphy, in which he interviews experts and specialists within the online marketing arena.

“I’m amazed at how many companies are utilizing online marketing techniques, but are failing to implement the components in a way that will produce a significant ROI,” said Paul Lewis, MindComet’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The idea behind 'Voodoo' is to express that you need to not only become aware of these concepts, but integrate them successfully into an Internet marketing program.” Topics covered on the "Voodoo Blogs" and “Internet Marketing Voodoo Podcast” include consumer generated media, email marketing, online branding, generation y, online promotions, analytics and research, search engine marketing, viral marketing, and behavioral marketing.

MindComet's weekly podcast on all Internet marketing topics can be found at http://www.internetmarketingvoodoo.com and on the podcast section of Apple iTunes.

MindComet Offers Web Email Service That Tracks Santa Claus

2005-12-20 00:00:00

Track Santa’s Journey Across the Globe Via Your Inbox

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, announced today that they have recently signed a deal with Santa Claus to provide Internet-related services to Claus and all elf villages throughout the North Pole. Under the agreement, MindComet will provide free WiFi access to the elf villages and become the official email-marketing provider of Santa Claus.

The agency has launched Officialsantaemail.com, a website that allows Santa trackers of all ages to sign up and receive emails on Christmas Eve with updates of Santa’s whereabouts. MindComet, in conjunction with the Elf Advanced Technology Deployment Team, will be tracking Santa via two-way Global Sleigh Positioning (GSP). The system is accurate within two rooftops and will be triggering emails as Santa makes his deliveries around the world.

“Santa is possibly the world’s busiest man,” commented Edward Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. "We've given him the ability to communicate with the Elf Christmas Command Center and all the good boys and girls, automatically, on the busiest day of his year." This is the first time in Christmas history that Santa has agreed to make his whereabouts available to the public in mass email.

To date, Santa has received over 1,000,000 emails inquiring about Christmas delivery times for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Officialsantaemail.com has given S.Claus the ability to organize these emails and sign up anxious inquirers to receive updates. “Between gift delivery, managing the elves, and photo shoots at malls, I just didn’t have time to answer the where and when of it all,” commented Santa Claus. “Now with email and Internet to track my sleigh ride, they’ll watch me drop gifts from California to Shanghai.”

MindComet will continue working to improve the effectiveness of Santa’s business operations. Officialsantaemail.com marks the first significant effort to bring the North Pole into the Internet age. MindComet has plans in the near future to help Santa refine his list checking process, as well as wish list delivery management.

Santa trackers can sign up to be sent Santa’s location on Christmas Eve at http://www.officialsantaemail.com/.

From 50 Pounds of Beef Jerky to a One Year Supply of Chicken Wings, MindComet Creates the Ultimate Wish List for GMC and SPEED Fans

2005-12-14 00:00:00

MindComet gives GMC and SPEED fans a holiday campaign they can sink their teeth into—from 50 pounds of chili to a year supply of pizza, to cheese dogs and racks of ribs. Designed to break through the holiday promotional clutter and drive product sales in an innovative fashion, RaceFanWishList.com gives gear heads and race fans alike the opportunity to create, send to a friend, and win their ultimate wish list.

“When consumers see tools, cars, and red ribbon specials, brands can easily become caught in the holiday clutter, making it increasingly difficult to differentiate from their competitors,” commented Edward Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “But when they see 50 pounds of beef jerky or a year supply of nacho chips, assorted cookies and cheese dogs integrated within traditional wish list items, you capture their attention through unconventional marketing.” MindComet designed the campaign to further discover consumer preferences and compile data for the automotive industry.

RaceFanWishList.com gives players a start of 10,000 points to navigate through the site, adding items anywhere from traditional racing gear and tailgating equipment, to unconventional food and beverages, each worth individual points. A viral element added within the campaign encourages players to send their list to friends. With each referral, participants receive an extra entry into the final drawing. RaceFanWishList.com is expected to attract racing fans all over the nation to log on to the site, showcased with the GMC and SPEED brands, throughout the following holiday weeks.

Launched in late November, the promotion jump started into overdrive by sending an email to current SPEED fans and has quickly established a double opt-in rate for future communications for the partnering companies. The database of names, listing tailored preferences, may be used by GMC and SPEED for future marketing initiatives, including driving product sales through email. “MindComet's efforts continue to help us to build stronger relationships with our customers by using their expertise and the benefits attributed to their Brandmail email marketing services,” commented Mark Mitchell, Director of SPEED. RaceFanWishList.com is one of many campaigns the company is currently launching for Fortune 1000 clients, using innovative interactive marketing techniques to establish and build stronger customer relationships.

MindComet Team Members Waste Perfectly Good Cake Celebrating the Launch of Corporate Culture Blog Cakeplow.com

2005-12-08 00:00:00

Get inside the cake-covered faces of MindComet’s outrageous creative team as they spill their frustrations about life, office pastimes, and the low-down on MindComet’s leading executives. Launched to release extra creative energy, Cakeplow.com is a corporate blog like no other. They’ve taken off their suits and ties, and traded them in for ripped jeans and sandals, letting clients see how things really go down. The head-turning, scratch-your-head, can’t-believe-they-just-went-there website is never disappointing, often inappropriate, and always addicting.

Think you know Paul Lewis, MindComet’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing? Think again. The quiet, well-organized, always studious brain of the company turned dancing machine, cigarette stealer, and advice-giving guru after a recent company cruise after party. Even he couldn’t escape the lure of the posting on Cakeplow.com. Looking to put in a request to hear your favorite song sung from the inside of the men’s bathroom? Visit Cakeplow.com and check out MindComet’s Viral Marketing Specialist’s “Bathroom Sound Check”. It’s out there. It’s outrageous. It’s MindComet uncensored.

A simple, conservative corporate blog just wouldn’t do the innovative, Relationship Marketing firm justice. “It’s a great way to build stronger relationships with our clients and potential team members. The blog gives them an inside peek into our firm’s culture and the people that make this place so special. It demonstrates our passion for creativity and desire to communicate the unexpected,” commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “Since launching Cakeplow.com, traffic to our main site is up 20%, and the feedback has been nothing but positive. Cakeplow demonstrates one of the many ways a corporate blog can positively impact a company’s marketing effort."

Cakeplow.com is one of many blogs developed and maintained by MindComet on a variety of subjects. In September, MindComet launched their Internet marketing thought leadership Voodoo blogs, tackling subjects from email marketing to consumer generated media. All of MindComet’s blogs are indexed at blogs.mindcomet.com which serves as the central hub for MindComet.

For more information on MindComet’s corporate culture visit www.Cakeplow.com.Check out MindComet's Corporate Blogs:

BloginSpace.com Heads to California to Hit Gold With Alien Contact

2005-10-25 00:00:00

BloginSpace.com has moved satellites to a new location based in California, in hopes of finding the portal to reaching extraterristerial intelligences through blogging. This marks the first new location for BloginSpace.com as all previous launches took place from a satellite located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Expectations are held high from bloggers across the globe that the new location in the Golden State will bring them closer to contact with alien life.

“There’s no way for us to be sure of the exact responses, if any, from extraterristerial intelligences following the launches from Cape Canaveral,” commented Edward Murphy, President and CEO for MindComet. “We reported a few unexplained occurrences around the office and received sightings from concerned bloggers, but we haven’t determined yet if they were all a hoax.” Murphy agrees bloggers should take precaution prior to writing direct blog post to aliens, but is affirmative in his support of Intergalactic Free Speech.

The launch also included over 700 messages from web surfers leaving single requests, introductions, and questions to the aliens through BloginSpace.com’s “Space Post Messaging” service opened up in late July. “The more messages and blogs we continue to transmit into space, the better the chances of reaching something that can understand who us Homosapiens are,” Murphy continued. “Maybe the third times a charm!”

BloginSpace.com sends bloggers emails and certificates of confirmation following their send off into space. The unique certificates signify each launch attempt, providing bloggers with the transmission duration, time, and the coordinates of the direction in which their blog is traveling. “We want people to know BloginSpace.com is real, and we’re ready for the day that life out there responds to our calling.”

To submit your blog into space visit www.bloginspace.com or email contact@bloginspace.com

MindComet Selected to Present With Speed Channel at ad:tech New York

2005-10-17 00:00:00

Edward Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet, the Relationship Agency™, was selected to present at the premiere interactive marketing event, ad:tech New York, on November 9, 2005. Presenting alongside Director of SpeedTV.com, Mark Mitchell, the duo will highlight their success of a six-week integrated marketing campaign driving over 10,000 unique registrations within the first 24 hours of launch.

Speed Channel and promotional advertiser Kawasaki came to MindComet seeking a compelling way to both heighten awareness of a new television show as well as capture user interest in Kawasaki’s line of motorcycles. The ad:tech session entitled “Client Agency Tango” will highlight the solution MindComet provided, leveraging cross-media integration to not only increase viewership of Speed’s “Two-Wheel Tuesday”, but drive thousands to their website for collection of user demographics and contact data. The promotion averaged about one registration per minute: unparalleled success for both Speed Channel and Kawasaki.

It was this success that afforded Murphy and Mitchell the opportunity to speak at this year’s ad:tech New York, the third and final ad:tech conference in 2005. For nine years, ad:tech has provided exceptional networking opportunities for marketers and clients alike. The tri-annual conference spotlights successful case studies and provides guests with essential knowledge of interactive, integrated marketing technology.

Speakers at this year’s ad:tech New York include Sean Dee, Vice President and CMO of Hard Rock International, Deborah Wahl-Meyer, Vice President of Marketing at Lexus Division Toyota, Allison Arden, General Manager of Interactive and Custom Programs for The Ad Age Group, including Reebok’s Global Running Marketing Manager, Michelle Ave, co-presenters next to MindComet in the “Client Agency Tango” session.

Murphy provides MindComet with his unique vision and cutting-edge innovations that propel the Relationship Agency to new limits within the interactive marketing realm. To schedule an appointment as he travels to the New York area, please call 1.866.650.7939 or email nicole@mindcomet.com

MindComet Welcomes New Brand Strategist Kathleen Kennedy

2005-10-07 00:00:00

Kathleen Kennedy, former Manager of Corporate Public Relations for a major wireless communications provider has joined the MindComet team at their Orlando headquarters. She will be heading the leading Interactive Marketing agency's suite of eWareness™ services, managing brands' online presence and developing strategies that provide measurable results.

Kennedy made the transition to MindComet early this week, moving from the Washington, D.C. area. She brings over 6 years experience in marketing communications and public relations. "I'm thrilled to be joining such an innovative company," Kennedy commented. "I've been wanting to move into the Interactive Marketing industry and MindComet offered me a great opportunity." Kennedy's new role will focus on monitoring Consumer Generated Media (CGM) and integrating online strategies, creating a powerful brand online.

"Kathleen will be a great asset to MindComet and we're glad to have her on our team," commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. "She has the combined professionalism and experience to push our services to an even higher level." MindComet's eWareness™ solutions leverage the power of blogs within the marketing mix, incorporating services such as the BlogStar Network, recently launching in June.

Several of MindComet's Fortune 1000 clients have employed eWareness strategies of their own, recognizing the importance of monitoring and tracking both negative and positive CGM. For more information on eWareness™ visit here.

MindComet Brings in Former CIO to Head its Marketing Department:Company Hires Ben Smullyan as Director of Marketing

2005-09-29 00:00:00

MindComet, pioneer of many leading edge Internet Marketing solutions, today announced that it has hired Ben Smullyan to lead its marketing department and meet the needs of a growing demand for its services. The hire underscores MindComet's commitment to further expanding its business and promoting its next generation on Consumer Generated Media (CGM) focused services.

MindComet has experienced exponential growth recently and has added diverse assortment of cherry-picked talent to its team. MindComet has made a strong pledge to attracting talented, dedicated individuals with a penchant for serving and satisfying their clients. The selection of Ben Smullyan to lead MindComet's marketing efforts will allow the company to further capitalize on its investment in human assets.

“I am extremely excited that Ben has joined our team. Ben's diverse background in technology, sales and marketing compliments MindComet's strategic vision,” said Ted Murphy, President and CEO of Mindcomet. "Bens addition to the team will enable MindComet to further dominate the relationship agency market space. His leadership will be critical in the marketing of our Consumer Generate Media services."

“Joining MindComet has given me the chance to work with a company that is clearly one step ahead of a long list of competitors”, said Ben Smullyan. "They have differentiated themselves through their constant reinvention and ability to identify new market opportunities for their clients. ” MindComet recently announced their new line of eWareness™ Internet Branding Strategies, building brand equity online and increasing traffic to websites without using traditional advertising mediums.

“My fellow team members are excited by their work, show incredible creativity with their efforts and results and go out of their way to make sure that their customers are well taken care of,” continued Smullyan. “Finally, it’s a fun place to work, something that, given their proven success with Fortune 1000 companies, is a combination that is difficult to duplicate.”

Ben Smullyan joins Mindcomet after a number of successful jobs throughout his career in the marketing and sales area. He is a goal-driven marketing, sales and management executive offering a proven record as a visionary and driving force behind strategies and tactics that have generated significant business growth.

About Mindcomet

MindComet is the premier provider of Internet Marketing and Consumer Generated Media (CGM) services. It assist its clients in optimizing their relationships. Headquartered in Orlando Florida, the company operates offices in New York and Atlanta serving many Fortune 1000 clients. The Company’s global client base includes General Motors, Tyco, Electronic Arts, Earthlink, FOX and other clients that understand the importance of a strong Internet presence. For more information, visit the Company’s web site at www.mindcomet.com.

BloginSpace.com Features Bloggers "Most Likely To Be Contacted" By Aliens

2005-09-06 00:00:00

BloginSpace.com has announced the creation of a new award aimed at bloggers who are regularly creating compelling online content. BloginSpace.com's "Most Likely To Be Contacted" award will be given to select bloggers who have transmitted particularly interesting blogs into space via the website’s free transmission service.

Selection for BloginSpace.com’s “Most Likely To Be Contacted” will be determined based on the content of the blog, site esthetics and how often the blog is updated. “We are choosing blogs whose content may provoke a response from extraterrestrials, whether it be based on controversial statements, political agenda, society, technology or celebrity gossip,” commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet.

The first title was awarded on September 1st to Trent Vanegas, the author of trent.blogspot.com, a popular celebrity gossip and fashion website. "It is truly an honor to be chosen as the first Earth-bound blogger who is most likely to make contact with life on other planets. We know that E.T. was a mega pimp so I'm very glad to know that he might be out there checking out Pink is the new Blog,” Vanegas commented. Pink is the new Blog participated in the first round of blog transmission on August 12, 2005. "Most scientists agree that aliens would be very interested in celebrity gossip. We chose this site because we believe the likelihood of alien contact or abduction is very high," commented Murphy.

BloginSpace.com recently announced that its next deep space transmission will be September 12th, 2005 and will consist of over 3,000 blogs. The site reached over 1 million unique visitors within its first month of launch, drawing media and bloggers from over 115 countries. “Creating this award is a way to give back to the bloggers that supported BloginSpace.com,” said Murphy. “They have propelled the site to success beyond what we had ever imagined.”

One winner will have their blog showcased on the BloginSpace.com homepage each weekday complete with screenshots, links and a description. Previous winners will be archived on the site. Winners will be notified in advance and be given the opportunity to send friends an invite to check out their site on the BloginSpace.com homepage. To register for a chance to win and have your site showcased sign up to transmit your blog into deep space at BloginSpace.com.

MindComet Explodes Into New Office

2005-08-29 00:00:00

Bursting at the seams from consistent client and revenue growth over the past five years, the walls of MindComet’s old headquarters could no longer hold its growing team. While the New York and Atlanta offices continued operations, MindComet’s Orlando-based employees moved into a new, spacious headquarter facility complete with lime green walls, lava lamps, neon signs, and Herman Miller Resolve workstations. The workplace provides over 4 conference areas, company lounges, a recording studio, intern and training areas and is the anchor space in the Maitland Center office complex.“We’ve focused our attention on services and strategies that continue to produce results that exceed our clients’ expectations,” commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “It’s rewarding to see MindComet grow into one of the largest interactive marketing agencies in the area because of our continuous innovations.” MindComet has recently celebrated the launch of several new services including the BlogStar Network, Guerilla-Force viral marketing team and Managed Email Communication Services.

As exciting as the new facilities are, MindComet has already purchased land and begun the development process for a new office building to be completed in 2006.

“While it would have been nice to be able to wait to move until after the new facility’s construction was complete, it simply wasn’t practical in order to keep up with the demands and service requirements of our growing client base,” Murphy continued. “This interim facility will give us the breathing room to continue to staff appropriately to provide the level of service our clients have come to expect."

MindComet is welcoming 10 new team members into the new headquarters and looks forward to another year of record setting growth.

To reach MindComet at the new location send correspondence to:

2701 Maitland Center Parkway Suite 125
Maitland, Fl 32751

BloginSpace.com Messages Follow Atlas V Launch Into Deep Space

2005-08-12 00:00:00

NASA’s Atlas V exploration of the martian atmosphere carried MindComet’s BloginSpace.com in its coattails as they rocketed out of the Earth's atmosphere. Unlike Atlas V headed to Mars, bloggers from over 73 countries are attempting to communicate with alien life via messages broadcasting into deep space destination unknown.

BloginSpace.com has been compiling blogs and posts since its inception on July 19, 2005, collecting over 2,700 for transmission by Deep Space Communications Network. Concerns were raised as to proper extraterrestrial communication protocol and possibilities of instigating intergalactic war, as the blogs were sent uncensored.

“We are aware of extraterrestrial communication protocols and because of this encouraged bloggers to not use offensive language,” commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “We don’t anticipate the blogs to create intergalactic warfare, and we were excited to be able to launch today in coordination with Atlas V.” Murphy says MindComet continues to support intergalactic free speech, as they have since the launch of BloginSpace.com and Space Post messaging.

Bloggers who submitted a URL for transmission into space received an email confirmation stating the exact latitude and longitude the satellite was pointed when the broadcast occurred. BloginSpace.com is still open for transmission as Friday's launch marks the first of many transmissions planned over the coming months.

This is MindComet's second blog-centric service, following the launch of the BlogStar Network in mid-June. The next launch date is tentatively scheduled for the week of September 12th. BloginSpace.com continues to generate over 40,000 unique sessions daily and attracting attention from media across the globe.

The University of Central Florida Selects MindComet to Assist With New Information Technology Program

2005-08-03 00:00:00

The University of Central Florida’s School of Computer Science, the largest in the state, selected MindComet’s Jerry Jackson, Director of Information Technology, and Jay Chapman, Software Director, to assist in developing an expansive new IT Degree Program. The School of Computer Science will emphasize this emerging field, offering a new program curriculum, core courses, and electives.

As part of an advisory panel meeting, including experts from Lockheed Martin, Siemens Westinghouse, and BellSouth, Jackson and Chapman evaluated the curriculum, suggesting concepts for course offerings and program development. “It’s exciting to know we are helping to develop programs training students for today’s workplace,” Chapman commented, holding over 8 years experience in the field. “Not often are you given the opportunity to influence a program that could be much more effective for today’s youth.”

Jackson has over 22 years experience in software development and information technology, with over 9 years as Director of IT. “We wanted to make sure the program concentrates on preparing the incoming undergraduates with the skills and experience to prepare for a successful career in IT.” Jackson suggested placing high priority on the software design lifecycle, testing, and quality assurance.

Together Jackson and Chapman provided insight to expand the practicality of the programs to prepare students with knowledge they could immediately apply in the workplace. They suggested expansion upon professional and business skills, as well as emphasized the increasing importance for team centric attitudes, documentations, prioritization, and understanding of project scope.

As MindComet’s Director of IT and Software Director, they have developed interactive campaigns for clients such as Speed Channel, ADT, AOL, EarthLink, and Electronic Arts.

MindComet Creates Viral Campaign Blog: Gives Marketers a Real-Time View of the Viral Growth of BloginSpace.com

2005-07-28 00:00:00

MindComet is giving marketing executives a first hand glimpse into the raw, un-edited campaign results of BloginSpace.com’s viral success. The first interactive agency to post raw campaign statistics on a blog, the site gives industry executives an insider look at results and tactics in real-time.

The Blog, launched in tandem with BloginSpace.com, includes email click thru and open rates, search engine rankings and traffic and media interview requests, all illustrating the viral spread of BloginSpace.com and all open for public viewing. “We aren’t holding anything back,” comments Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “We start with the bottom line and post new findings throughout the day, revealing it to not only industry executives, but our competitors. We want to show everyone what you can do with a great idea and the proper viral team to promote it.”

In early July, Murphy challenged his newly formed Guerilla Force team to promote his intergalactic idea. The team, which focuses specifically on viral marketing campaigns, was formed to handle MindComet's growing demand for viral marketing services. "I gave the team $1,000 to spend on media or press releases and told them I wanted to see 100,000 people in a week," said Murphy. "I knew it was going to be our most challenging viral effort yet."

The BloginSpace.com project was a grass roots effort that made it a perfect candidate for MindComet's Guerilla Force to flex their viral muscles. "This campaign allows us to openly demonstrate the power of viral marketing to non-believers," said Scott Allen, Director of Creative Services. "Most clients won't allow us to release all of the statistics surrounding a viral campaign. We own the BloginSpace.com concept and that allows us to disclose information we normally couldn't.”

Since its launch one week ago, BloginSpace.com has received over 183,000 unique users and over 266,000 page views. "That's some decent traffic, considering the budget I provided to promote the site," said Murphy. Traffic to MindComet.com has seen a 700% increase from the campaign and has delivered new sales leads for MindComet as well. "You can't buy the type of coverage this promotion has given us. We have been featured on television, radio and in print all over the world."

MindComet has worked with clients such as Nextel, the NHL and Electronic Arts creating campaigns that produce viral percentage rates of over 600%. Other internal viral initiatives are set to hit the market in late August, attracting leads for MindComet’s creative and innovative services such as the BlogStar Network and eWareness™.

To view coverage of MindComet’s BloginSpace.com viral campaign visit

BloginSpace.com/blog

MindComet Expands BloginSpace.com: Now Offers Non-Bloggers the Chance to Send a Message Into Space

2005-07-26 00:00:00

MindComet opens deep space message transmission to all Internet users with the addition of the new “Space Post” feature to BloginSpace.com. Following last Tuesday’s launch of BloginSpace.com, MindComet has been flooded by requests from non-bloggers around the world demanding the same opportunity to transmit messages in hopes of communicating with extraterrestrials.

Within the first week of BloginSpace.com’s launch, over 2,000 bloggers in 68 countries have submitted their blogs for transmission into space. “The launch has been incredibly successful,” commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “The only issue we have had is the response from people without blogs. It seems everybody wants to transmit a message into space.”

MindComet’s new “Space Post” feature will allow users to transmit one-off messages into space without having a blog or RSS feeds. “We were more than happy to figure out a way to give anyone with Internet access the opportunity to send a message into space,” said Murphy.

Murphy has the same acknowledgement for the potential risks involved with the space transmissions from these one-time messages. “We can’t rule out the possibility that other life forms might not like some of the messages they are receiving,” Murphy said. “We haven’t seen any overt problems with the blog feeds as of yet, but there’s always that chance.”

Murphy continues to emphasize the importance of keeping messages positive to prevent possibilities of intergalactic war. “One of the reasons we started this service was to counter the years of violence and bloodshed broadcast into space by mass media,” Murphy continued. “We encourage our participants to show the other side to the humanity.”

BloginSpace.com’s “Space Post” marks the third major milestone MindComet has produced for the blogging community. The June 3rd launch of BlogStar Network, connecting influential bloggers with advertisers, marked the first successful movement, with BloginSpace.com quickly following.

MindComet’s “Space Post” will remain a free service, using an earth-based satellite broadcast to send the transmissions into deep space. To fill out a message for transmission Internet users can visit

BloginSpace.com

MindComet Launches BloginSpace.com: Free Service Transmits Blogs Into Space

2005-07-19 00:00:00

MindComet launches a website sending bloggers where no blog has gone before: deep space. BloginSpace.com is a free service for bloggers allowing them to submit their blog feeds for transmission into deep space. The site will aggregate blog content into transmission packages and send the content into deep space via a powerful earth-based satellite broadcast.

“I’ve always believed that other intelligent life forms are out there, and now, for the first time, they will be able to peer into the life of average Homo sapiens,” explained Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “We are giving bloggers the opportunity to send a piece of their lives into space to potentially connect with extraterrestrials.”

MindComet hopes that the service will allow humans to connect to alien beings in a new way. “The media is saturated with images of war and anger. We have been transmitting these images into space for years,” said Murphy. “This program gives us the opportunity to show our race in a different light.”

While the program is designed to promote the human race in a positive manner, Murphy acknowledges that there are potential risks. “We strongly urge our users to refrain from language or content designed to provoke our alien neighbors. We hope that our bloggers understand the importance of keeping our message positive.”

This is the second blog-centric service MindComet has launched this year. BlogStar Network, a network designed to connect influential bloggers with advertisers, officially launched in mid-June and has been met with incredible interest from bloggers and advertisers alike. MindComet is expecting similar results with the launch of BloginSpace.com.MindComet is now accepting registrations to transmit information to deep space. For free registration and more information visit

BloginSpace.com

MindComet Looking to Hire in The Double Digits

2005-07-15 00:00:00

July 15, 2005-The demand for MindComet’s innovative online marketing services, including the recent Guerilla Force and the BlogStar Network, has fueled the company’s record growth. MindComet is adding over 10 creative, forward-thinking team members in the upcoming weeks to continue propelling the company to new levels and record-breaking growth.

Departments at MindComet, such as their team of strategists and marketing professionals, are placing the “Now Hiring” sign on their door in areas including search engine optimization, email marketing, project management and media sales. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to interview the cream of the crop in the industry over the next few weeks,” Tara Lamberson, Director of Relationship Strategy commented. “I’m pursuing top talent with experience in link building, search engine marketing, HTML coding and those that are strategic business-minded thinkers.”

MindComet will have their doors open over the next month attracting hundreds of talented professionals looking for technology jobs, search engine marketing jobs, and webmaster jobs, all vying for their chance to work with recognized Fortune 500 clientele. “The selected candidates will work among our tremendous client partner relationships. They also get the benefit of working within a fun and innovative company culture,” Lamberson continued.

Recent additions such as the BlogStar Network, Guerilla Force and eWareness™ solutions have fueled business growth, attracting companies looking for services from viral marketing and blog advertising, to fully integrated marketing solutions. “Our client partners have high expectations, and we are grateful for the occasion to foster the ongoing development of our services and offerings,” commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “We are excited to continue the rapid growth, and we are looking forward to bringing the new members of our team along with us.”

MindComet has positions available including: Relationship Strategist, Email Marketing Specialist, SEO Technician, Project Manager and Online Media Sales Executive.

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Press Contact: Nicole Caplinger
nicole.press@mindcomet.com :: 407.838.1010x352

MindComet Announces Expansion of Viral Marketing Services

2005-07-08 00:00:00

MindComet announces the creation of a new team dedicated to expanding the company’s online viral marketing services. The team, dubbed Guerilla Force, will specialize in the research, design, and deployment of online viral campaigns for MindComet’s client partners.

“Consumers are continuously bombarded with traditional advertising, making it difficult to break through the clutter. Marketers are being forced to consider unconventional tactics to gain consumer attention and brand exposure,” commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “We have seen great results with our previous viral marketing campaigns. This team will take our viral marketing initiatives to the next level.”

The power of viral marketing lies in its ability to spread quickly over email, instant messages, and chat rooms. “Viral marketing is a force multiplier. We have seen campaigns with 900 percent viral compounding rates, meaning for every person we reached through traditional advertising, we reached nine more through word of mouth,” said Murphy. “When was the last time someone sent you a link for a banner ad? That just doesn’t happen.”

Guerilla Force will be heavily focused on unique content creation, inventing eye-capturing and sometimes outrageous concepts that overcome message overload. MindComet has developed viral content for Nextel, NHL, Electronic Arts, Amstel Light, Heineken, and Burger King. “Our previous campaigns were effective, but relatively mainstream and uncontroversial,” commented Scott Allen, Director of Creative Services. “This new team is going to push the limits like never before.”

Guerilla Force is one of many modern marketing solutions MindComet offers its client partners. The solution will compliment MindComet’s eWareness™ services, managed email services, and the BlogStar Network. “We are dedicated to bringing the latest innovations in marketing to our clients and raising the bar to the next level,” Allen remarked. “The Guerilla Force team is compiled of creative thinkers and viral marketing experts who know what it takes to generate buzz.”

“We are extremely excited to dedicate resources to our viral marketing team,” said Murphy. “I am confident we will be able to deliver even greater results for our client partners.”

MindComet Announces Plans For New Headquarters

2005-06-30 00:00:00

MindComet, The Relationship Agency™, announced plans today to begin constructing a new corporate headquarters in Orlando, Florida. Fueled by years of explosive growth in online advertising, the company has outgrown its current space and requires a larger building to accommodate the expanding staff.

"We’ve grown an incredible amount throughout the years, establishing new departments, opening additional offices, creating unique marketing solutions and launching the BlogStar Network," Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet explained. "As a result, we’ve added additional MindComet team members to serve our client partners and have filled our current space in Orlando to capacity.”

MindComet has experienced over 100% revenue growth during the first two quarters of 2005, continuing the dramatic rise the company has experienced since its inception. “We have designed our new space with our growth in mind,” commented Murphy. “We will have the ability to accommodate 120 team members in Orlando alone, making us one of the largest interactive agencies in the country.”

Despite the addition of 10 new team members in Q2 the company has recently posted openings for another 7 open positions. “We are staffing up to stay ahead of the curve,” said Director of Project Management Snowflake Rosen. “We want to have adequate time to train new hires before inclusion on critical initiatives.”

In Q1 MindComet opened offices in New York and Atlanta. The company plans to open additional locations later this year. “Our goal is to have a permanent presence in all of the major geographic areas we serve. We will continue our growth in the United States this year and begin expansion overseas in coming years,” said Murphy. Orlando will serve as the global headquarters for the company, housing the majority of their technical, creative and strategic team members.

Ground breaking is scheduled to begin in Q3 2005 with completion in Q2 2006. The company has announced plans for a temporary relocation to accommodate its growing staff.

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Press Contact: Nicole Caplinger
nicole.press@mindcomet.com :: 407.838.1010x352

Speed Channel Launches New Dashboard Widget

2005-06-22 00:00:00

Speed Channel, the network geared towards viewers who love adrenaline pumping speed and action, launched a programming guide dashboard widget available for download via their website. Developed by MindComet, the Relationship Agency™, the widget allows users with the new Mac OS X Tiger operating system access to hourly updates of Speed Channel's latest shows and events.

Added as part of a marketing initiative to continuously direct viewers to both their online promotions and offline shows and events, the widget will serve as a tool to gain viewership for Speed Channel’s programs. "Creating a widget for Speed Channel's programming utilizes this powerful new tool to increase the level of viewer engagement and reinforce the Speed brand," Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet expressed. “It gives viewers access to the Speed Channel schedule directly on their desktop dashboard.”

Speed Channel recently upgraded and overhauled their website and programs, working in coordination with MindComet to create the hit “Dude for a Day” promotion, offering viewers the opportunity to win a street bike and other gear through entering codes flashed during the show on online registration forms. Through the comprehensive marketing strategies they have enjoyed increased viewership and online traffic, heightened brand awareness, and viral percentage rates that more than tripled previous numbers.

To view the Speed Channel widget visit: www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/movie_tv/

MindComet Unveils BlogStar Network; First Blog Network Offering Marketers Complete Content Integration

2005-06-14 00:00:00

MindComet launches BlogStar Network, a network that provides marketers access to the immense power of the blogosphere and consumer generated media. Unlike blog ad networks or search programs, BlogStar focuses specifically on integrating content directly into blogs. BlogStar Network allows marketers to go beyond simple advertising and leverage the network's relationship with bloggers themselves. The network creates opportunities for product reviews, testimonials and focus group testing.

BlogStar Network delivers marketers something traditional blog ad networks can’t--longevity. "Our content becomes part of the fabric of each individual blog. The content is read by users, indexed by search engines, archived in the blog’s history and most importantly syndicated via RSS,” comments Ted Murphy, President/CEO of MindComet. “The BlogStar Network provides marketing content integration that can deliver a positive return for years on end.”

Blogs are quickly coming to the forefront of interactive marketing. “Consumer web posts and recommendations outperform almost all other forms of advertising,” said Murphy. “We provide marketers with access to both in a way that has never been done before.”

The BlogStar Network is the latest addition to MindComet’s suite of eWareness solutions. The company also offers Brand Ecosystem Monitoring, Strategy Development, eSeeding and Emergency Response solutions.

The network is still accepting applications for additional qualified blogs. Bloggers can apply at www.blogstarnetwork.com to begin the qualification process.

Client Partner Update :: May

2005-06-01 00:00:00

Client Partner Update :: May

MindComet would like to welcome the following new client partners that have joined our family in the month of May:

LOWE WORLDWIDE / GMC

About Lowe

Lowe’s Next Generation Network is designed for marketers who believe leading edge creativity to be essential but will not compromise on global execution. Lowe is built on four key strategy pillars – Holistic Marketing Leadership, Global Network, Brilliant Creativity, and People and Operational Leadership. Lowe represents GMC as their agency of record.

About GMC

GMC is a division of General Motors Corporation. The division markets the Sierra, Yukon, Envoy, Canyon, Savana, Safari and Topkick. GMC's lineup of professional grade trucks deliver outstanding capabilities that exceed customers' expectations with unique features and design elements. GMC sold more than 602,000 vehicles in 2004, setting a divisional sales record for the 11th time in 12 years.

TRANSYSTEMS

Transportation infrastructure and facilities is TranSystems focus. From infrastructure and facility design to computer simulation and economic impact analysis to finding alternative financing solutions for transportation projects - TranSystems does it all. TranSystems transportation specialists, located in offices across the nation, are unparalleled in the knowledge of the movement of freight and people, and unmatched in technical and managerial services. TranSystems provide full-scale professional services to both public- and private-sector transportation clients.

REFLEXION NETWORK SOLUTIONS

Reflexion Network Solutions designed and marketins Reflexion Total Control. Reflexion Total Control is an enterprise e-mail security solution that blocks all spam and no legitimate messages. Using its patent-pending, revolutionary Address Disclosure Management technology, Reflexion Network Solutions is changing the way corporations manage and defeat e-mail spam and viruses.

MindComet opens New York City Office on Wall Street

2005-01-19 00:00:00

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, has built a bridge between the agency and their clients, with the opening of their New York office. Dubbed MCNY, the new office stands tall in the heart of the city on Wall Street, serving as a connecting point between the agency and its tri-state clientele.

Backed by astounding success in 2004 and continual growth in the past five years, MindComet is reaching further to meet a high demand for their services. Numerous client partners, including ADT, Electronic Arts,EarthLink, FOX, US Smokeless Tobacco, Speed Channel and others have recognized the unprecedented value in optimizing their customer relationships through a variety of MindComet¹s technology and creative marketing services.

"Opening an office to serve the Tri-State area is the beginning of a core strategic initiative for MindComet," said Ted Murphy, President/CEO of MindComet. "We are now enabled to better serve our clients partners and provide a higher level of support. Our team can more regularly service our client partners in person, creating additional benefits for both parties."

Managed services such as email marketing, lead generation and relationship consulting paved the way for MindComet¹s expansion in the Big Apple. With over 50% revenue growth in 2004, the company expects even greater growth in 2005.

"Personalized communication has become increasingly important in the marketplace," observed Paul Lewis, SVP of Sales and Marketing for MindComet. "We want to ensure that our client partners continue to learn more about their customers through effective relationship building. Understanding our clients and enabling them to learn more about their customers allows for a highly successful business environment. MCNY is just another way to deepen those bonds."

Gen Why? A Generation Filled With Questions - Especially Among Marketers

2004-11-15 00:00:00

Generation Y, people born between 1977 and 1995, consists of over 78 million consumers and represents a whopping $250 billion in buying power and influence, but who are the actual people behind this alphabetic moniker? MindComet’s cultural consulting team attempts to uncover just that in their soon to be released book, "Y –Outside the Polls and Inside the Minds of the Millenials".

More than just another survey study, the book examines the social and personal factors behind the way Gen Y thinks and buys. Specifically written for today’s marketer, it provides insights into a variety of ways to break through the clutter and reach this media-saturated generation –a fast moving target on a turbulent sea of cultural and technological changes.

"This book will answer the vital questions so many marketing teams seek about this millennial generation," commented Paul Lewis, MindComet’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales "The publication will serve as a navigational handbook for marketers, offering unique insights and application tools for a variety of topics as they reach out to this powerhouse collection of young people we have come to call Gen Y."

If marketing to Gen Y is part of your business we would like to hear from you. We are specifically looking for additional case studies, experiences and quotes for the book. In exchange for your input you will be included in our private Gen Y Marketing Insights group as well as receive an early preview of the book for free.

MindComet Shifts Speedtv.com Into Overdrive With Latest Redesign

2004-07-30 00:00:00

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, announces the re-launch of Speedtv.com with long-time client Speed Channel. The launch of Speedtv.com version 3.0 will mark MindComet’s third major release of Speedtv.com since the relationship with Speed Channel was formed in 2001. Version 2.0 was a tremendous success, Speed has experienced 225% growth in overall hits, doubled the number of unique site visitors and tripled the amount of pages viewed per visit since its release. The 3.0 release is focused on providing a better user experience, incorporating a more diverse and dynamic range of content, driving awareness of Speed Channel programming and improving the backend tools used to manage the site.

"This overhaul of our website will allow us to broaden Speed’s appeal to a larger market of individuals, not just racing enthusiasts," commented Mark Mitchell, Director of Speedtv.com. "MindComet has consistently helped us develop and implement the strategies that have propelled our site growth. We are optimistic that this version of our website will see the most explosive growth to date."

The redesigned site is packed with powerful improvements that impact both users and Speedtv.com publishers. VROOM, a custom content management tool built by MindComet to manage the site, has been outfitted with all new features including tight integration with MindComet’s BrandM@il email Marketing System. "BrandM@il is going to change the way we communicate with our users, commented Mitchell. "MindComet has managed to consolidate our various data sources into a single repository that allows us to better profile our users."

In addition to BrandM@il integration VROOM has been enhanced to serve and manage a diverse array of content and advertising media on the site, including a large video content area within the homepage content itself. "Speed Channel is a television network," said Mitchell. "Our users want to see video and this new site delivers it to them." MindComet has utilized Macromedia’s Flash 7 player to deliver video content throughout the site.

"We are proud to have developed Speedtv.com version 3.0 in conjunction with Speed Channel ," stated Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO. "We look forward to further enhancing the site to provide more features and functionality to both the users and developers.

MindComet Reports Record Sales in Q2, Sees Online Marketing Regaining Momentum

2004-07-06 00:00:00

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, announced record sales growth of 59% in the second quarter. The growth, fueled by the acquisition of new clients is seen as an indicator of increased interest in Internet marketing, especially as it relates to customer relationship building.

MindComet acquired a vast array of new clients during the second quarter including Coca-Cola, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Fiserv CBS Worldwide, Globe Wireless, Living Independently, Sapporo Beer, American Eagle Associates and StudentCity.com. In addition to new clients, MindComet has also expanded its engagements with current clients such as ADT Security, Amstel Light, Speed Channel, Maersk and Sunshine Network.

“Business is booming,” states MindComet VP of New Business, Douglas White. “Companies are re-investing in online marketing and MindComet is showing them how to best leverage their investment. MindComet’s product and service offerings enable our clients to go beyond simple online ads. We provide the full complement of technical, creative and strategic elements necessary to create successful online marketing programs.”

Sales of MindComet’s BrandM@il email marketing solution have been particularly strong in Q2. “BrandM@il represents a low-cost solution for basic relationship marketing,” said White. BrandM@il software allows companies to create and manage email marketing campaigns that are integrated with online data collectors. “Our clients can choose to manage the campaigns themselves or engage our marketing services team to execute fully managed cross-channel campaigns.”

“Internet marketing is back and stronger than ever,” stated MindComet President/CEO Ted Murphy. “Companies have come to realize just how important the Internet is and the unique opportunity it provides to collect valuable customer data. If our double-digit growth every quarter for the past five years is any indicator of the market space’s future, I believe spending will continue to trend upward at a significant rate.”

MindComet Is Proud To Introduce The First Total Control Spam Solution

2004-06-16 00:00:00

MindComet, The Relationship Agency, has partnered with Woburn , Massachusetts based technology enterprise, Reflexion Network Solutions, in bringing this revolutionary email security system to the public.The MindComet Total Control solution is the first solution of it’s kind and the only one currently on the market that provides elasticity in it’s functions, complete viral protection, and intuitive message blocking without the chance of blocking messages that are valid and important to the user.

MindComet Total Control employs a transparent technology called Secure Channel Communication™, which automatically issues a unique identifier for each contact of a particular user.This process creates a protected conduit for communication along with precise tracking that protects email contact information from being spread and used by others without the owner’s knowledge.This system allows the user to monitor if a third party, such as a website vendor, sells or gives their email address away and, even more importantly, allows the user to block communication from the new sender, all new senders from that third party, or even the third party itself.All of this is possible without ever having to contact any of the senders involved.Today, many email senders provide an “unsubscribe” feature that is really just a way to confirm they have a “live” email address that is actively being read.By unsubscribing, you are actually getting put on hundreds of new email lists.MindComet Total Control puts the control back where it belongs – in the hands of the receiver, so users will never be at the mercy of email spammers again.

“The Concept is revolutionary,” stated Joseph McIssac, CEO of Reflexion. “There is no doubt that spam is a huge problem in the world of email communication today, and filters are simply not effective enough. Our technology has led to superior new defenses for other problems plaguing email, including blocking new and invisible email borne viruses, denial of service attacks and directory name harvesting.”

The Total Control system uses no language or content filters, no manual input functions for allowing or disallowing contacts otherwise known as “whitelists” or “blacklists,” and does not create “false positives” where a message is blocked that shouldn’t be.Additionally, the system is simple to set up and easy to use, requiring no ongoing administration.It even allows users to view the content of potentially hazardous messages – within a safe environment, free from the possibility of a devastating viral infection. Unlike other so called spam solutions, MindComet Total Control will not degrade over time, which is common among systems that utilize cumbersome scanning sources to detect “good” and “bad” email.This product eliminates bandwidth, CPU and disk space usage required by other solutions and frees these resources for your network activity.

Several companies were chosen to act as test consumers, aiding in the development process of Total Control.The Parthenon Group, a managing consulting firm with offices in Boston , San Francisco and London was one of the early adopters.They eliminated 200,000 spam messages from entering into their network with no false positives in just one week – while simultaneously enabling re-allocation of their IT staff to revenue generating projects.Similar results were shared among several affiliates over the course of 18 months, a time period during which the system was perfected and the businesses involved reaped the many benefits of Total Control.

“We have been using Total Control for more than a year with phenomenal success,” said Leo Hermacinski, a partner at Parthenon. “When we first started, I was personally averaging over 100 spam messages a day.Now with Total Control, I get zero spam and we’ve had no incident of a false positive.It does such a great job that we forget we are using it.If it weren’t for the Total Control reporting package, we would never know that our spam problem has grown from 700 spam messages to now over 2,000 per week.All this time Total Control has delivered perfect results with absolutely no maintenance.”

The MindComet team will be available to answer consumer inquiries about what MindComet Total Control can do for them and their company.The system offers many elements of interest to the IT world including virus checking, enhanced reliability and uptime, content control, and forensic analysis.It is compatible with all email servers and security products including spam filters, virus scanners, SMTP gateways, Microsoft Exchange, Lotus, Eudora, Novell Group Wise, and CommuniGate.

Questions about the availability and specifications of the various Total Control packages can be addressed to MindComet by email at sales@mindcomet.com or by calling 1-800-668-1761.

MindComet Develops EarthLink Marketing CD

2004-02-12 00:00:00

Interactive marketing solutions provider MindComet has combined extensive rich multimedia content with interactive technology to create a new EarthLink High Speed marketing CD, which accommodates an exponential amount of customer segments, user demographics and subject categories. Consumer distribution of the EarthLink CD, which MindComet began developing last February, will begin in mid-October.

“Our CD-ROM creation methodology is focused on providing the maximum customization and interactivity to personalize what is all too often a cold, impersonal mass media experience,” said MindComet CEO and project creative director Ted Murphy. “This particular presentation differs from the normal static demos with built-in technology that gives users the ability to tailor their presentation based on the product features they wish to learn more about.”

“MindComet took an innovative approach to EarthLink’s CD-ROM marketing strategy, allowing for a user experience unrivaled in the field. Through content rich user interaction, EarthLink believes that we should allow our potential customers to easily create an experience that is customized for each individual,” said EarthLink Director of Marketing and Communications for High Speed Scott Thomas.

MindComet flexed its’ creative and design muscles throughout the CD, incorporating multimedia elements, such as videos, movie trailers, commercials, and mp3s, to augment the comparisons between dial-up and high-speed Internet service. The EarthLink High Speed Demo offers an informative, easily navigable and highly interactive experience designed to educate and show Internet users the dynamic differences between dial-up and high-speed services targeting currently connected high-speed users and those ready to make the upgrade from their current dial-up connection.

MindComet designers developed the CD using Macromedia’s Director, Adobe After Effects and QuickTime.

MindComet Breaks the Mold with Upper Deck’s New BreaKey™ Online Game Featuring Real-Time Play and Chat

2004-01-20 00:00:00

In September 2003, in one of Upper Deck’s first applications of real-time interactive online gaming, the company launched the online component of BreaKey™ in Germany. The U.S. release of BreaKey is scheduled to launch within the upcoming months. Designed to drive sales of Upper Deck Entertainment products in retail stores, the online version of BreaKey, which was developed by MindComet Corporation, utilizes Macromedia’s Flash Communication Server and Flash Remoting to deliver cutting-edge, interactive game play with real-time chat capability, while engaged in play.

BreaKey Online, which is designed for ages nine to 12, consists of three core components: The game lobby, a battle game and a draft game. The Game Lobby is the central location where all players meet when not engaged in one of the BreaKey Games. Players can register their previously purchased BreaKey codes, which once entered will render the player a digital key. Also, inside the Game Lobby, players may view their key portfolio or enter chat rooms available for each game (Battle and Draft).

In the Battle game, which was built using Macromedia Flash, players choose to battle other players in an attempt to “break” their opponent’s keys and win control over those keys. Every time a player’s key wins a battle that player may win a predetermined prize, which is attached to the opponent’s key. For each win, a player gains “battle points,” which rank the player against all other BreaKey players. Prizes include BreaKey Battle Packs, Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Pin sets, game system backpacks, CD players, video games, watches and much, much more! For more information on BreaKey Online visit ww.gobreakey.com .

Draft is also a Flash game that can be played with either two players or eight players. The two-player game allows two players to challenge each other in a series of rounds using a pool of keys. The last player with unbroken keys wins and gets to keep any unbroken digital keys. Both players may win bonus keys or other prizes. The eight-player game pairs gamers at random for the first match, giving them the chance to break their opponents key. The game has three matches. Once players have progressed through three matches, they have the chance to view their performance against the other players. Whether you are playing the two-player or eight-player game, countless draft games may be taking place on the server allowing players to pair and battle simultaneously.

BreaKey is a licensed product of BreaKey, Netherlands.

MindComet's Ted Murphy Voted Top 100 Multimedia Producers for the 2nd Year in a Row

2003-12-02 00:00:00

For the second year in a row, Ted Murphy was profiled as one of the top 100 producers in the November issue of AV Multimedia Producer’s Profiles in Excellence. There are several criteria that a producer must exhibit in order to be selected for this award. The criteria are: demonstrated success in a growing business, ability to exceed client’s expectations and the ability to exhibit creative desire for producing dynamic media. Recommendations from peers and clients are also factored into the selection of producers who demonstrated exceptional standards within the industry.

“ I am extremely honored to be regarded by my peers and clients as one of the Top Producers,” stated Murphy. “However, it is MindComet’s highly creative staff of designers, programmers and project managers that take the vision and bring it all together into a cohesive solution, they are truly the ones that deserve the credit. ”

MindComet Makes an Impression in Web Design Magazine

2003-11-11 00:00:00

The Korean design publication, Impress Web Design Magazine, highlighted DNP’s Ribbon Runner Rich Internet Application designed by MindComet Corporation in their November issue.

Each month Impress Web Design highlights a Rich Internet Application from around the world. This month their interest turned to Dai Nippon Printing Group, the world’s largest thermal transfer ribbon manufacturer and their Ribbon Runner RIA.

As the premier design magazine in Korea, Impress Web Design offers useful tips and tools of the trade geared to educate designers on the latest trends within the industry. “I am honored to have MindComet’s designs and RIA approach sought after. It is even more rewarding to offer tips to another world of designers” stated MindComet’s Ted Murphy.

Here are Three Helpful Hints for a Successful RIA:

Use vector graphics whenever possible to allow for easy scalability and faster loading.

Utilize pre-built flash components and re-skin them. This allows you more time to create a more robust application from the time that you saved using existing components.

Don’t go overboard with animation. Too much animation decreases the efficiency of the application and creates a poor user experience.

For more information on MindComet's Rich Internet Applications contact a sales representative at 1.800.668.1761x2

The Relationship Agency Debuts at AD:Tech, NYC

2003-10-17 00:00:00

MindComet, “the Relationship Agency”, will be exhibiting at the seventh annual AD:Tech show, in New York City, November 3-5. AD:Tech is the defining event for interactive marketing, focusing on market trends, key issues and bottom-line metrics to provide a clear picture of the state of interactive marketing.

MindComet assists clients to optimize customer relationships by working cooperatively to develop comprehensive customer relationship strategies that strengthen the bonds between current and prospective customers. The strategy integrates and automates diverse input from a company’s internal and external sales, marketing, advertising, customer service, and public relations agencies to create detailed, individualized customer dialogues that build brand equity, increase conversion rates, decrease acquisition costs, and maximize the lifetime value of each relationship.

Please contact MindComet today to pre-schedule a personal appointment at the show and to pick up your complimentary VIP gift. At the show, stop by booth 338 and meet the men behind the methodology: Ted Murphy, President/CEO, Paul Lewis, VP Marketing/Sales, Doug White, VP New Business, Phil Parker, Senior Account Manager. Each will be available to speak with you and offer insight into how MindComet’s Relationship Agency can meet the digital media needs of your company.

For more information, or to schedule a meeting before, during or after show hours, please contact Ryan Crain at 1.800.668.1761 Ext. 320

MindComet Makes Web Content Management Manageable with Browser-Based mCube

2003-09-26 00:00:00

MindComet launches mCube 2.0. The simple point and click system, designed for use by any person within an organization, employs a website structure that allows one to easily edit text, pictures, and headings, i.e. just click to edit text. Check out a video highlighting mCube's functionality mCube Presentation

“As a Relationship Agency, MindComet is in the business of providing customized solutions to make our clients’ life easier,” said Ted Murphy, CEO. “mCube revolutionizes the way companies can approach their content management system. This browser-based tool gives users complete control of their website through a user-friendly system. Unlike typical content management systems, mCube doesn’t require a separate interface. Instead, the administrative site mirrors the actual website, with edit buttons augmenting existing content. The common barrier that companies face is the disconnect between how rapidly information changes and the pace at which website administrators work to reflect this. MindComet is offering a simple solution to eliminate this problem."

The mCube user interface is designed with dynamic HTML and provides unlimited plug-in support for programs like QuickTime‚, Windows Media‚ Flash‚ and Shockwave‚. The built-in workflow management system encompasses granular privileges, including task assignment, revision, audit trail and approval processes.

The heart of mCube houses all posted content to allow easy retrieval of everything from disaster recovery to the roll back of a single paragraph of text. “ mCube has been designed to eliminate the content management bottleneck,” added Murphy. “Giving complete control of the content management system to the client eliminates the traditional Web designer/client agreement, which entails a budgeted maintenance agreement. Instead, the mCube solution employs a leased model where control over content management is transferred directly to the client, eliminating the process of requesting changes from MindComet staff.”

Cross Media Campaign Drives “Dude for a Day” Wannabes to the Web for Speed Channel and Kawasaki

2003-07-08 00:00:00

An innovative cross-media marketing campaign consisting of Web, television and print media advertising (FHM Magazine) designed to encourage viewership of Speed Channel’s popular “Dude for a Day” show and interest in sponsor Kawasaki motorcycles, has generated over 90,000 online registrations in just six weeks. Digital marketing and CRM specialist MindComet designed the Online Data Collector (ODC) which provided Speed Channel additional branding exposure and generated a valuable database for future marketing efforts for Kawasaki.

“The Speed Channel and Kawasaki sought a compelling way to leverage a perpetual campaign synergy to heighten awareness of a new television show while promoting enthusiast interest in Kawasaki motorcycles,” Paul Lewis, MindComet senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Speed Channel and Kawasaki were looking to build a consumer database on which to develop long-tern digital relationships with their target audience, which was accomplished in little more than a month.”

"MindComet's involvement in the ‘Dude for a Day’ promotion made it Speed Channel's most successful Internet campaign to date. Their interactive design helped to significantly increase Speed Channel's online and television viewership," said Bill Osborn, Speed Channel, Vice President Marketing.

During the “Dude for a Day” show, a special entry code was shown onscreen in conjunction with Kawasaki sponsorship, instructing viewers to visit the Speed Channel website and register for the promotion. The “Dude for a Day” promotion consisted of a small weekly giveaway and a grand-prize of a custom Speed Channel branded Kawasaki motorcycle and a trip to Laguna Seca.

“The Dude for a Day promotion illustrates the power of combining cross media buys with cross relationship strategies to maximize the value of advertising initiatives. We are delighted to work with Speed Channel on their innovative advertising initiatives, which provide an ideal basis for the kind of cutting-edge interactive solutions that is a MindComet specialty,” said Ted Murphy, CEO, MindComet.

Toolkit Notes: MySQL 4 - database
Redhat Linux Servers
Adobe Photoshop – Design Application
Marcomedia Dreamweaver – HTML Production
PHP – development language
Apache – web server

THE DUDE FOR A DAY WINNER

Dan Waterman, Tucson, Ariz., is the winner of Speed Channel’s “The Dude for a Day” contest, beating out nearly 90,000 entrants for a Grand Prize package that includes a Speed Channel custom 2003 Ninja ZX-6R motorcycle, a trip for two to the FIM World Superbike Race at Laguna Seca, a lap around the track at Laguna Seca and loads of Kawasaki and Speed Channel gear. Waterman, who watches Speed on Comcast, received the news by phone, when Team Kawasaki rider Eric Bostrom called from the set of Speed Channel’s 2 Wheel Tuesday program. Waterman will spend part of his day in California with Bostrom and Team Kawasaki.

In 2003, Speed Channel is the exclusive U.S. cable home for many of the top motor sports series in the world, including Formula One, The Champ Car World Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, USAC, World Rally, ASA, IHRA, ALMS, Grand American Road Racing, F3000 and live coverage of AMA and FIM motorcycle road racing events. Now available in more the 62 million homes in North America, Speed Channel is the fastest growing sports cable network in the country and the home to NASCAR TV.

MindComet is a multi-disciplinary global solutions developer offering a complete array of digital marketing and enterprise solutions designed to assist our clients realize maximum return on investment and achieve their business objectives.

MindComet Featured in HOW Magazine Design Annual

2003-03-20 00:00:00

Orlando, Fl. HOW Magazine publishes its International Design Issue once a year to highlight the best of the best in global designers. This year the magazine brings MindComet to the forefront for their development and designs in interactive advertising.

MindComet is recognized for their success in the Advergame arena. Digital designers searching for a more effective way to assist their clients in on-line advertising have discovered Advergames, which are created to promote or extend a brand through on-line consumer interaction.

"I am incredibly appreciative of the MindComet team and all of the hard work they put into making our Advergames some of the finest in the inustry,” stated Ted Murphy, MindComet’s President & CEO. “We look forward to providing this unique advertising opportunity to many clients in the future.”

More information on MindComet and Advergames can be found in the April 2003 issue of HOW Magazine.

MindComet Becomes IBM Business Partner

2003-03-18 00:00:00

MindComet leverages IBM technology in the development of custom e-business applications

MindComet announces today it has become an IBM Business Partner. MindComet will work with IBM to leverage IBM’s suite of Internet infrastructure tools in the development of enterprise class, Java-based web applications.

MindComet has development relationships with other industry leading technology firms, including Macromedia. Among MindComet’s goals is a focus on developing custom Internet ebusiness applications using a combination of IBM and Macromedia technologies, including the implementation of enterprise scale applications, sites, and portals utilizing WebSphere Application Server combined with Macromedia’s newest suite of MX server products.

MindComet is a Member Level Business Partner in the IBM PartnerWorld for Developers.
About WebSphereTM
WebSphere is Internet infrastructure software -- known as middleware -- that enables companies to develop, deploy and integrate e-business applications, such as those for business-to-business e-commerce. WebSphere supports business applications from simple Web publishing through enterprise-scale transaction processing. WebSphere transforms the way businesses manage customer, partner and employee relationships. More information about the WebSphere software platform is on the Web at http://www.ibm.com/websphere.
About PartnerWorld®
IBM is the world’s number one server company and largest information technology provider, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Launched in May 1999, PartnerWorld is a marketing and enablement program designed to create new revenue opportunities for IBM Business Partners. PartnerWorld initiatives are built around e-business and emphasize IBM’s industry-leading portfolio of offerings -- including technology, software, services and financing. For more information on PartnerWorld visit www.ibm.com/partnerworld.

ColdFusion MX and IBM WebSphere Seminar

2003-02-27 00:00:00

Join Macromedia and IBM for a free seminar and see how to deliver J2EE results without complexity. You are constantly striving to reduce costs and realize greater value from your J2EE investments. Learn how you can meet those goals, increase productivity and complete projects faster by combining ColdFusion MX for J2EE with IBM WebSphere Application Server.

Designed for IT managers, architects and lead developers, this seminar includes information-packed demonstrations, as well as special presentations from Josh Walker, Research Director at Forrester Research, and a case study from Purdue University.

MindComet will be in the Partner Pavilion with team members there to answer your questions. We can show you how to use IBM and Macromedia prodcucts to tranform legacy systems into rich internet applications.

Topics covered in this seminar include:

Josh Walker, from Forrester Research, on how and why organizations are extending J2EE application development with productivity tools for J2EE

How ColdFusion and WebSphere work together

How ColdFusion streamlines J2EE development and deployment

How organizations can utilize developers of all skill sets for J2EE development

Why IBM WebSphere application is the premier J2EE application server available today

A demonstration of ColdFusion MX for WebSphere and the WebSphere Application Server

All attendees will be eligible to win an Apple iPod!

MindComet to Launch New Yupo.com with MCube

2003-02-17 00:00:00

MindComet announces a new project with long-time client Yupo Corporation of America. The project entails a complete redesign of Yupo’s corporate website (http://yca.yupo.com/). The new site will be developed using MindComet’s proprietary MCube content management system to facilitate easy and instantaneous changes to all areas of the Yupo site.

The effort entails a complete rearchitecture of both front and back ends of yca.yupo.com. Site graphics and information architecture will be redesigned to reflect current Yupo marketing campaigns.

“This redevelopment of Yupo’s website will allow us to pull far ahead of our competitors in the online space,” commented Jeff Morgan, VP sales and marketing for Yupo America. “MindComet has consistently delivered on its promise to provide online services that facilitate our competitive advantage. The addition of the MCube content management tool will also provide Yupo with another channel to effectively communicate with customers.”

MCube allows non-technical users to navigate the content management just as one navigates the site. Using simple point and click navigation. MCube enables site owners to change content and graphics, as well as upload multimedia assets such as Flash movies, video content and a variety of document formats.

“MCube puts control of the website in the client’s hands,” stated Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO. “The tool is tailored to clients like Yupo Corporation, who need to manage a high level of site updates without having extensive developer resources on staff.”

Yupo hired MindComet in 1999 to facilitate Yupo’s first online marketing and ecommerce venture. The two companies have worked together since to refine and perfect Yupo’s online presence.

“Our relationship with Yupo in the past has been extremely fulfilling for both companies and MindComet is excited to continue working with Yupo to redefine their online presence for 2003 and beyond,” said Murphy.

Martin Lindstrom Private Branding Workshop

2003-02-10 00:00:00

MindComet welcomes Martin Lindstrom from Sydney, Australia to its Orlando, FL headquarters the week of May 5th, 2003. We are pleased to offer current and potential clients the opportunity to partake in a private brand-building private workshop with Mr. Lindstrom. This is a fantastic opportunity for top companies to avail themselves of Mr. Lindstrom’s legendary knowledge of brand building on the Internet and his cutting edge research in a variety of areas that are of critical importance to the modern marketer.

MindComet provides access to some of the top minds in the world, allowing our clients to stay abreast of the rapidly changing marketing landscape. We assist our clients with leveraging the power of new technologies and media to consistently deliver unparalleled returns on their marketing investments.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to take advantage of this highly in demand speaker and author and focus his powers of perception and years of experience on suggestions and concepts specific to your company. This is a limited availability event.

Martin Lindstrom Biography

Lindstrom is recognized as one of the world’s primary online branding gurus, defining ten groundbreaking Internet-branding rules in 1995. A leading thinker in his field, a visionary and an educator in the rapidly growing field of online branding, Martin Lindstrom has authored several best-selling books on the use of emerging techniques for building strong, international online brands.

Lindstrom's reputation for earning "a guaranteed standing ovation" at his compelling lectures on 360-degree branding accompanies his popularity as a columnist. On a weekly basis, Lindstrom publishes his observations on branding, his columns reaching a global audience of more than four million people in twenty countries.

Co-founder of BBDO Interactive Europe (later renamed Framfab), Europe’s largest Internet solution company in 1995, founder and CEO of Australia/Asia’s largest Internet solution company in 1997, and in 1999 Worldwide Chief Operating Officer for BTLookSmart, the international joint venture between British Telecom and LookSmart the world's largest Internet search directory company. Throughout his career, Lindstrom has provided brand-building advice to international companies including LEGO Worldwide, Mars, Pepsi, Mercedes-Benz, VISA, Quicken and Yellow Pages. He is a member of several international boards including Wotch.com, Hitwise and eKit.com.

In 1995, Martin Lindstrom co-authored the world’s first book on Internet brand-building. His second book, “Clicks, Bricks & Brands”, endorsed by 1to1™ founders, Martha Rogers and Don Peppers, has revolutionized the book industry with its introduction of the DualBook™ concept. The book is 100% integrated with the Internet and the mobile phone, allowing readers to be constantly updated with new views and news via hotlinks, nominated on each page of the hard-copy book. The hotlinks replace page numbers, and the concept ensures that the book never goes out of date.

Martin Lindstrom began his career as a marketing and branding consultant and advertising executive at BBDO Scandinavia. His study earned him the highest degree ever conferred by the University of Advertising (DRB) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

MindComet Launches Advergame for the NHL

2002-12-12 00:00:00

MindComet, the industry leading new media solutions provider, today announced that it has designed and developed an online game in support of the Nextel/National Hockey League All-Star Challenge. The Nextel/NHL All-Star Challenge is a national shootout competition, taking place in 11 NHL team markets and through a national sweepstakes (U.S. residents only) over a three-month period. The competition will culminate at the 2003 NHL All-Star Weekend presented by Nextel in Sunrise, Fla., where one fan will have the opportunity to shoot against Tampa Bay Lightning star goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin for $250,000.

The online component of the sweepstakes, developed by MindComet, is a hockey-themed 3D game, available now on the NHL's Web site (www.nhl.com), and is MindComet’s latest online advergame designed to increase clients’ brand exposure and capture consumer interaction with online advertisement. The advergame enables fans to compete for a space on the leader board and a chance to win the January drawing for a trip to NHL All-Star Weekend and compete in the competition during NHL All-Star Weekend for the right to shoot against Khabibulin.

Big brands and sports franchises are turning to online games to increase online and offline brand exposure and leverage the Web's potential for exponential communication and user data management. The Web game collects opt-in user registrations and demographic information as part of the sweepstakes promotion.

"As with all our game solutions, the All-Star Challenge is designed to be extraordinarily effective in engaging Web users, generating a buzz and enabling the NHL to understand fan interactions with online media," stated Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. "The game is a perfect centerpiece in the promotion of February’s NHL All-Star Game, presented by Nextel.

"We know that users respond to games much more positively than they do to banner ads or other forms of online advertising," continued Murphy. "Web-based 3D game content currently stands as one of the most effective forms of interactive advertising."

Available until December 31, 2002, the web-based challenge is delivered in Macromedia's Shockwave format, a widely installed technology that supports highly interactive, multimedia Web content. MindComet is an industry leading developer of Web-based Shockwave game content and a Macromedia Alliance Partner.

NHL is a registered trademark of the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

Ted Murphy Named to Top 100 Producers of 2002

2002-12-01 00:00:00

For the past eight years, AV Video Multimedia Producer Magazine has chosen the 100 individuals who represent the best producers in the business. This year the magazine has chosen MindComet’s President & CEO Ted Murphy to be among those recognized for their achievement.

Several criteria are utilized to determine which producers are selected for the award. These include success in fulfilling a client’s demand, success in growing a business and, especially, demonstrable creative passion for the work of producing dynamic media for business.
“I am honored to be recognized by my peers and clients in this capacity,” commented Murphy. “However, MindComet’s amazing team of designers, programmers and project managers are the ones that truly deserve the credit. They make the projects come to life."
A profile of Murphy and the other 99 producers can be found in the November 2002 issue of AV Video Multimedia Producer Magazine.

MindComet and Optiem Form Strategic Alliance

2002-10-30 00:00:00

Optiem LLC and MindComet of Maitland, Florida have formed a strategic alliance to co-market their interactive marketing services. Thom Ruhe, President of Optiem, and Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet, made the joint announcement today.
“MindComet’s expertise on several fronts, including online game and DVD development complement our suite of interactive marketing services”, said Ruhe. “Their clients are top marketers like Heineken USA, Sea-Doo, and Burger King Corporation, so we know we’re in good company.”

“We believe Optiem’s client list can benefit from our efforts, and vice versa,” commented Murphy.

“It makes great strategic sense to co-market MindComet’s online game solutions and Optiem’s powerful email marketing services to a wide variety of market segments,” Murphy continued.

MindComet Launches Championship Games on Shockwave.com

2002-07-10 00:00:00

In a launch timed to attract sports fans during the NHL and NBA playoffs, leading new-media developer MindComet recently released two popular new online sports games exclusively on Shockwave.com (www.shockwave.com).
Released in May, Super Slapshot 3D is an online 3D hockey game that pits gamers against a fearsome goalie in a fight to score points before the clock runs out. Shockwave.com gamers tapped Super Slapshot 3D as one of the top five most popular games on the site shortly after the game’s May launch.
Super Slapshot 3D is the second MindComet game featured on Shockwave.com, which launched MindComet’s 3D 3 Point Shootout during the NBA playoffs. After widespread promotion on the Shockwave.com Web site and e-mail newsletters, more than 250,000 unique users played the game. 3D 3 Point Shootout also appeared in the top five most popular games on the site.
MindComet has been an active member of Shockwave.com’s game developer network since early 2002. Both games will be on the site for a 2-year period as part of Shockwave.com’s 3D game lineup.
“MindComet’s work for Shockwave.com has been very successful this year,” said John Welch, Shockwave.com’s Vice President, Games & Product Development. “Shockwave.com chooses game development partners based on their innovation, product quality, and overall success in the industry. MindComet’s 3D web browser games are an exciting indicator of how the state of the art is advancing, and we look forward to more games from MindComet in the future.”

MindComet’s unique relationship with Shockwave.com gives MindComet clients access to a tremendous distribution network. Placement on Shockwave.com, in combination with Shockwave.com’s targeted marketing efforts, gives advertisers penetration into a deep and broad demographic. The site has over 40 million registered user and attracts about 17 million unique visitors each month.

MindComet’s relationship with Shockwave.com is ongoing and plans for future online games are in the works.

To play Super Slapshot 3D, visit http://www.Shockwave.com/sw/content/superslapshot3d

To play 3D 3-Point Shootout, visit http://www.shockwave.com/sw/content/3pointshootout

MindComet a Hit at the HOW Design Conference

2002-06-18 00:00:00

With its intriguing lighting, live DJ, and multimedia big screen presentation, MindComet was a choice stop along the 2002 HOW Design Studio Tour that hit Orlando in June.

The Studio Tour was part of a larger conference hosted by HOW Magazine, the leading business and creativity resource for graphic design professionals. In its twelfth year, the HOW Design Conference is an annual gathering of graphic designers that features the latest in creativity, technology, and business. Conference goers heard from local, national, and international experts on topics covering all facets of the design industry.

As one of the only interactive agency on the tour, MindComet demonstrated its pioneering work in the areas of Web application design, online advergames, cross channel communication, interactive marketing, and rich media content development.

Among the highlighted upcoming projects were a community portal site for FoxSports’ SpeedChannel, an advergame for Burger King, and an updated Website for long-time client Datamax, an industry leading thermal printer manufacturer. Each of these projects will launch this summer.
Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO commented, “MindComet welcomed the opportunity to entertain our industry peers. We are all very proud of MindComet’s environment and the work we do. The HOW Design visitors were enthusiastic and interested in our studio, clients, and projects. The tours were a resounding success.”

MindComet hosted twelve busloads carrying approximately 250 conference goers.

Visitors to MindComet’s Maitland office were treated to live house music mixed by MindComet’s own DJ Johnny. All of the MindComet staff turned out to chat up their guests and give personalized tours of the studio. Most visitors commented on the visually impressive and innovative workspace design and tiki-themed lounge.

MindComet Turns Three

2002-05-15 00:00:00

MindComet, the industry leading interactive solutions developer, will celebrate its third birthday in August with a new corporate identity and a big bash at its Maitland headquarters. The anniversary party, which is still in the planning phases, promises to be as fun and glamorous as last year’s party, which featured a Las Vegas theme.

Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO says, “We are extremely pleased with the company’s growth this year and have a lot to celebrate in August. Throwing a gala event is a great way to include employees, clients, investors, press, and friends in the community.
MindComet’s rebranding efforts kicked off in April and include an update to the company’s overall look and feel, marketing collateral, web presence, and other fun things too numerous to mention.
David Kujda, MindComet’s Creative Director, is spearheading the identity project. “A corporate rebranding is an intense project. And, there are many aspects of MindComet’s branding that are very successful, so we’ve had to do a deep evaluation to determine what stays and what goes,” Kujda commented.

MindComet has grown this year and is seeking to continue to push into bigger markets. “The rebranding is both a response to and support of MindComet’s growth as a company,” continued Kujda, “so we really have to translate both past accomplishments and future potential into one integrated identity. The anniversary party will be a fitting venue for the unveiling.”

Adobe and Apple Invite MindComet to Demonstrate New Technology

2002-05-01 00:00:00

MindComet, the industry leading interactive solutions developer, has been invited by Apple Computer and Adobe Software to demonstrate the combined power of Adobe’s creative tools and Apple Computer’s revolutionary new operating system Mac OS X. MindComet joined the select group of Apple Solution Experts and the Adobe Solution Network in 2001.

“Our partnerships with Apple and Adobe have really helped us grow as a company this year,” commented Ted Murphy, MindComet’s President and CEO. “As partners, we’ve been able to evaluate pre-release software and undertake development efforts using early versions of Apple and Adobe tools. This access to Apple and Adobe’s powerful technology has provided immense value to both MindComet and our clients.”
“The seminar will be a great chance to show off the capabilities of Apple and Adobe’s creative software, connect with representatives of these industry leading companies, and hear trends and feedback from our peers in the industry,” Murphy continued.“We are excited to have MindComet participate in this event,” commented Heather Lopez-Cepero of Apple. “Solution Experts like MindComet provide Apple important support in getting our message out to the creative industries.”
The free seminar series, called Driven by Design, is co-sponsored by Apple and Adobe and is scheduled in 20 major US and Canadian cities in May and June 2002. MindComet will appear at the Disney Contemporary Resort at 4600 North World Drive in Lake Buena Vista on Thursday, May 2, 2002.
MindComet will demonstrate the newest versions of Adobe’s graphic and Web tools: Adobe PhotoShop 7.0, LiveMotion 2.0 InDesign 2.0, and Adobe GoLive 6.0. Apple and Adobe encourage creative professionals from print, Web, and other media to attend.

The event is sponsored by industry leaders Hewlett Packard, GretagMacbeth, procreate, Font Reserve, MYOB, Dantz, and Knoll.

MindComet Creates Interactive Kiosk for Bombardier Recreational Products

2002-04-22 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation, the recognized leader of new media development, announces the launch of a custom interactive kiosk for Bombardier Recreational Products, the industry-leading manufacturers of the Sea-Doo* personal watercraft (PWC). The kiosk, dubbed the Sea-Doo Guru, debuted at the Miami International Boat Show on February 14, 2002 and will be on display at the International Boating and Water Safety Summit in Daytona Beach, Florida from April 28 – May 1, 2002. “This new concept allows Bombardier to enhance the consumers’ knowledge through experiential learning,” said Fernando Garcia, Director of Public and Regulatory Affairs for Bombardier Recreational Products.

“MindComet helped us incorporate entertainment, information and technology into a kiosk that can be used to educate current and potential PWC users about Bombardier technological advancements, as well as responsible boating guidelines,” continued Garcia. “The Sea-Doo Guru represents an entirely new way to connect to and educate the public.”

Working with Bombardier, MindComet concepted and created the kiosk, providing Bombardier with both software development and custom fabrication services. The kiosk was custom built around the hull of a Sea-Doo PWC and placed on its transom to increase its visual prowess. MindComet fitted the PWC with a Dell Computer featuring the Intel Pentium 4 processor, a 15” LCD touch screen monitor and a Harmon Kardon speaker system. “The Sea-Doo Guru is designed to stimulate all of the senses,” commented Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet. “We have combined the Sea-Doo PWC’s naturally gorgeous curves with an interactive multimedia presentation to create a truly unique educational experience.”

The Sea-Doo Guru allows users to easily maneuver through five PWC-focused interactive modules via touch screen hotspots. The modules are designed to promote boating safety and key technologies found on Sea-Doo PWC. Included in the modules are a boating safety quiz; Virtual O.P.A.S.* a simulation of the Sea-Doo O.P.A.S. System (Off-Power Assisted Steering); Eco Challenge, a demonstration showing more environmentally friendly technologies used in Sea-Doo PWC; Sound Off, an illustration comparing Sea-Doo PWC decibel ratings to other everyday activities; and Innovation Showcase, featuring a SEA-DOO GTX†-4TEC* PWC that shows what specific technologies and features offer the rider.

Following the Sea-Doo Guru’s appearance at the International Boating and Water Safety Summit, the kiosk is expected to make many stops across the country and Canada in 2002 to promote greater awareness of today’s PWC advancements, encourage responsible boating practices, and test PWC enthusiasts’ boating safety knowledge.

MindComet Cleans House at the Addys

2002-04-19 00:00:00

MindComet, the industry leading interactive solutions developer, took home 4 Addys at February’s Annual Addy Awards.
MindComet captured the Gold Addy for www.mindcomet.com, its innovative and interactive rich media website. MindComet also won three silver Addy awards for the Yupo Corporation’s web site www.yupo.com, and two interactive games, Yupo’s Ship N’ Sabotage and Power Puck Shootout, a game developed for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ted Murphy, President and CEO of MindComet said, “This is definitely a great step forward in the evolution of MindComet. This recognition for a job well done shows we are and will continue to be a leader and innovator in marketing technology solutions.” MindComet competed with 300 of Central Florida’s top advertising agencies and other creative-based technology firms.

Douglas White, Vice President of New Business for MindComet states, “The competition was fierce, and it’s good to know that we can fare well in such a competitive and successful market.”

For the awards festivities at the Hard Rock Café, MindComet’s laid back and humorous style showed with most of the team donning blue wigs or blue dyed hair. They also entered funky team member titles like Grand Who Ha and Shockwave Samurai in the winning project credits. This laidback style and attitude does not carry over into their work, however. By delivering proven results for clients such as Datamax, Sea-Doo (Bombardier), and the International Speedway Corporation, MindComet continues to strive for and achieve excellence in its interactive solutions.

MindComet Announces Three Strategic Business Alliances

2002-01-04 00:00:00

MindComet corporation, the recognized leader of broadband website and new media development, announced the completion of several key business alliances today. The company has successfully executed strategic agreements with Adobe, Apple Computer, AT&T and Macromedia.

“We are extremely pleased with our newly formed relationships,” commented Ted Murphy, MindComet President/CEO. “We believe each of our new business alliances represent strong relationships with the respective leaders in their industry.”
Adobe (NSDA:ADOBE) accepted MindComet as part of its exclusive Adobe Solution Network, recognizing the company for its mastery of Adobe products in the realm of digital and print media.
Apple Computer (NASDQ:APPLE) designated MindComet as Apple Solution Experts based on the systems and solutions MindComet has implemented around the Apple Macintosh platform.

AT&T (NASDAQ:ATT) has been chosen as MindComet’s exclusive internet service provider for managed hosting and collocation and accepted MindComet as part of its Ecosystem program.

Macromedia (NASDAQ:MM) awarded MindComet with it’s exclusive Macromedia Alliance Partner designation. The company has recognized MindComet’s expertise with Marcomedia’s Flash, Director and DreamWeaver product lines.
“This represents a huge leap forward for our company,” said Murphy. “These agreements will provide MindComet with access to a new level of technology and services, allowing us to better serve current and future clients.” The alliances will provide MindComet with pre-release hardware and software for testing and development purposes.

All alliances provide MindComet with unique benefits, but share a common benefit of marketing and sales support for the companies respective solutions and services. Information about MindComet can be found on the website of each company's website, and a reciprocal link can be found on the homepage of MindComet’s website.

MindComet Develops Online 3D Game for NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning

2001-10-25 00:00:00

Broadband website and game developer MindComet Corporation recently announced the release of Power Puck, an online 3D hockey game custom-developed for the NHL team, the Tampa Bay Lightning and co-branded with TCWO.com (Thompson's Computer Warehouse) and AMD (American Micro Devices).

The game represents MindComet’s second 3D hockey title released this year. “Websites are hungry for this type of rich media, we have seen an explosion in development requests from web publishers and advertising agencies” said Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO. Tampa Bay Lightning is the most recent addition to MindComet’s client list including Sunshine Network, Edge Gel and Yupo Corporation America that have chosen to develop an online game to promote their website and brand.
“We are thrilled with the game,” commented Martin Quessenberry, Director of Web Services for the Tampa Bay Lightning. “We are optimistic that the game will generate a substantial amount of traffic and opt-in email address submissions.” All of MindComet’s games are designed to collect user information, allowing MindComet’s clients to measure the success of the game on an ongoing basis.
MindComet produced all aspects of the game in-house using the latest new media development tools. The game is delivered via Macromedia’s Shockwave 8.5 plug-in, which can be downloaded from the game’s homepage. The game can be found at

MindComet Develops International Websites

2001-10-08 00:00:00

MindComet recently launched two new international websites for Yupo Corporation, the largest manufacturer of synthetic paper worldwide. The sites, designed for Yupo’s European and Asian Web presence, were developed by MindComet’s Orlando Web Development Team in conjunction with Yupo’s project managers in Dusselsorf, Germany and Tokyo, Japan.

The four-month remote effort was coordinated almost entirely electronically, utilizing the Internet as the primary communication protocol. Spanning three continents, the project represents MindComet’s most ambitious remote Web development undertaking to date.
“The launch of these websites is a tremendous accomplishment for our development team,” commented MindComet President, Ted Murphy. “With only two face-to-face meetings, we were able to develop two websites from inception to completion. It further proves our team can develop effective websites regardless of our clients’ geographic location.”The Asian version of the website represents MindComet’s first Japanese language site, expanding the company’s portfolio of multi-lingual websites. “We believe the increasing Internet connectivity in foreign countries will drive more corporations to develop their websites in multiple languages,” said Murphy. “MindComet provides the services needed to compete in a global market.”

The two new international sites, along with the award-winning American site also designed by MindComet, can be found at Yupo’s global portal page http://www.yupo.com

Users Hungry for MindComet's Broadband Content

2001-10-04 00:00:00

MindComet, a leading developer of broadband website solutions, announced today that user traffic to their broadband site (www.mindcomet.com) has quadrupled since the site’s redesign in August. The site, filled with audio, video, Flash and Shockwave content, has attracted a global user base of Web surfers hungry for a true broadband experience.

“This phenomenon represents a paradigm shift in the way developers are starting to look at Web content,” commented MindComet President, Ted Murphy. “Our site, along with sites like BMWfilms.com, demonstrates the tremendous demand to deliver on the broadband promise. Broadband-enabled users seek broadband-enabled content.”
MindComet’s approach to broadband development has earned the company praise among top Internet industry leaders. The broadband site was recently featured as Macromedia’s Site of The Day, and has been designated an Outstanding Concept by NetDiver.net.

The redesign has driven an incredible amount of traffic to the site. Bandwidth consumption has increased ten fold over MindComet’s previous broadband site. “Our servers have delivered almost a terabyte of audio, video, Flash and Shockwave content in the 10 weeks since the site has been live,” said Murphy. “Users are hungry for rich media, and our site delivers.”

MindComet is currently conducting a site review and planning for the next major upgrade to the site. “We will continue to push the edge of the envelope with the next release,” commented Murphy. “Broadband is here to stay.”

MindComet's Broadband Website Sweeps Up Awards, Quadruples Web User Visits

2001-10-01 00:00:00

MindComet’s Broadband Website v5.0 (www.mindcomet.com) continues to be recognized by leaders in the Web development industry. The site was recently featured as Macromedia’s Site of The Day, and has been designated as an “Outstanding Concept” by NetDiver.com.

The recent recognition adds to the site’s long list of accolades, which include Cool Site of the Day, Cool Site of the Month and OAF Best of Interactive. “We are truly honored to receive this type of praise from our peers,” commented MindComet President Ted Murphy. “It reaffirms our commitment to developing groundbreaking broadband websites.”

The awards have driven an incredible amount of traffic to the site. User visits have quadrupled since the launch of the redesign, and bandwidth consumption has increased ten fold over MindComet’s previous broadband site. “Our servers have delivered over 40Gigybates of audio, video, Flash and Shockwave content in the 10 weeks the site has been live,” said Andrew Watson, Director of Integration Technology. “Web users are hungry for rich media, and our site delivers.”

MindComet is currently conducting a site review and planning for the next major upgrade. “We will continue to push the edge of the envelope with the next release,” commented Murphy. “While the technology has come a long way, broadband Web development is still in its infancy.”

MindComet Celebrates its Two Year Anniversary

2001-07-16 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation will celebrate its second anniversary this month with a Casino-style party at its Central Florida office. The sprawling two-year-old new media developer has hired Casino Parties Orlando to provide games of chance and add Las Vegas flair to the event. The party will feature popular casino games such as Black Jack, Craps and Roulette as well as a selection of Web-based games developed by MindComet.

“MindComet has made some remarkable achievements over the past two years,” commented Douglas White, V.P. of New Business. “It’s time to celebrate!” The company has invited clients, investors, members of the press and prominent area businesses to partake in the three hour event.
“We chose the Las Vegas theme to highlight our recent expansion into the development of custom Web-based games,” commented Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO. “We thought it fitting to feature some of the most popular traditional games of all time at our party.”In addition to fun, food and gaming, the company will use the event to privately unveil a pre-launch version of its new website to party attendees. MindComet’s previous website won a gold Addy and Best of Interactive at the 2000 OAF Addy Award Competition. The new website, dubbed MindComet 5.0, is designed to push the limits of broadband website implementation. “Our development team has truly gone all out. The site combines incredible graphics, video, 3-D animation and rich audio to create a fantastic interactive multimedia experience,” said Murphy.

MindComet will release the new site publicly the following Friday, July 27, 2001.

MindComet Launches Golf Game for Sunshine Network

2001-05-13 00:00:00

Broadband website and game developer MindComet Corporation recently released Hole in One Challenge, an online golf game custom-developed for Sunshine Network and co-branded with Mercedes Benz. It is the first in a series of games that Sunshine Network has contracted MindComet to produce for sunshinenetwork.com, the network’s online presence.

Online games have become one of the fastest growing advertising tools on the Internet - and one of the stickiest. Games both lengthen the average user session and allow for branding opportunities.
With their extended site, games.sunshinenetwork.com, Sunshine showcases engaging content while providing an alternative way for partner companies to advertise. “We’ve now covered every advertising medium,” commented Mike Roche, Director of Marketing for Sunshine Network, “but this one is by far the most fun.”“We are extremely excited to be working with Sunshine Network,” said Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO. “They share our vision of providing media-rich, engaging content to Web users.”
Three more games are currently under development to further drive Sunshine’s online marketing efforts. In addition to teeing off, players will soon be able to toss a football, kick a fieldgoal, or score a goal for their favorite college and professional teams.

To document the benefits of their online games, MindComet provides weekly log reports and database entry collection to Roche, who then analyzes the data with MindComet to find the size of the impact the game has on fans. “The measurable results from the first game alone give credit to MindComet’s game-building abilities,” commented Roche.

Overall, the games will enhance the brand value of the site, provide interactive content, and entice players to visit the site again.

MindComet will produce all aspects of the games in-house using the latest new media development tools. Macromedia’s newest product, Director 8.5, is being used for exceptional 3D rendering. Shockwave and Flash will also be used to deliver the content, though it has not been determined which games will use each specific technology.

MindComet Beats the Odds in Q1

2001-04-23 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation announced a sweeping growth in the company’s business activities for Q1 of 2001. A shining star among the Internet economy chaos, the company has seen growth in revenue generation, client portfolio, marketing effectiveness and industry recognition, all while remaining profitable. “It was a tremendous quarter for MindComet,” commented Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO. “We are continually becoming a stronger, more effective company.”

Fueled by the creativity of its people, the company has grown from two to seventeen in just over 18 months. “We have been blessed with an insanely talented staff,” said Murphy. “We wouldn’t be where we are now without each and every one of them.” Murphy accredits the staff with rapidly accelerating the company’s recognition in the Web development and marketing industry. The Orlando Advertising Federation recently honored MindComet with a newly commissioned award at the annual ADDY awards show. MindComet received the Best of Interactive award as well as three Gold ADDY awards, branding the first year MindComet has entered the competition as “overwhelmingly successful”, according to Murphy.

MindComet’s recognition has enabled the company to significantly increase its national client base despite downturns in the economy. In recent months, MindComet has landed work for new clients such as EA.com, Edge Shaving Gel, Dai Nippon IMS (America), CyOptics, Sunshine Network and more. Services rendered include Web development, game development and corporate branding. The resulting revenue has significantly bolstered MindComet’s sales over the same quarter last year.
The company believes that Q2 will be increasingly prosperous. The recent additions of prominent brand names to MindComet’s list of clientele should fuel further growth and attract more clients of the same caliber. ”We are quite optimistic about MindComet’s future,” stated Murphy “We’ve only just begun.”

MindComet Develops Addictive Online Game

2001-03-05 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation announced the release of Ship N’ Sabotage™ today, a custom game developed for synthetic paper manufacturer Yupo Corporation. The game made its debut on www.yupo.com over the weekend. Ship N’ Sabotage™ is the fourth of a series of games developed by MindComet for Yupo.
“Yupo is thrilled to be releasing this incredibly innovative game,” said Michael Cafiero, Director of Marketing for Yupo Corporation America. “Ship N’ Sabotage™ is a unique marketing tool that both drives Web traffic to our online store and pushes our brand.”

MindComet developed every aspect of the game including the characters, storyline, graphics, audio and database integration. “This game redefines the boundaries of online marketing,” stated MindComet President Ted Murphy. “Yupo.com is a sneak peek into the future of the Internet.”

Ship N’ Sabotage delivers addictive gameplay in both one and two player modes.” This game is more addictive than Mine Sweeper,” said MindComet’s Broadband Gaming Specialist Joseph Carafelli. “Two player mode really gets people going.” The game is designed to let players “sabotage” each other in two player mode, enhancing competition between players.

“Our goal at MindComet is to build brand awareness using the Internet,” said Murphy. “Yupo shares our vision, and together we have accomplished this goal.”

MindComet Launches New DVD Division

2001-02-13 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation announced the formation of a new division to provide corporate DVD development services today. The new division, DVDDev, leverages MindComet’s market leadership in broadband and new media content creation, and expands MindComet’s market reach into the exploding DVD arena.

Utilizing the latest in new media technology and creative processes developed by MindComet, DVDDev provides a unique DVD solution for corporate use. “DVD isn’t just for movies anymore,” stated DVDDev Development Lead Mat Gaver. “DVDDev will provide corporations with a solution that combines the best of the Internet with high quality, full screen MPEG-2 video, surround sound and multiple language tracks.”
“MindComet’s vast experience with digital media development for business, marketing, and sales applications gives us in-depth knowledge of the requirements for developing effective solutions that deliver results,” said Ted Murphy, President of MindComet. “The formation of DVDDev allows us to focus resources on this new growth area and expand MindComet’s marketing reach beyond our core website development market.”

DVDDev will specialize in transforming static sales, marketing, and training content into dynamic DVD experiences. The division will offer a full array of services from DVD authoring to package design and replication.
To request a free sample DVD, please visit www.dvddev.com.

Japanese Powerhouse DNP Engages MindComet

2001-02-08 00:00:00

The Dai Nippon Printing Group (DNP) recently announced its decision to award Web development firm MindComet with a contract to develop the new Dai Nippon IMS (America) Corp. website. With the aim of positioning itself as a Web pioneer in the thermal transfer printing industry, DNP has engaged MindComet to provide strategic consulting, brand development, creative design and technology integration for the new site.
“The thermal transfer printing industry is significantly behind the Internet technology curve,” explained DNP’s Brett Cameron, Director of Sales and Marketing. “Our website will be a quantum leap forward in design, content, and e-business integration.” The site is set to launch first quarter 2001.
Motivated by their successful launch of the nationally acclaimed website for Japanese-based Yupo Corporation (www.yupo.com), MindComet has aggressively targeted clients within the barcode printing industry. In addition to labeling substrates producer Yupo, MindComet clients include Datamax Corporation (www.datamaxcorp.com), a manufacturer of industrial grade barcode printers, and DNP. “We’ve cornered the barcode market in terms of online branding,” said MindComet CEO Ted Murphy. “MindComet has clients throughout the printing technology life cycle.”

In addition to providing Web strategy and development services to DNP, MindComet has been contracted to develop a new corporate identity for the company. “Our new corporate identity will more accurately represent the superior quality of our products and services,” said Cameron. “We chose MindComet’s designers because they embody creative professionalism.”

MindComet Keeps Getting Cooler

2001-02-05 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation’s website has received national acclaim once again by being honored with a nomination for Cool Site of the Month by Cool Site of the Day, a prestigious website ranking organization. MindComet’s “coolness rating” placed www.mindcomet.com amongst the top five websites for the month of January, making the website eligible for Cool Site of the Month.
Since its creation several years ago, Cool Site of the Day has earned accolades from news organizations like The New York Times and MSNBC. "Cool Site of the Year is the arbiter of taste on the Internet," according to a N.Y. Times review. MSNBC describes the ratings service as the "'People's Choice Awards' to identify the coolest sites on the Internet and to disprove the notion that computer geeks can't dance."“We are absolutely thrilled to be recognized by Cool Site of the Day,” commented Ted Murphy, MindComet President/CEO. “But the real honor comes from being recognized by the people who voted for our site.” Votes will be tallied through the end of this month at http://www.coolsiteoftheday.com/csotm.html.

If MindComet is successful in winning Cool Site of the Month, the website will be one of twelve finalists eligible for Cool Site of the Year. Past award winners include joecartoon.com, atomfilms.com, pbs.com, spinner.com and discoverykids.com.

MindComet Pushes Corporate Internet Gaming

2001-01-30 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation, the premier website developer specializing in branding for broadband, has acquired three domain names to promote its custom Internet game development services. Broadbandgamebuilder.com, broadbandgamemaker.com and gamesforbroadband.com will now forward users to MindComet’s main website.

“Custom branded corporate games are a great way to increase site traffic, brand awareness, and user loyalty,” stated MindComet CEO Ted Murphy. “We develop games that inform users about a product or service in a fun and interactive way.”

MindComet has been recognized with numerous awards for developing websites that feature its custom broadband gaming content. “Our games drive our traffic,” stated Mike Cafiero, Director of Marketing for Yupo Corporation (www.yupo.com). “MindComet helped us to both educate and entertain our users.” MindComet has developed three Web-based or online games for Yupo and is currently working on a fourth.
In the past, MindComet offered its broadband game development services as part of a complete website development package. MindComet will now offer these services to supplement pre-existing corporate websites. “Many corporations don’t need a completely new website, they just need some fresh interactive content,” said Murphy. “We now provide them with a source for the development of games and other broadband content as modules or add-ons.”

MindComet Honored with Cool Site of the Day Award

2001-01-04 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation, the premier website developer specializing in branding for broadband, receives National acclaim today by being honored with a Cool Site of the Day Award. The site will be featured on January 4, and will then be archived on the Cool Site of the Day website (www.coolsiteoftheday.com).
“It is quite thrilling to be honored by one of the most forceful influences of Web appreciation,” commented Ted Murphy, MindComet President/CEO. “We are encouraged by receiving this prestigious award, but are more excited about the direct impact it will have on our website’s traffic. It will effectively expose MindComet’s talent and technology to the masses.”

In addition to being honored as Cool Site of the Day, MindComet is now eligible for Cool Site of the Month and Cool Site of the Year.

MindComet Client Featured as Macromedia Case Study

2000-12-04 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation, the premier website developer specializing in branding for broadband, has recently received National acclaim by being featured in a Macromedia case study. After submitting the site built for Virginia-based client, Yupo Corporation, Macromedia contacted MindComet to construct a feature story on the website and the fast-growing firm. The site was featured for the week of December 4-8 on the Macromedia website (www.macromedia.com).

“We were thrilled to be recognized by the global leader in multimedia Internet software development,” commented Ted Murphy, MindComet President/CEO. “Our staff fused a variety of Macromedia products to make www.yupo.com an engaging Web experience for all users.”

Yupo Corp., the largest manufacturer of synthetic paper in the western hemisphere, contracted MindComet to create a fun, interactive site with a sticky presence, that would focus on and engage designers. “Our innovative approach to web development has lead a large portion of users to spend over a hour on the site” explained Tim Alford, MindComet Creative Team Lead. “Interactive content has provided Yupo with an incredible branding opportunity unavailable through any other medium”.

MindComet utilized a wide variety of Macromedia’s development tools to construct the hybrid multimedia website. “We pushed Marcomedia’s software to the edge, and the products delivered,” commented Murphy. MindComet’s team drew upon the power of Macromedia’s Flash product to create artificial intelligence engines and dynamic multimedia content.

Yupo’s site is filled with interactive presentations, games and VR tours. “It’s a virtual amusement park that both entertains and educates users,” commented Alford. Yupo has contracted MindComet to maintain the site and will be developing additional content and features over the course of the next year.

IMAK Partners with MindComet to Launch Website

2000-11-03 00:00:00

IMAK Wireless Networks, Inc., founded to develop and market wireless high-speed broadband networks, has announced a new temporary web presence. The splash site will generate excitement and anticipation of IMAK’s product launch, but will refrain from full disclosure of such items as pricing and availability.

IMAK will provide customers with alternatives to current wired technologies, and will expand the availability of broadband services into regions where choices are now limited. Partnering with AT&T, Motorola, ADCOM and MindComet, IMAK will develop networks in the license-free Instrument Medical Scientific (ISM) and the Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) Bands. Alternatively, IMAK has the flexibility to utilize a variety of frequencies and data speeds as applications evolve.

IMAK's networks will have the ability to transmit and receive data, and provide video and Voice over Internet Protocol (Vo/Ip). Additionally, IMAK will develop virtual private networks via direct wireless links from customer to Internet backbone at a wide range of speeds.

These wireless networks also eliminate the costs and vulnerability associated with the wireline "last mile", lowering the retail price-per-Megabit more than most other service alternatives. IMAK will quickly provide existing customers with bandwidth beyond T1 levels by changing software parameters, affording IMAK's service the ability to grow gracefully as customers’ needs escalate.

IMAK is uniquely positioned in a market place that is currently frustrated by the lack of service offered by cable, DSL, dedicated T-1 lines, and ISDN connections. They are committed to developing an array of products that offer quality service with a personal touch.

MindComet Bursting at the Seams

2000-10-03 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation, the digital media creative solutions provider specializing in Branding for Broadband™, has announced a new location with 4300 sq. ft. of space for its Central Florida office. In addition to the new office, MindComet is renovating the space with state-of-the-art furnishings, providing personal workstations for out-of-town clients, and adding in a fooz ball table for staff breaks.
"Our clients have the best of both worlds: we utilize technology and communicate with our clients, as would a metropolitan firm, but we develop personal relationships and maintain the low overhead typical of a small-city company," commented Douglas White, VP of sales for MindComet.Though MindComet employees won’t hesitate to catch last minute flights to visit clients when necessary, conference calls and electronic media are less time consuming and more economical for clients. Moreover, ninety percent of MindComet’s interaction with Datamax Corporation, their first local client, is done electronically.
MindComet demonstrated its commitment to employee happiness by hiring an Interior Design Consultant to communicate with the MindComet staff, survey each employee, and assess their needs and creative goals. Shirley Schlechte, MBI Systems Inc. Consultant in Seattle was also hired to insure the company reflects the high tech image pioneered by companies in other metropolitan areas. The new office will display the revolutionary Herman Miller Resolve workstations, neoprine couches for guests in the lobby, 120? angled rotating walls, and peninsula desks to complete the new office look.

The office has been strategically divided into private and public areas. The private areas will include administrative offices, phone rooms, and client conference areas. The Creative Safari, the kitchen and the bar will be used for public recreation.
"We can entertain clients in the office without disturbing the designers’ creative concentration." explained MindComet President/CEO, Ted Murphy. MindComet will be one of the first corporations to have the Resolve furniture line installed.To counter the minor inconvenience of relocating, MindComet has planned a Grand Opening for clients, employees, shareholders, and various business contacts. The event is scheduled for early Spring, and will feature Vegas-style casino tables and catered food and drinks.

"The new office will aid in making us more productive, time-efficient, inspired and enthused to be working with such a talented body of creatives," boasts Melinda Murphy, MindComet VPO. "Some people might say that we’re spoiling both our clients and employees," Murphy went on to explain, "But they’re worth it."

MindComet Revolutionizes Broadband

2000-09-19 00:00:00

MindComet Corporation announces the launch of their new website (www.mindcomet.com). Incorporating the dynamic power of broadband technologies with innovative thinking, this site delivers an engaging, one-of-a-kind online experience by focusing primarily on the audience interactivity and brand marketing.
“We are integrating all things to create a memorable user experience that saturates broadband connections and fully utilizes available bandwidth,” explained Ted Murphy, MindComet President/CEO. MindComet utilizes available technologies to manipulate the Internet and broadband like no other Web developer has done before by fusing available media technologies—such as Flash, Shockwave and streaming media—into one fully interactive web experience.
“Broadband-enabled websites are the ultimate marketing tool,” commented Murphy. “They allow us to communicate with our clients and customers unlike any other medium on the planet. Broadband can transform a website from a static one-dimensional brochure to a rich, interactive experience that will captivate audiences.”

MindComet is the premier pioneer in broadband content creation and user experience development for corporate applications. “Our award-winning team combines the best in strategy, creativity and technology to deliver custom broadband solutions that keep Internet users begging for more,” noted Mat Gaver, Senior Creative Lead.

MindComet utilizes broadband to combine the best of audio, video, telephony and print into a single, powerfully interactive medium. “The broadband website takes full advantage of the available bandwidth offered through DSL, cable, high-band wireless and fiber connectivity. Broadband allows users to access the Internet at 10 to 50 times the speed of conventional dial-up connections, and opens the door for data-intensive Web experiences. Higher transfer rates and advances in data compression are the means for broad media integration,” remarked Andy Watson, Senior Integration Specialist.
The website shows that the Internet is not only a business tool, but also a very powerful marketing medium. “Instead of using broadband’s fast download times for replaying movie previews or shorts, for example, we’re applying an unseen level of interactivity to Internet experiences,” explained Watson.While desktop-based Internet will certainly provide users with the most interactive media experience available, MindComet realizes that the Internet is stretching beyond conventional desktop delivery. Their scalable solutions allow clients to deliver content via standard and broadband Internet, cell phones, and PDAs. MindComet’s goal is to create enticing websites that entertain and simplify the lives of Web users. A classic HTML site will accompany the broadband version of the MindComet site for those with slower connection speeds.

To support MindComet’s focus on broadband and recent expansion of services, a new logo and complete corporate identity materials have also been developed.

MindComet Drops Dot Com

2000-08-29 00:00:00

MindComet, the digital media creative solutions provider specializing in Branding for Broadband™, is dropping the dot com. Publicly registered as MindComet Corporation, the company has been doing business as MindComet.com since its inception a year ago, but recently decided to change the name due to the negative connotation often associated with dot com companies.
“Even our clients have commented that dot com companies seem to be losing money.” commented Drew Rogers, MindComet CFO. “But we are a profitable company, to say the least.” MindComet has experienced 1200 percent growth in its first year, and expects to continue this development trend.MindComet originally picked up the dot com title as an attention-grabber in a cluttered, verbally inflated environment, but it no longer represents the focus and talent of the company.

“This is a sign that a saturation of the Internet in today’s culture has taken place. More and more companies are realizing that an Internet presence isn’t a pet project, but a key method of doing business,” said Christopher Schmitt, MindComet Design Technologist.

MindComet Welcomes Drew Rogers as New CFO

2000-08-28 00:00:00

Drew Rogers, a Florida Certified Public Accountant, comes to MindComet with 14 years of varied and diverse experience in accounting and finance. Upon receiving his Masters of Science in Accounting from the University of Florida, Rogers began working in the tax department of one of the Big Six accounting firms in Orlando, Florida. After 2 years in Orlando, Rogers moved to Miami, Florida to continue his work in Public accounting for another year and a half, where he was exposed to a wide variety of clients and accounting and tax issues. Rogers gained invaluable experience in the accounting and finance arena.

The next stop for Rogers was as Tax Manager at the corporate headquarters of Bairnco Corporation; a $200 million multinational company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (BZ). While fulfilling his responsibilities of domestic and international tax planning and compliance for Bairnco, Rogers’ six years with the company also involved him in SEC reporting and many other aspects of accounting and auditing for a large, publicly-held company. It was here that Rogers acquired his skills for budgeting and forecasting of operations, analytical review of the results of operations, "best use" practices for the accounting department and other departments within the organization, and planning and financial modeling for acquisitions and dispositions.

Rogers next became Manager of Treasury at Gencor Industries, Inc., another large, multinational company traded on the American Stock Exchange (GX). Rogers was in charge of both the Treasury department and the Credit and Collection department for Gencor. His roles included overall cash management for the company, providing daily and weekly cash monitoring reports to management, and cash forecasting. He was also a key player in maintaining the company's banking relationships and monitoring company compliance with bank credit agreements and covenants. Rogers was also tasked with acquisition due diligence work, the negotiation and sale of unprofitable divisions, negotiation and resolution of tax and operations analysis for Board of Directors meetings.
Immediately prior to joining MindComet, Rogers was CFO of a small flower importing business. This experience gave him valuable training in running the day to day operations of a small business, and the unique challenges that a small business presents -- especially in the area of cash management, forecasting growth, and surviving the constant ups and downs of small business.These various roles at both large and small companies have given Rogers a well-rounded background and unique skill set to handle the many aspects associated with the financial management of MindComet including taxes, auditing, operations, treasury and cash management, forecasting, budgeting, and reporting results of operations.

In addition to his financial accounting skills, Rogers is very interested and well trained in computers and computer systems. He enjoys and embraces technology and the freedom and power it provides. Other interests include softball, physical fitness and scuba diving. Mr. Rogers is happily married and has 3 children ages 8, 5 and 2. He grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida and has lived in the Central Florida area for 12 years.

MindComet Creates Online Presence for MidStream Technologies

2000-05-16 00:00:00

MindComet, a national provider of new media solutions, announced today a new online presence for Seattle-based MidStream Technologies™, MidStreamTech.com (www.midstream.com). MidStream Technologies is a digital media technology developer focused on creating the next generation application-optimized streaming media server. The flexible and extensible system from MidStream Technologies is expected to solve many of the important scaling and reliability issues affecting the streaming media industry.

MidStream Technologies teamed up with MindComet to convert its initial Internet vision into a digital reality, creating a solution to meet its online business objectives. Utilizing their unique development process and cutting edge interface design, MindComet created an informative and highly interactive online presence.

"MidStream was looking for something that would draw people in," stated MindComet President and CEO, Ted Murphy. "Our team put together something that is as fun to play with as it is informational". This flash website will serve as the initial online presence for MidStream. MindComet will begin working on a more extensive Phase 2 website shortly.

MindComet Announces Site Redesign for HealthWatch

2000-05-16 00:00:00

MindComet, a national provider of new media and broadband solutions, announced today the launch of the redesigned site for HealthWatch, HealthWatchOnline.com. HealthWatch is a provider of proprietary health care software applications and technology services designed for mission-critical processing of all health care applications from admittance to billing using the Internet. Through utilization of HES (Health Enterprise Software), HealthWatch offers 20 comprehensive, integrated-by-design health care applications that perform over 270 functions.
The remodeled site premiers a crisp, clean user interface, but also a new HealthWatchOnline.com corporate logo and corporate identity. In addition to the wealth of information currently available, HealthWatchOnline.com has plans to expand the site by adding interactive features such as software demos, automated sales support, and online ordering for current HealthWatch customers.

Ted Murphy, MindComet President and CEO stated, " Working with the HealthWatch team has given MindComet an exciting opportunity to utilize our creative and technological skills in a manner that fulfilled their strategic vision for the site within the emerging healthcare technology market."

Douglas White Joins MindComet

2000-03-28 00:00:00
MindComet recently appointed Douglas White to the position of Vice President of New Business. "Doug brings the experience and energy level that will allow MindComet to dramatically increase its client base, making it a force to reckon with in the marketplace," commented MindComet President/CEO Ted Murphy.

White joins the MindComet family from Wallace Computer Services, where he was a top performer. During his four and a half year career with Wallace, he was recognized as Rookie of the Year, earned entrance into Wallace's highest honor, the Outstanding Performers Club, a four time member of the 100% Club, and awarded Sales Representative of the Month on numerous occasions. White’s work has been featured in "Packaging Digest Magazine" and as a “Successful Selling Case Study” for the Wallace sales force.
White brings a broad array of experience to MindComet, ranging from client prospecting, top level presentation skills, contract implementation, account management, and client relationship development for fortune 500 companies’ print needs.
MindComet will draw on White’s experience in printing and advertising as well as his sales skills. "I will be looking to Doug to help shape the direction of MindComet's future sales and marketing strategies," stated Murphy.

"I am excited about having the opportunity to build and develop a client base and sales program that will help take MindComet into the future," stated White. "MindComet has such a talented and diverse team of top notch people, that I am confident in saying be on the lookout for great things from us."

Yupo Corporation Hires MindComet to Create B2B Site

2000-01-28 00:00:00
Yupo Corporation, the leading manufacturer of synthetic paper in the world, has hired MindComet to design and launch its new business-to-business multimedia website (www.yupo.com). The website, which is currently under design, will provide a range of synthetic paper solutions for graphic communication professionals. Launching of YUPO.com is scheduled for May 2000.
"Mindcomet.com's creativity and track record of success will help make YUPO.com the premier online synthetic paper resource in the world," says Jeff Morgan, Vice President of sales and marketing for Yupo Corporation. "Our partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to our customers by adding value to our already progressive services.""YUPO.com will be completely unique to the graphic arts industry," says Ted Murphy, President/CEO of MindComet. "The website will parallel Yupo's existing image of creativity and functionality to reflect the core characteristics of the YUPO brand."
YUPO® synthetic paper opens a world of creative possibilities for design and print professionals. It's ultra smooth, prints well and is exceptionally white. It's a high quality paper that offers all of the familiar printing advantages of "regular" paper, with three major exceptions: YUPO® is stain and tear-resistant, and waterproof. Ideal for maps, posters, labels, manuals or point-of-sale materials, YUPO® also accepts a range of finishing applications that add value to projects. All grades of YUPO synthetic paper are 100% recyclable.

The New York Knicks have partnered with Yupo Corporation to launch the sports team's One Tough Ticket&153; campaign for the 1999-2000 season. The Eastern Conference Champion's 16,700 season tickets are printed on YUPO.

MindComet Adds a Media100 to Hardware Lineup

2000-01-18 00:00:00
MindComet.com has added yet another component to its already impressive array of hardware and software technology. MindComet.com’s new Media 100 Digital Video Editing System will allow the studio to create broadcast quality video and motion graphics. The dedicated system is designed to produce high quality video for streaming media and CD/DVD ROM applications.
“Broadband internet connections are allowing more and more people to view streaming media over the web. We feel video production capabilities are an important element of providing complete web and multi-media marketing solutions to our clients,” stated MindComet.com President, Ted Murphy.
MindComet.com will provide it’s video editing and motion graphics services as a supplementary component of its web and multimedia projects. “We don’t intend to get into the video business,” explained Murphy. “Our goal is to provide our clients with a consistent look and feel throughout their website. As video becomes more prominent in websites our Media100 will ensure that we can deliver the highest quality creative possible.”

The Media100 system will be on-line immediately.

MindComet Prepares IGN Guides for Launch

1999-12-17 00:00:00
The MindComet creative team has been hard at work on the IGN.com VIDEO GAME STRATEGY GUIDE website since the beginning of December. "This project has been as fun as it has been challenging" stated MindComet President/CEO Ted Murphy. "We have managed to generate over 350 unique pages of HTML with eight unique interfaces in only two weeks.”

The last two guides will be finished early next week, and the entire site will post to IGN's website (guides.ign.com) on December 24th . The site will initially house guides for Quake III Arena, Quake II, Donkey Kong 64, Might & Magic, Powerstone, Rayman 2, Resident Evil 3, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Zelda 64 and Spyro 2.

MindComet Lands IGN.com Strategy Guides

1999-12-01 00:00:00
MindComet.com successfully won the bid to create IGN.com’s video game strategy guide website. IGN.com, a San Franciso based company, is the #1 entertainment and games destination online with more than 2.9 million unique visitors per month.
“IGN.com is an ideal client for MindComet.com, they truly understand the importance of having a polished and consistent corporate image.” Stated MindComet.com President Ted Murphy. “The entire staff is looking forward to working on the project”.
IGN.com Guides will initially consist of ten online video game strategy guides available in both standard html and PDF formats. IGN.com will offer the guides free to all members of the website (membership is also free). The project is scheduled for completion in mid January and will be housed at http://www.ign.com.

MindComet Appoints Mat Gaver as New Media Specialist

1999-11-01 00:00:00
MindComet.com recently appointed Mat Gaver to the position of New Media Specialist. “Mat is incredibly proficient in both design and multimedia production,” said MindComet.com president Ted Murphy. “Mat’s energetic personality and extraordinary creative talent made him an obvious choice for this position”.
A graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Mat has experience in a wide range of digital design fields from CD-ROM Marketing Presentations and website development to broadcast video production. “I have been looking for a company that could truly challenge my artistic and technical talents,” commented Mat, “at MindComet.com I can participate in ground breaking design projects that will push my abilities to the edge”.
MindComet.com will draw on Mat’s extensive background in new media design to expand MindComet’s production capacity and creative dynamics. “Look for some high-end multimedia websites in the coming months,” stated Murphy. “We are putting together a creative team that will take MindComet.com, our investors, and our clients to the next level ”.

Innovatix.com Goes Live

1999-10-05 00:00:00
MindComet recently completed the interface and graphic development for Innovatix.com. The website was developed for Innovatix, a group purchasing organization specializing in alternate care business solutions.

Innovatix.com offers website visitors an efficient source of information about Innovatix and alternate care group purchasing, industry related news, and – for members only – the option to browse products and manage formularies through PowerCat - an electronic reference catalog that lists nearly 10,000 pharmaceutical items and prices under Innovatix contract. When the e-commerce option is implemented in first quarter 2000, innovatix.com will offer members an auction and liquidation room, allowing members to purchase products online.

GlobalCIS.com (www.globalcis.com) is the back-end developer that will incorporate the database functionality in later phases of the site. MindComet will be working with GlobalCIS.com to provide graphic content for the site as its functionality expands.

MindComet Begins Work on Innovatix.com

1999-09-21 00:00:00
MindComet recently closed a deal to provide front-end website development services for Innovatix, a New York city based group purchasing organization specializing in alternate care business solutions.

The specific goals of the website cannot be revealed at this time, however MindComet President/CEO Ted Murphy believes the site will be a killer in its industry. "Innovatix understands the importance of having a strong Internet presence. They have ambitious goals that will raise the bar for their competitors," explained Murphy.

Back end developer GlobalCIS.com will be providing the database and e-commerce functionality for the website, and will work closely with MindComet to insure a smooth production cycle. GlobalCIS.com is heading up the project, and is responsible for the coordination efforts.

MindComet is currently in the preliminary concept development stages of Innovatix.com. A static version of the site will be completed within two weeks, with a fully-functioning dynamic website to come in following months. The site will reside at www.innovatix.com.