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Text 100 founder joins global social media venture

by Staff, Brand Republic 11-Sep-07, 11:35

SAN FRANCISCO - Mark Adams, founder of Text 100, is one of those involved in the launch of a US/UK global communications agency planning to specialise in social media.

The Conversation Group has brought together executives from a variety of disciplines including technology, PR, advertising, interactive marketing and offline events. It will offer strategy, creative and technology support for integrated communication, large-scale events and community-guided product development.

The agency's first clients include: global technology firm SAP; social media firm BuzzLogic; and social media pioneer Technorati, which several of the founding partners are involved in including Ted Shelton, who founded social media site The Personal Bee, acquired by Technorati earlier this year. He has since been involved in Technorati's strategic direction and is a former chief strategy officer of Borland Software.

In addition to Shelton and Adams, who as well as founding IT PR firm Text 100, more recently founded investment firm Pembridge Partners, partners in TCG include: Giovanni Rodriguez, a former principal at Silicon Valley PR firm Eastwick Communications and a founder of Hubbub; and Peter Hirshberg, a former Apple marketer and most recently chief marketing officer and chairman of Technorati.

Adams said: "The opportunity for participatory media is a global opportunity. This is the age of the global village, where real market conversations are happening across geographic boundaries. To be effective requires the ability to truly understand how new communication technologies are evolving, region by region. TCG has made the commitment to gaining that perspective, and its clients will certainly benefit."

David Thorpe, global director of innovation at Ogilvy, which is partnering TCG, said: "The emergence of participatory media has created many opportunities for leaders in marketing. That's why we are so enthusiastic about our partnership.

"TCG has already provided superb counsel and creative support for a number of our global clients. We are looking forward to talking about the results of these campaigns and others in the near future."

The management team includes executives who have successfully built global brands and consultancies and come from a variety of disciplines.

As well as the partners, TCG has announced an advisory board that includes Thorpe. Other members of the advisory board are: Chris Brogan, community developer at pulvermedia and co-founder of PodCamp; Shel Holtz, principal of Holtz Communication + Technology; Todd Parsons, founder of Buzzlogic; Mitch Ratcliffe, founder of Internet/Media Strategies; Deb Schultz, independent consultant on social media and marketing strategy; and The Cluetrain Manifesto authors Doc Searls and David Weinberger.

"As many of these people have written in their own work, the internet is a change agent for the relationship between individuals and organisations -- we hope to work collectively with this group to shed light on the changes underway, and the changes to come," the TCG said.