T & O; Lands IPNet, Clothestime Accounts; Beard Boy Client List
The media buzz surrounding Tustin-based AudioRamp.com’s iRad Internet stereo is partly because it’s a cool product. But it also has been fueled by a public relations campaign.
Irvine-based Maples Communications helped land stories in such national and regional publications as Wired magazine, The New York Times, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, ZDNet, The Washington Times, the Washington Post, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Orange County Register and the OC Business Journal.
“Public relations is a strong component of our integrated marketing program,” said Dan Sheppard, co-founder and president of AudioRamp. “Maples Communications developed an aggressive PR program blending both traditional and innovative Internet strategies.”
The iRad is essentially a boom box-style radio that plays MP3 files and streams audio from the Internet (instead of listening on a clumsy PC). But the iRad is not alone. It competes with product lines from a handful of other companies like San Francisco-based Kerbango and its Internet radio, so getting a product to stand out,and fast,in the flooded technology market is as easy as being a liberal in Orange County.
That’s where Maples Communication has found his niche. The $1.2 million (annual billings) agency specializes in high-tech PR.
Bob Maples, president of Maples Communications started out just as many PR folks do, in journalism, and later figured out he could make more money in PR. His early stints included sports PR for the San Diego Chargers and for Hill & Knowlton. He was employee No. 121 when AST was founded in 1980, breaking into high-tech PR in the day of the not-so-high-tech tape drives. (AST co-founder Safi Quereshey also co-founded AudioRamp.)
It was Toshiba, a client at an agency he was working for in 1993, that encouraged him to go into business for himself, he said, and became his first client.
As with other service providers that tap into the high-tech market, Maple said he accepts equity stakes from a third of his 10 or so clients. Startups don’t have a lot of cash, he said. And such arrangements spur him to work hard “because my profit is tied up in that equity.”
Though the firm has grown to nine employees, Maples has no major expansion plans. Nor does he plan to merge or be gobbled up.
“I like being small.”
What he does intend to do is let his employees take over and reap the benefits when and if he retires.
“I’d like to be a professional golfer but I don’t have the talent,” he said with a laugh.
Despite the modest growth aspirations, this summer he will replicate the Irvine office in San Jose to serve Fujitsu, his primary account there, as well as other high-tech startups.
Bits and Pieces
The T & O; Group, Irvine, inked a $240,000 deal to provide public relations services for IPNet Solutions Inc., a Newport Beach software developer. Another T & O; coup: The Orange Zone (OZ), a division of T & O;, beat out incumbent Pasadena Advertising, winning the more than $3 million Clothestime account. OZ specializes in youth marketing Del Taco launched its new ad campaign. The 60-second spot produced by G & M; Plumbing, airs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Bakersfield, Palm Springs, Salt Lake City and Yuma. Del Taco is a privately held company and is based in Laguna Hills The California Avocado Commission, Santa Ana, is targeting the Southeastern U.S. and Atlanta regions to strengthen its Genuine California Avocado brand. Marcia Adler is the new marketing director in that region The International Council of Shopping Centers trade show is slated for May 21-25 in Las Vegas. The final program is available at www.icsc.org. … Ad:Tech World, an advertising, marketing and e-commerce trade show, will be held May 8-10 in San Francisco. Some of the topics include online advertising, rethinking creative in the new economy, e-mail marketing, and beyond banner advertising. For more information, visit www.ad-tech.com The Direct Marketing Association, California South Coast Chapter is presenting “Converting Web Visitors into Customers” April 11, 11:30 a.m. at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Costa Mesa. Michael Todd, managing director of adagency.com is the speaker. For more information, call 800-273-8703 Beard Boy Productions, Laguna Hills, is producing radio and/or TV spots for the following clients: TonerWorld.com, an online office supply firm; rePLANET, a SoCal recycler; TH & M; Advertising’s client Crevier BMW of Santa Ana; Tamara Dorsey Advertising and its client Pioneer Place Shopping Mall in Portland, Ore.; The Larson Group’s Buena Park Mall and Spotlight 29 Casino The Creative Couch, a promotion agency specializing in the teen market, has been signed on to develop promotions for Ocean Pacific, Irvine Artisan Creative won an award in the 2000 Summit Creative Awards competition for its work in self-promotion through calendar design.
Sherri Cruz is temporarily filling in for Susan Schaben, who is on leave. Contact her at cruz@ocbj.com
