On the Move

Mobility is the theme of this edition of the Topaz newsletter - and not just mobile communications, which as you'll see below is the backdrop for some exciting technology innovations. We're also seeing content become much more mobile - as evidenced by Topaz's newly launched podcast. An extension of our pioneering social media work, PRobecast demonstrates how organizations can produce and distribute audio blogs that are available on PCs or mobile devices.

The growing emergence of podcasts and other forms of social media and the recent developments in mobile communications are further examples of the continued evolution of Topaz - and of the tech PR community in general. We hope you share our enthusiasm. And as always, we welcome your comments on the changes we’re seeing in a public relations world that is clearly “on the move.”

Thanks,
Tony & Paula

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Topaz Goes Mobile

Mobile communications has emerged as a breeding ground for some of today’s most promising and far-reaching technologies, and Topaz clients JumpTap, LogicaCMG Telecoms, MobileAware, Oxy Systems, Reef Point Systems and Vanu are a clear reflection of these innovations. These companies form a growing line-up of mobile communications clients -- one of the fastest growing segments of our agency’s work.

All six of these Topaz clients are preparing for the 2007 CTIA Wireless conference (March 27-29) in Orlando, Florida, which has emerged as a showcase for new mobile communications technologies.

Click here for more information on the newest mobile communications clients to join the Topaz community>>
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Topaz Partners Speaks Out with the Launch of PRobecast

Extending our efforts to promote and encourage developments in social media, Topaz recently launched PRobecast, a weekly podcast showcasing our thoughts on current PR issues and headlines.
We’ve been immersed in the podcast community for some time, producing podcasts for clients like the Scuderi Group and the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, and sponsoring PodCamp last fall in Boston. We also represent one of the most exciting podcast technology companies, Podcast Ready. As active players in this fast-growing new media industry, we wanted to produce our own podcast, to show we “walk the talk” – or in this case, “talk the walk.” Also, it’s another outlet for our opinions on what’s happening in the PR world, coupled with our Tech PR Gems blog.

In the spirit of most social media experiments, we decided to just produce a pilot and make adjustments to content, format and production as we go. At the beginning of February, a few Topazers gathered in a conference room and chatted about the PR issues of the day.

While we’ve been inspired by established PR podcasts such as “For Immediate Release” and “Inside PR,” we purposely decided to start out with a relatively freewheeling, conversational format that clocks in at under 20 minutes each week. Topics are generally up- to-the-minute and have included PR aspects of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force marketing debacle, Governor Deval Patrick’s podcasts, ghostwriting blogs and most recently, an on-the-road dispatch by Topaz staff Adam Zand at the New Communications Forum in Las Vegas.

We’ve received quite a bit of feedback and have been averaging about 100 downloads a day – and the audience continues to grow. You can listen and subscribe to the podcast with show notes at the Tech PR Gems, or subscribe at Podcast Ready or iTunes, among other places.

PRobecast welcomes your comments, so please feel free to chime in. Social media is all about conversations. ............................................................................................................................................

Topaz @ Work

Ready, Set, Launch – Mobilizing PR to Generate Quick Buzz

As in past issues, we’d like to offer an example of how Topaz is putting its services and expertise to work for organizations today. Keeping with the focus of this newsletter, we’re focusing on JumpTap, one of the longest-standing Topaz clients in the mobile communications space:

JumpTap: Building Rapid Awareness for a New Mobile Search Start-up

JumpTap came to Topaz Partners in 2005 seeking help in launching their company and their mobile search and advertising services. At the time, JumpTap had not announced the company’s name nor built any brand awareness in the marketplace. While they were not planning on being an exhibitor, JumpTap’s goal was to launch the company at the CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment conference.

Topaz met with JumpTap’s executives, learned about the company’s technology offerings and rapidly conducted outreach to the most appropriate media and analyst contacts about this unknown company. By conveying JumpTap’s unique “white label” approach to mobile search and by highlighting the experience of JumpTap’s executive team, Topaz:
• Confirmed over 37 briefings with key press and targeted industry and financial analysts
• Secured media coverage in 32 publications within the first month of launching the company – with articles appearing in top media including: Wireless Week, RCR Wireless News, Billboard magazine, InternetNews.com, Red Herring, and Forbes.com

To build upon the level of attention generated for JumpTap after the CTIA conference ended, the Topaz team developed a whitepaper, “Why Not Google?,” which offered a contrarian view to the mobile search offerings being touted by Google and highlighted the revenue generation that white label mobile search solutions (such as JumpTap’s) deliver to mobile carriers. Topaz then issued a media alert publicizing the white paper’s availability. Since issuing this media alert in early 2006, Topaz has distributed hundreds of copies of the JumpTap white paper to analysts, venture capitalists and media who’ve requested.

The “Why Not Google?” whitepaper significantly increased the visibility of JumpTap, leading to greater brand awareness, new carrier contracts and several major investments in the company. Today, JumpTap is known to be the mobile market’s leading provider of mobile search and advertising services, and the company is regularly covered in media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Red Herring and The Boston Globe. In December 2006, research analyst firm IDC named JumpTap one of its “Top Mobile Companies to Watch in 2007” and the company continues to grow wtih new carrier agreements. ............................................................................................................................................