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Customer Spotlight
 Honeydo.com Gets it Done with Neighborhood America
If you’ve ever given your significant other, or honey, a list of household chores to do, only to get an “I’m too busy,” “Can it wait until after the game?” or “I’ll do it next weekend,” then you’ve lived through the frustration of the “honey do” list.
The proverbial list is at the core of Honeydo.com, one of Neighborhood America's newest customers.
“Stemming from our own and others’ frustrations, we believed that there had to be a better way for consumers and providers of all types of personal services to interact with each other,” says Honeydo.com co-founder and president Brian Ehrlich.
The online company sought the expertise of Neighborhood America to build a fully customized social network that will allow consumers to post their lists free of charge, while service providers can be automatically alerted and respond to items on those lists that match their area of service expertise. Forget flipping through the phonebook, contacting multiple friends or conducting online searches in an attempt to identify a quality service provider only to find they are booked. The Honeydo.com community is the answer, and Neighborhood America’s technology will be the backbone.
“We’ve all experienced these ‘pains’ in our busy schedules so we know that this community will be a tremendous value for countless people. Therefore, to handle the rapid growth we needed a technology partner that had a unique set of capabilities. Neighborhood America fit that description to the letter; from the experienced team members to the extremely high standards of security and the ability of their infrastructure to handle our future growth, they have the complete solution,” says Ehrlich.
Look for Honeydo.com to launch at the regional level in early fall, with an expected nationwide launch soon to follow.
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Industry Spotlight |
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  Results at a Glance
Featured Case Study: Rodale - Men’s Health
The Background
In 2006, Men's Health 'Transformations' was an online program featuring participants willing to dedicate 8 weeks to building a better body. In 2007, the publisher turned to Neighborhood America to develop 'Transform 2007,' an improved version of the program which created greater opportunities for audience involvement and increased revenue.
The Challenge
• Staff manually downloaded and reviewed thousands of submissions sent electronically or through the mail.
• The workload restricted them from launching the program more than once a year.
• There was no audience involvement beyond a blog entry for the participants.
The Results
• In just the first few days, public participation soared to nearly 3,000 community members, creating continually increasing ad revenue.
• 10% increase of website traffic during historically slowest months.
• Improved internal processes enables program to launch quarterly rather than annually.
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NA Point of View |
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  Guest Commentary: The Love Affair between Politicians & Social Networks
By Chad Holbein
Leah Kauffman captured the attention of a nation and ruffled political feathers when she posted her provocative music video, “I Got a Crush on Obama,” on the web recently. The 21-year-old Temple University student co-wrote the catchy tune featuring a buxom brunette, actress and model Amber Lee Ettinger, lip-syncing in a variety of outfits at various New York City venues. The buzz led to dozens of interviews for Kauffman and Ettinger on more than 150 television stations and major media networks such as Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. But the duo admits the video didn’t gain national exposure until they posted it on YouTube.
Social networks are providing people with a means to amplify their voices and get their message across by uploading content, or joining a political support group. In this instance, Kauffman used YouTube to say, “Vote for Obama,” and “buy Obama t-shirts to show your support.” Nonetheless, without social networks and their popularity, this video would not have generated such publicity.
The top-three 2008 presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle already have some sort of presence on either MySpace or Facebook, the two most popular social networking sites.
Some political candidates have taken a big leap forward in building customized social networks that drive traffic to their sites – rather than a third party site. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) created one, My.BarackObama.com, which has raised over $32 million for his campaign. Users are able to post supporting comments in blogs, learn more information about Obama and his family, and even upload videos showing their support. Similarly, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) created a custom site, McCainSpace, to provide a forum for public discussion and to connect with supporters. Early signs of adoption between both parties furthers the belief that social networking promises to transform politics during the upcoming elections.
Ultimately, these politicians want to share with you their plans for a better America and earn your vote. Although social networking sites are slowly gaining prominence amongst the older set, they are primarily the domain of the young, a challenging demographic to capture for political candidates. Historically, young Americans have had a low voter turnout, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there was a significant increase in voter turnout for this demographic from the 2000 presidential election to the 2004 election. Is it possible that social networks are at least partially responsible for the rise in young adult votes?
Whether they’re customized or not, social networks are gaining interest from American voters who are logging onto these networks daily and becoming politically engaged. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a catchy song and a sexy music video to create a buzz about a candidate. But once a candidate engages voters and attracts them to a social network, what are they doing about the interaction? How are they dealing with the massive flow of information? Are they an active participant in their own community, managing the conversations, and addressing the needs of the voters?
That’s where the future of social networks lies within politics. Harnessing that power to guide citizens, especially young adults, to the voting booths. But it can only be done by getting a handle on the discussions going on, and moving beyond the buzz of simply having a social network. While social networks are providing people with a means to amplify their voices, the right technology can help politicians transform this ‘noise’ into meaningful change.
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Company News |
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  Neighborhood America Nabs Former Yahoo!, Microsoft Gurus
When you think of hi-tech companies attracting top talent, does Naples, Florida come to mind? For most of us, it’s Silicon Valley, home to a large number of innovators and computer electronics manufacturers. But, travel across the country to the East Coast and you’ll find the headquarters for an emerging leader in the web-based software industry that is reeling in the big ones.
Lisa Mogull and DJ Forza are the latest strategic hires to join the Neighborhood America team. With more than 12 years experience acquiring revenue-generating content via entertainment industry partnerships, in addition to online communities at Yahoo! Inc., Mogull comes to Neighborhood America as the new director of business development/media. Forza, a prior account supervisor for Microsoft at McCann Erickson, will oversee the development, content, and security of targeted online communities as the director of online communities.
So what attracted the duo to Naples-based Neighborhood America?
“Neighborhood America recognizes that purposeful online communities can strengthen a brand. The product offering not only guides organizations through the actual steps of setting up a social network, it effectively helps brands engage the consumer in meaningful two-way dialogue. This sets them apart from the competition,” says Forza.
“I sought out the leader in the industry; a company that I felt was delivering a solution unparalleled in providing what brands need: guidance and the necessary tools for creating strategic, purposeful social networks,” says Mogull.
Mogull and Forza understand the unique challenges facing brands that wish to reach targeted audiences through social networks, and the company looks forward to their contributions.
 Reflection of a Dynamic Company Doubles as Industry Resource
A company’s website not only informs you about what a company does, often times it leaves a first and lasting impression. How many times have you made up your mind about a business on whether you had problems finding what you were looking for, or if the site was… well, boring?
In our ever-changing industry, enhancing our product offering and expanding our expertise in enterprise social networking means our messaging must continue evolving – our corporate site is a big part of that public-facing side. Recently, we re-designed our corporate site to provide an enriching experience for visitors wanting to learn more about the value of building social networks with a purpose. The full flash site makes it fun and interactive as you explore a streamlined version of the content. In a matter of minutes, you can gather valuable information about social networking and how businesses are making money while connecting with consumers.
We invite you to visit www.NeighborhoodAmerica.com, a reflection of the dynamic company that is truly Neighborhood America.
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Conferences and Events |
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  The Stage is Set, the Tickets are Sold: Breed Embarks on 10 City Tour
When Neighborhood America’s Senior Director of Sales Jason Breed joined the company, he was prepared to live the life of a sales representative, one that often includes lots of traveling, visiting prospective buyers and current customers to talk about our solution. He’s still racking up some serious frequent flyer miles, but recently, the purpose has switched from sales pitch to educational presentation.
Breed has the privilege of sharing the company’s best practices and strategies for building online communities of value at the Regional Series of the Online Marketing Summit taking place from July 10 – August 9, 2007. In over 10 cities across the U.S., marketers from leading companies are gathering to learn from experts such as Breed, and network with their peers in a “vendor-less” environment.
OMS is a not for profit, educational forum. Unlike most tradeshows and conferences, OMS is built around content that drives action and delivers insight that marketers can actually use and build into their marketing plans. |
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Reader Satisfaction |
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It is our goal to deliver quality information of value to you. We encourage you to share your thoughts and suggestions on how we can improve our newsletter. Click here
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Newsletters
Customer Spotlight
Honeydo.com Gets it Done with Neighborhood America
If you’ve ever given your significant other, or honey, a list of household chores to do, only to get an “I’m too busy,” “Can it wait until after the game?” or “I’ll do it next weekend,” then you’ve lived through the frustration of the “honey do” list.
The proverbial list is at the core of Honeydo.com, one of Neighborhood America's newest customers.
“Stemming from our own and others’ frustrations, we believed that there had to be a better way for consumers and providers of all types of personal services to interact with each other,” says Honeydo.com co-founder and president Brian Ehrlich.
The online company sought the expertise of Neighborhood America to build a fully customized social network that will allow consumers to post their lists free of charge, while service providers can be automatically alerted and respond to items on those lists that match their area of service expertise. Forget flipping through the phonebook, contacting multiple friends or conducting online searches in an attempt to identify a quality service provider only to find they are booked. The Honeydo.com community is the answer, and Neighborhood America’s technology will be the backbone.
“We’ve all experienced these ‘pains’ in our busy schedules so we know that this community will be a tremendous value for countless people. Therefore, to handle the rapid growth we needed a technology partner that had a unique set of capabilities. Neighborhood America fit that description to the letter; from the experienced team members to the extremely high standards of security and the ability of their infrastructure to handle our future growth, they have the complete solution,” says Ehrlich.
Look for Honeydo.com to launch at the regional level in early fall, with an expected nationwide launch soon to follow.
Featured Case Study: Rodale - Men’s Health
The Background
In 2006, Men's Health 'Transformations' was an online program featuring participants willing to dedicate 8 weeks to building a better body. In 2007, the publisher turned to Neighborhood America to develop 'Transform 2007,' an improved version of the program which created greater opportunities for audience involvement and increased revenue.
The Challenge
• Staff manually downloaded and reviewed thousands of submissions sent electronically or through the mail.
• The workload restricted them from launching the program more than once a year.
• There was no audience involvement beyond a blog entry for the participants.
The Results
• In just the first few days, public participation soared to nearly 3,000 community members, creating continually increasing ad revenue.
• 10% increase of website traffic during historically slowest months.
• Improved internal processes enables program to launch quarterly rather than annually.
By Chad Holbein
Leah Kauffman captured the attention of a nation and ruffled political feathers when she posted her provocative music video, “I Got a Crush on Obama,” on the web recently. The 21-year-old Temple University student co-wrote the catchy tune featuring a buxom brunette, actress and model Amber Lee Ettinger, lip-syncing in a variety of outfits at various New York City venues. The buzz led to dozens of interviews for Kauffman and Ettinger on more than 150 television stations and major media networks such as Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN. But the duo admits the video didn’t gain national exposure until they posted it on YouTube.
Social networks are providing people with a means to amplify their voices and get their message across by uploading content, or joining a political support group. In this instance, Kauffman used YouTube to say, “Vote for Obama,” and “buy Obama t-shirts to show your support.” Nonetheless, without social networks and their popularity, this video would not have generated such publicity.
The top-three 2008 presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle already have some sort of presence on either MySpace or Facebook, the two most popular social networking sites.
Some political candidates have taken a big leap forward in building customized social networks that drive traffic to their sites – rather than a third party site. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) created one, My.BarackObama.com, which has raised over $32 million for his campaign. Users are able to post supporting comments in blogs, learn more information about Obama and his family, and even upload videos showing their support. Similarly, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) created a custom site, McCainSpace, to provide a forum for public discussion and to connect with supporters. Early signs of adoption between both parties furthers the belief that social networking promises to transform politics during the upcoming elections.
Ultimately, these politicians want to share with you their plans for a better America and earn your vote. Although social networking sites are slowly gaining prominence amongst the older set, they are primarily the domain of the young, a challenging demographic to capture for political candidates. Historically, young Americans have had a low voter turnout, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there was a significant increase in voter turnout for this demographic from the 2000 presidential election to the 2004 election. Is it possible that social networks are at least partially responsible for the rise in young adult votes?
Whether they’re customized or not, social networks are gaining interest from American voters who are logging onto these networks daily and becoming politically engaged. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a catchy song and a sexy music video to create a buzz about a candidate. But once a candidate engages voters and attracts them to a social network, what are they doing about the interaction? How are they dealing with the massive flow of information? Are they an active participant in their own community, managing the conversations, and addressing the needs of the voters?
That’s where the future of social networks lies within politics. Harnessing that power to guide citizens, especially young adults, to the voting booths. But it can only be done by getting a handle on the discussions going on, and moving beyond the buzz of simply having a social network. While social networks are providing people with a means to amplify their voices, the right technology can help politicians transform this ‘noise’ into meaningful change.
When you think of hi-tech companies attracting top talent, does Naples, Florida come to mind? For most of us, it’s Silicon Valley, home to a large number of innovators and computer electronics manufacturers. But, travel across the country to the East Coast and you’ll find the headquarters for an emerging leader in the web-based software industry that is reeling in the big ones.
Lisa Mogull and DJ Forza are the latest strategic hires to join the Neighborhood America team. With more than 12 years experience acquiring revenue-generating content via entertainment industry partnerships, in addition to online communities at Yahoo! Inc., Mogull comes to Neighborhood America as the new director of business development/media. Forza, a prior account supervisor for Microsoft at McCann Erickson, will oversee the development, content, and security of targeted online communities as the director of online communities.
So what attracted the duo to Naples-based Neighborhood America?
“Neighborhood America recognizes that purposeful online communities can strengthen a brand. The product offering not only guides organizations through the actual steps of setting up a social network, it effectively helps brands engage the consumer in meaningful two-way dialogue. This sets them apart from the competition,” says Forza.
“I sought out the leader in the industry; a company that I felt was delivering a solution unparalleled in providing what brands need: guidance and the necessary tools for creating strategic, purposeful social networks,” says Mogull.
Mogull and Forza understand the unique challenges facing brands that wish to reach targeted audiences through social networks, and the company looks forward to their contributions.
A company’s website not only informs you about what a company does, often times it leaves a first and lasting impression. How many times have you made up your mind about a business on whether you had problems finding what you were looking for, or if the site was… well, boring?
In our ever-changing industry, enhancing our product offering and expanding our expertise in enterprise social networking means our messaging must continue evolving – our corporate site is a big part of that public-facing side. Recently, we re-designed our corporate site to provide an enriching experience for visitors wanting to learn more about the value of building social networks with a purpose. The full flash site makes it fun and interactive as you explore a streamlined version of the content. In a matter of minutes, you can gather valuable information about social networking and how businesses are making money while connecting with consumers.
We invite you to visit www.NeighborhoodAmerica.com, a reflection of the dynamic company that is truly Neighborhood America.
by Bob Andelman
Dan Miller and Neighborhood America's Movo Mobile technology shake up the marketing industry.
Read the full article that appeared in Biz 941.
by Andrew Hampp
The article features Neighborhood America's customer and refers to HGTV.com's Rate My Space as a "functional success for the cabler's website, with more than 800,000 products."
Read the full article that appeared in Advertising Age.
by Bob Andelman
CTO David Bankston makes Bob Andelman's list of 'media newsmakers' as he discusses Neighborhood America's role in helping media companies harness the power of the web to engage audiences.
Listen to the podcast interview at Mr. Media.
When Neighborhood America’s Senior Director of Sales Jason Breed joined the company, he was prepared to live the life of a sales representative, one that often includes lots of traveling, visiting prospective buyers and current customers to talk about our solution. He’s still racking up some serious frequent flyer miles, but recently, the purpose has switched from sales pitch to educational presentation.
Breed has the privilege of sharing the company’s best practices and strategies for building online communities of value at the Regional Series of the Online Marketing Summit taking place from July 10 – August 9, 2007. In over 10 cities across the U.S., marketers from leading companies are gathering to learn from experts such as Breed, and network with their peers in a “vendor-less” environment.
OMS is a not for profit, educational forum. Unlike most tradeshows and conferences, OMS is built around content that drives action and delivers insight that marketers can actually use and build into their marketing plans.
It is our goal to deliver quality information of value to you. We encourage you to share your thoughts and suggestions on how we can improve our newsletter. Click here
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