Alt. a strategic-digital agency

New West Coast Based Independent Marketing Firm Alt.Joins Worldwide Partners

ALAMEDA, CA. (May 27, 2008) Worldwide Partners, Inc., (WPI) has added another partner to the world’s 9th largest marketing communications network, according to Al Moffatt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Worldwide Partners headquartered in Denver, Colorado.   Alt (www.thinkalt.com), a new west coast based independent marketing firm that at its core is digitally fueled, has offices in Alameda, California and Seattle, Washington. The association with WPI will provide Alt. the opportunity to collaborate, when needed with the global network of WPI firms, allowing them to provide innovative, effective tools necessary for clients to achieve maximum business growth. "As the 9th largest marketing communications company in the world, each partner is a shareholder”, said Mr. Moffatt. “We’re a bottom-up agency network whereby our partner agencies own us rather than us owning them.  We provide the resources and the global outreach to help our partners achieve greater profits and revenue while the partner agencies work together to build each other’s business and service clients internationally.   We’re a flat-world network for a flat-world economy.  We’re built on trust, not turf.  Each partner firm is hand-selected for its progressive and innovative approach.  In short, we have the critical mass and skills of the agency conglomerates coupled with the flexibility of the independents.  We’re very happy to have Alt. join us”, adds Moffatt. Alt’s mission is to find new ways to integrate traditional and emerging media and marketing methods to connect with people, improve campaign results and redefine success for clients in the new age of digital marketing without leaving behind the advantages and wisdom of traditional marketing methods. Blending both lends itself well to working with other partner agencies that are part of the WPI network. “The Worldwide Partner Network is demonstrating that client companies can have the terrific energy of an independently-owned regional agency along with global networking that is as good as it gets in the advertising industry.  Alt is already serving multi-national corporations and we don’t think it will be long before every one of our clients will need global reach. Additionally we love the idea of working closely with a host of superb agencies. Collectively we have a range of best-of-breed services that make us a great alternative to publicly-held multi-national agency holding companies,” said Bill Fritsch, chairman of Alt. Worldwide Partners, Inc., which began in 1938, has more than 25 network-wide international clients, including Wal-Mart, Caterpillar, Avon, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Vonage, Hormel International, and Novartis.  Partner firms have over 4,500 employees and have expertise in more than 90 product and service categories.  This is broken down into 94 agencies with 149 offices in 53 countries with over $4.1 billion in capitalized billings. About Alt. Alt is the alternative to agencies stuck using traditional marketing and advertising to solve today’s communication problems. Instead Alt. is a digitally fueled independent full service marketing agency founded and fueled by agency veterans who combine strategy, solutions and creative to produce work that resonates with those looking for an alternative ways of addressing today’s marketing needs and expectations.  The company has offices in the Bay area and Seattle. Visit, ThinkAlt.com or call (206) 719-7090. Alt. is an active member of Worldwide Partners, Inc. the world's 9th largest marketing communications network. For more information visit WorldwidePartners.com.

New Independent Marketing Firm Takes Power of Alternative Thinking to a New Level

ALAMEDA, Calif., April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Several agency veterans have joined together to create Alt., (www.thinkalt.com) a new independent marketing agency that at its core is digitally fueled. Alt. is finding new ways to integrate traditional and emerging media and marketing methods to connect with people, improve campaign results and redefine success for clients in the new world of digital marketing without leaving behind the advantages and wisdom of traditional marketing methods. Alt represents a true blend of both.    "No time in history has the ground been so fertile for a group of experienced agency executives to establish an independent agency and to challenge the established pecking order within the advertising industry," commented Steve Franklin president of Alt. "While many agencies 'do digital' few have really grasped (or want to grasp) that new media offers a completely clean slate from traditional ways of developing advertising. We are beginning life with a team that is exceptional at blending new with old for more cost effective outcomes for major companies. In effect we want to be the alternative to the traditional ad world."    Or, in the words of agency Director Jack Balousek, "The advertising dog doesn't hunt like it once did. Time for a new dog!"    Alt. was formed and is being run by a group of senior agency executives. Bill Fritsch is the Chairman, and most recently the former founder of Hydrogen a Seattle-based agency. Jack Balousek, the Director is the former President and COO of FCB, and CEO of FCB West. And Steve Franklin is the President, formerly President of Hydrogen. They are joined by:    -- Jonathan Butts, executive creative director 19 years in the business       working for clients such as Microsoft, Sprint, HP, American Century       Mutual Funds and WebEx.    -- Steve Middleton, director of strategic planning 18 years experience       with clients like Google, The Learning Company, Microsoft, United       Healthcare and eBay.    -- David Carpenter, vice president of marketing and business development       17 years with clients like Nortel, ADP, Motorola, H&R Block, Xerox,       VISA and Cisco.    -- Chris Salquist, experience director with 20 years experience working       with clients like Starbucks, Microsoft, AT&T, Weyerhaeuser, and       Airborne Express.    -- Matthew Cadman, director of operations 18 years experience working with       clients Holland America Line, Best Buy, Classmates, GE Capital and       Westin Hotels.    Alt. is on track to building a new west coast agency presence. It is opening the doors with a staff of 10 and assignments from such companies as Microsoft, Ackerley Partners, USTA (United States Tennis Association of Northern California), 2nd Story Software, and Red Rover. In all, the marketing firm hits the ground with decades of client experience, and strong capabilities in all aspects of online and traditional marketing.    "At Alt. we are delivering alternative ideas to clients using new technology, new media and alternative marketing methods to create cohesive strategies, not competing ones for clients," said Bill Fritsch, chairman of Alt. "CMO's and others are looking for ways to use digital marketing to drive down overall marketing costs and to increase ROI. That's where we come in. We offer clients refreshing, resourceful, inspiring, and effective marketing ideas executed by senior level pros who have been in the business for years and know how to get the work done with results that matter."    In addition to offering strategy, account management and creative, Alt. is beginning business with substantial technological capabilities in Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Online Advertising, Website Development, and online lead generation.    The Bay area office is located at 1151 Harbor Bay Parkway #126B Alameda CA. 94502 510.522.1822. And in Seattle at 307 Third Avenue South, Suite 400 Seattle, WA 98104 206.719.7090    About Alt.    Alt. is the alternative to agencies stuck using traditional marketing and advertising to solve today's communication problems. Instead Alt. is a digitally fueled independent full service marketing agency founded and fueled by agency veterans who combine strategy, solutions and creative to produce work that resonates with those looking for an alternative ways of addressing today's marketing needs and expectations. The company has offices in the Bay area and Seattle. Visit www.ThinkAlt.com or call (206) 719-7090.

Ad exec leaves Hydrogen, starts new firm Alt.

Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) - by Greg Lamm Staff Writer The co-founder of Hydrogen, a 6-year-old Seattle-based advertising company with a client list that has included The Boeing Co., eBay and Microsoft, has left the firm to launch a new agency focusing on online marketing and consulting. Bill Fritsch, along with veteran California ad man John Balousek, has formed a company called Alt to take advantage of the shift in advertising and marketing to the internet. Seattle advertising executive Bill Fritsch helped launch a new company to seize the marketing and consulting opportunities on the internet. "It's a raging river of businesses flowing to the internet," said Fritsch, who formed the new business about four weeks ago and is scrambling to line up clients, find more investors, hire workers and find permanent office space in Seattle. Fritsch is joined at Alt by three people from Hydrogen's nine-person leadership team: David Carpenter, Chris Sallquist and Steve Middleton. Fritsch said he wouldn't describe those moves as an exodus from Hydrogen, which he expects will remain a strong advertising agency. Fritsch, who said he is selling his interest in Hydrogen to his partners there, first sought to bring aboard people and investors to help Hydrogen shift to an online marketing business. But after trying to change Hydrogen's focus to more web-based marketing services, he realized he was pulling against the wishes of Hydrogen and co-founders Tom Scherer and Rick Peterson. Ultimately, Fritsch said he saw his best chance of achieving his goal outside of Hydrogen. "I think I made them uncomfortable bringing in new talent and pushing in new directions," Fritsch said. Peterson, one of three co-founders remaining at Hydrogen along with Scherer and CFO Tracy Mirabelli, said his company offers online marketing and advertising services. But Peterson said he and the other co-founders did not want to narrowly focus on just being an online agency because it would limit how Hydrogen could help its clients. Peterson said Hydrogen is coming off a record year in 2007, and the business surge has continued this year. "We trust in our ability to land on our feet," said Peterson. Hydrogen launched in the days before Sept. 11, 2001. The firm survived an economic downturn after the terrorist attacks and emerged as a profitable ad agency. Today, Hydrogen has about 20 in-house employees and saw about $2.5 million in revenue in 2007, a slight increase from Hydrogen's record revenue year in 2005. Hydrogen is ranked the 25th largest ad agency in the area, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal's 2008 Book of Lists. Hydrogen also recently hired a new director of account management, Cindy Dunbar, who was an executive at Seattle ad agency Sedgwick Rd. At Alt, Fritsch is joined by Balousek, who helped create Lenscrafters as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble. Balousek later became president of Chicago-based adverting giant Foote, Cone & Belding Communications Inc. -- today known as Draftfcb. At FCB, Balousek worked on high-profile projects, including campaigns for Levi's 501, Taco Bell and the California Dancing Raisins. In 1994, with Balousek at the helm, FCB acquired CF2GS, a direct mail and marketing consulting firm that Fritsch co-founded. CF2GS had about 80 marketing professionals in Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. Fritsch said Balousek's pedigree gives Alt a big boost in recruiting talent and attracting more investors. Fritsch said he hopes to have about 10 employees in the next few months. And later this year, he expects to start raising $10 million to $15 million in capital, most likely from private equity sources. Fritsch said he has several client deals in the works. And his company plans to use license technology, such as a search engine optimization tool and a mobile device platform, to help companies connect and bond with their customers. Internet-savvy consumers today no longer respond to advertising "push" pitches. Instead, they want to choose how they engage with a company, he said. "They don't want to feel like they are being marketed to." Fritsch said. "They want to get what they want when they want it, and you better be where they want to be."

It’s not enough…

Bill Fritsch, Regular Columnist, with David Carpenter, guest columnist, as published in the May, 2008 edition. 500 million times each day (in the United States) consumers use online search engines to find things important to them. Millions of times daily people express themselves through countless blogs discussing things ranging from the products they buy (and the experiences they have in the purchase process) to the books they read, to the advice they give professionally. Millions of online special-interest communities have formed based on wikis. The subjects cover everything from rugby football to knitting. Through these communities people are connecting in ways that we couldn’t have imagined ten years ago. Researchers tell us that this unprecedented access to information has radically altered how people make the decisions they make about the products and services they buy. It has also changed how people perceive advertising messages. Consumers are now comfortable in searching for what they want, doing their own information gathering. In this environment, push-advertising methods simply don’t produce the results that they once did. Savvy marketers are embracing online ways to connect with consumers, but most are not doing enough to gain the real benefits of online marketing. Here are some examples. Social Media It’s not enough to create a blog, link to it from your website and post weekly… fact is the majority of buzz being generated about your company and what you sell is happening “out there” in the blogosphere, far from your reach and control. It’s not enough to setup (free) Google Alerts to keep you abreast of what’s being said about your product, your brand, your company and its founders online… Google Alerts only picks up about 40% of current web buzz, and often the information is weeks old before you are alerted. Leading edge companies are using software solutions coupled with expert insight to categorize, interpret, gauge, score, react and respond to the deluge of information being published about their companies on a daily basis. Out of the millions of posts occurring daily, typically only a small percent are happening on sites with a following (reach) of more than 100 people. Commentary about a company can spread to thousands of sites. It’s not easy to manage, but it’s critical to marketing success. There are four stages of business readiness with regards to social media: 1. Clueless. Some companies don’t know what is being said about them and don’t care. They are too busy, too unaware, or believe they are unaffected by the currents of social media. 2. Listening. Organizations may know what’s going on, but are unaware or unwilling to get involved. 3. Active. Some enterprises are active in monitoring the buzz and are even engaged in creating and publishing on their own site, personal and company blogs.   4.  Engaged. These organizations are typified by Innovators within the Fortune 500 who acknowledge Social Media as an emerging marketing channel for their enterprise. They not only are active in listening to the buzz about their brand, they’re involved and participating in the buzz: responding to complaints, assisting people in their research, encouraging those who have taken a positive stance. They may have significant budget and dedicated staff (internal and external) managing this activity, but are increasingly turning to software solutions and social media professionals to help manage this process effectively and solve three issues: 1. too much information, 2. too little time, and 3. too hard to justify the investment. Search Marketing It’s not enough to make a limited commitment to search (managing under 1,000 keywords) for your company while hundreds or thousands of buyers slip through your grasp every month. This leads to “search fatigue” which happens when search programs are not constantly managed and optimized. Many blame their declining search results on Google, Yahoo or MSN.  But often the problem is a poorly conceived search program methodology and a limited corporate commitment to search. This happens when companies believe that search is primarily about driving up website traffic. Successful search programs begin with an understanding that for the first time in history consumers are raising their hands and saying “help me” billions of times each week. Smart marketers recognize that intercepting consumers at this critical moment takes more than providing a link to a corporate website. In fact this is often the kiss of death for search marketing success. If consumers have to root around on a corporate website to find the answer to their query they turn off. Experience proves that people need to instantly see information that matches the subject matter of their query. In a well run search program thousands of search terms are tested and managed. Landing pages are dynamically created to match the exact search terms, and every element of the program is constantly tested, evaluated and improved. And most important of all, program results should be measured in customers gained, or revenue increased. It’s not enough to justify search marketing with the rationale: “our web traffic increased 30%”. Who cares? Leading companies are making a financial commitment to search, using appropriate software and expertise to better manage the process, and proving success with financial measurements. Anything less is not enough.

Time For A New Dog

Bill Fritsch, Regular Columnist, as published in the March, 2008 edition. Bill Fritsch has a 30-year career in advertising, most recently co-founded Alt. to help clients “connect the disconnected” Today, all of their new work begins with the online strategy and only then do they consider traditional media strategies. (This is the exact opposite of the way most ad shops approach Internet strategy.) As such, one of the nation’s best television advertising shops is declaring that TV no longer is the dominant tool in the advertising world. What’s going on? Many ad agencies and advertisers still are oriented to a world that is fast fading away. Push marketing is giving way to a world where consumers are completely skilled at finding what they want, when they want it. And they reward marketers who have the knack for providing relevant information at the moment they go searching for it. Yet, to many traditional ad shops, the Internet is something to be added onto a marketing plan, something to be dabbled in. In the meantime, those companies who understand the Web’s genetic code are driving down marketing costs and increasing results. The really smart ones are pairing online strategies with traditional marketing tools to provide the one-two punch that increases return on marketing investment. Perhaps an example will illustrate this. Search-engine marketing is a really hot area of activity right now. And many perceive it as a way to drive up Web traffic and increase online business. But it’s even more powerful when combined with traditional marketing media! For the first time in history, consumers across the planet are daily typing into search engines exactly what’s on their minds and what they want to know more about. Really savvy marketers are beginning to use search-engine marketing to capture consumer names and addresses (voluntarily of course) and are able to reduce reliance on wasteful lead-generation direct mail (at $.50 to $1 per mail package). With highly targeted lists generated via the Web, direct mail becomes a strategic tool going to smaller lists of more refined prospects. The result is less overall cost and waste and more powerful results. A triple crown! Television as a stand-alone advertising vehicle isn’t a fraction as powerful as it was just a decade ago. Only when combined with powerful Web strategies does it begin to provide acceptable ROI in most cases. Though most commercials are now tagged with Web addresses, few of these Web destinations have anything to do with the subject matter of the commercials. Research says consumers tune out whenever disconnects like this happen. So why do so many marketers do such a poor job connecting their television strategy to their Web strategy? And why aren’t their agencies fighting like hell to connect the dots? Back to Goodby. They concluded that every one of their creative people must care about the Internet first and television second. They lost advertising die-hards in the process of changing their focus. What they gained was greater trust and respect among clients. Now is the time to think REALLY big in the advertising world. Never in history has so much potential existed to change the rules of advertising. And in terms of the advertising agency business, never in history has the established order been so prone to upset by purposeful upstarts. The large ad agencies are locked into business models that are rendering them less and less relevant to the challenges faced by chief marketing officers. Large agency expenses are going up and effectiveness tends to be going down. This does not bode well for many ad shops. In my view, Big must give way to Smart, Strategic and Nimble. "The advertising dog doesn't hunt like it once did. Time for a new dog!" Bill Fritsch has a 30-year career to date in the advertising industry, most recently as founder and president of Hydrogen Advertising. He now moves on to Alt.-which he describes as an advertising company “that connects the disconnected.” He can be reached at billf@thinkalt.com or 206-465-6700.