Stage Two Is Adding An Account Manager To The Team!

We are looking for a PR Account Manager with four to six years of media-relations experience to join our hip, fun team of tech marketing and PR professionals. The best candidate will be someone who knows both tech bloggers and tech lifestyle journalists who cover the consumer electronics and consumer web space. Bonus points if you know apps, mobile tech and smart TV. You will be managing accounts, liaising with clients, launching products, creating press strategies, and schmoozing with journalists. Sounds like fun? It is.

Stage Two is a small group of industry-insiders, wizened tech masters and pop-culture junkies who know how to maintain a proper work/life balance. Whether it’s ending the day early to catch the hottest blockbuster, or drinking scotch with a client at one of our many local watering holes, we play as hard as we work and do great things for all of our clients.

Qualifications:

• Able to work within dynamic start-up environment
• Fast learner and self-starting with impeccable organizational skills
• Can manage and prioritize the needs of multiple client relationships simultaneously
• Extremely strong communications skills, especially written
• Good understanding of consumer technology (video, mobile, etc) with a genuine interest in new trends in tech, media, and culture
• Decent grasp of new media, including some contacts with bloggers and social network influencers
• Confident and articulate
• Brilliantly creative

Responsibilities:

• See above, and…
• Coordinating media lists and event logistics
• Monitoring client and industry press
• Conceive, develop, and implement influencer-marketing strategies for clients
• Build and nurture relationships with key bloggers, industry influencers, press/media, analysts, and potential marketing partners
• New media outreach and traditional PR for new stories, company launches, product launches, etc.
• Take a consumer product from 80 or 90% to 100% readiness for launch
• Understand and explain consumer behaviors to clients
• Find and evaluate event participation opportunities (speaking, booths, panels, etc.) for clients
• Attend local industry networking events

Our new office is really sweet and is in the Financial District. There are many restaurants, bars and “cool spots” in the neighborhood. We don’t have cubicles or time sheets here. Just work, play and PR!

If you’re interested, please send the following to jobs at stagetwo dot com:

1. a resume (preferably a hard copy and a link to an online one)
2. a short bio
3. your salary requirements
4. why you think this is a perfect fit for you
5. which of our clients excites you the most, and why

Any emails without all 5 of the above will be ignored, and probably marked as spam. Feel free to let us know if you have any questions. Otherwise, we look forward to hearing from you. Ready to be our newest rock star?  We’re waiting…

PS – Our loyal readers will note that we recycled a lot of this content from the last time we posted – there’s a good reason for that.

Come and knock on our door – Stage Two has a new home!

It seems like only yesterday that the Stage Two team packed up our computers and moved into a new SOMA office complex. We loved working South of Market (we were literally right across the street from the ball park) and made a number of new friends during our time on Townsend Street.

But like all things, our time visiting HRD and Brickhouse for working lunches has come to an end. Stage Two has set up a more permanent shingle on Kearny and Sutter . . .

. . . right above Murphy’s Pub.

The view from Stage Two

It took some elbow grease, some heavy lifting and some IKEA furniture assembling, but we have pretty much settled in to our new digs. The office itself is amazing, with a full kitchen and exposed brick walls.

That's a wine fridge and a gas range in the back, friends.

We’re not saying that our office is better than your office, but we’re not not saying that, either.

We don't really believe in cubicles.

Jim's office is pretty great.

We're still trying to find a home for the Rock Band gear.

So if you are in the neighborhood and a friend of the company, come and knock on our door and see our new pad! We can’t wait to meet out neighbors, make new friends and do some serious tech marketing consulting and PR in our new home.

Stage Two Names Jim Schaff Managing Partner

I am pleased to announce that starting today Jim Schaff is the new Managing Partner of Stage Two. Jim will oversee all of the firm’s day-to-day operations and work output going forward as Adam and I transition into an advisory role with the company we founded almost five years ago. Jim is one of the most knowledgeable marketing executives I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I am proud to hand him the keys to the Stage Two kingdom.

It’s a very, very challenging thing to do, to be honest.  We’ve had an amazing run since the company was founded, and have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented entrepreneurs and executives from around the world.  With Jim on board we’ve put some very cool companies and products on the map, including Boxee, Bug Labs, Pogoplug, Sphero, Face.com, TuneUp Media, Splashtop, and more.  We’ve also had the chance to work for amazing companies like Clicker.com (now part of CBS), Electronic Arts, VUDU (acquired by Wal-Mart), BOKU, Worldmate, and others.  I know it’s a rarity to have your cake and eat it too, but we’ve been doing it for almost five years now.  And that’s a lot of cake.

I’ve affectionately joked about Jim’s long history in marketing and technology. He was a key person to help launch the typewriter, and his crisis PR management for black and white TV when “full color” became all the rage is legendary. In reality Jim has over two decades of experience in marketing, advertising, consumer technology and managing marketing teams. He is a branding expert with deep knowledge of launching consumer technology products. On a more personal level, he is also an incredible human being. He loves hockey (go Sharks Habs), poker (although “Poker Jim” is not welcome at all tables), scuba diving and his dog. I’ve learned many things from Jim over the past few years, and have respect for him as a person and as a businessman.

As for Adam and me?  Yes we are leaving day-to-day roles, but let’s face it, even when your baby grows up, goes to college, then moves abroad, you still follow him on Twitter and do his laundry sometimes, right?  We will remain connected to the firm and several clients in a strategic advisory capacity, though we have every bit of confidence that things are being left in extremely capable hands.  Regarding what we’ll be spending our time on moving forward?  Well, the first rule of show business is, ” . . .”

Stage Two is Hiring a Business Development/Sales Representative

Stage Two, Inc. is an integrated communications agency obsessed with creating innovative marketing strategies and engaging PR campaigns for consumer technology companies. We have helped clients such as EA, SONOS, NETGEAR, Boxee, Clicker, VUDU, D-Link, PogoPlug, Waze, and Orbotix connect with tech press, traditional journalists, digital influencers and consumers.

Stage Two is currently seeking a full time Business Development/Sales Representative to join our fast growing San Francisco-based boutique firm.

The primary role of this position is to close new business by generating meetings with target accounts, developing leads into opportunities and establishing long-term relationships with prospective clients. Candidates will start in a lead generation role or a lead generation / sales role based on qualifications and level of experience.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead generation/outbound calling and warm lead follow up.
• Perform new business introductory calls and presentations to articulate S2 services, philosophies and methodologies.
• Manage deals from prospecting to close
• Meet or exceed monthly, quarterly and annual revenue targets.
• Work closely with prospective clients to understand their business objectives and create the most appropriate solution to meet their needs.
• Develop and maintain relationships with prospects and clients over the long term.
• Attend tech / networking events around the bay area as a representative of Stage Two

Qualifications:

• 2-5 years proven B2B sales experience in a product or services environment.
• Proven track record of opening new accounts.
• Experience closing deals in the $25k-$100k range.
• Proven track record of meeting/exceeding quotas and goals.
• Experience selling services to marketing organizations within high-tech firms a plus.
• Exceptional written and oral presentation skills
• Ability to work independently on multiple tasks
• Strong attention to detail
• Experience negotiating legal contracts and/or agreements a plus

If you’re highly entrepreneurial, confident, passionate, eager to learn and have a proven track record of sales achievement, you might be just the person we’re looking for.

If you’re interested in this position, please email us some thoughts as to why you’d be a great addition to our rock star team (don’t do a cut/paste job, we’ll know) as well as your resume to jobs@stagetwo.com for immediate consideration.

Stage Two Welcomes Elizabeth Novotny, Amazing Summer Intern

Stage Two is pleased to welcome our new summer intern, Elizabeth Novotny.

Elizabeth is a full time communication major at Saint Mary’s College of California, and also serves as the President of the American Marketing Association Collegiate Chapter at her school. She will be assisting our PR and Marketing teams for the next few months, and we are looking forward to her clever wit and team spirit.

Originally from Colorado by way of LA, Elizabeth has a background in entertainment and media technology, previously interning at NBC Universal Television Publicity. In an effort to escape the entertainment industry and try different hiking trails she relocated to the Bay Area, which she believes is the perfect mix between her two former cities.

In her spare time Elizabeth enjoys hiking, reading, and attending theater, music and comedy shows. She can also be found exploring the Bay Area- frequently on a bike. Elizabeth considers herself to be a bit of a foodie and loves to try new food and restaurants. She is a social media enthusiast and you can follow her @enovotny.

Stage Two Visits Wine Country, Sings Bon Jovi

This week the Stage Two team embarked on a tour of the beautiful Russian River Valley for an off site team building experience for the ages.

The team got to bond, relax and detect subtle notes of oak and vanilla.

The weather was perfect – sunny and in the mid-70s – and good times were had by all.

Along the way we stopped at some amazing wineries, enjoyed a picnic lunch and sang some serious Bon Jovi tunes in the back of our limo.

Special thanks to our limo driver who returned the iPad Adam left in the back of the ride. You are a scholar and a gentleman.

Stage Two Moves To SOMA, New Offices

The Stage Two team recently moved into our new offices on Townsend Street, right across from the ball park in San Francisco.

We are still in the process of settling in and unpacking, but we managed to get the coffee machine working, so are calling the entire process a win. As you might expect, a company that works with consumer technology collects quite a few gadgets over the years. During the move we uncovered 2 XBOXes, 1 3D0, several tablets, laptops and netbooks and an ergonomic mouse. It was interesting to see how far technology has come in the last few years.

We really enjoyed working on Montgomery Street and will miss our friends and neighbors in Jackson Square (specifically the breakfast at Bocadillos and the everything at Naked Lunch). But we also look forward to exploring the SOMA district in the coming weeks, making new friends and finding new places to hang out.

Our phone number and email are still the same, and we still have our “open door” policy. If you are in the neighborhood, come by and say hi – we’d love to show you around Stage Two and our new neighborhood.

The Top Ten Creepy Stalker Songs To Put In Your Creepy Stalker iOS Device

Yesterday the news broke that Apple iOS devices have been secretly tracking and storing their movements for over a year. Privacy advocates, tech pundits and even politicians got involved almost immediately. We thought we would get in on the media maelstrom and offer a slightly different take on these revelations.

Here, then, are our top ten creepy stalker songs to play on your creepy stalker iOS device.

10. Every Breath You Take – The Police

9. I Will Posses Your Heart – Death Cab For Cutie

8. #1 Crush – Garbage

7. I Love You . . . I’ll Kill You – Enigma

6. You Belong To Me – Carly Simon

5. My Best Friend’s Girl – The Cars

4. Protect Ya Neck – Wu-Tang Clan

3. I Will Follow – U2

2. Sunglasses at Night – Corey Hart

1. Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley

Evoz Baby Monitoring Service Covered in TechCrunch

TechCrunch posted a great article on new Stage Two client Evoz today. Robin Wauters, an expecting father himself, got a live demo of the Evoz baby monitoring service from Avishai Shoham, the founder of the firm. Robin’s thoughts?

“The verdict? It’s freaking amazing.”

Quoting from TechCrunch:

Imagine if you had an iPhone or iPod touch to spare, and that you’d simply install it in a charger in your young child’s room like you would any baby monitor.

Now imagine that an always-on application installed on the device would let you call in from anywhere in the world to hear how your baby is sleeping (or exactly how hard he or she is crying, or if you’re lucky, laughing or playing). Imagine that you could also opt to receive ‘quiet’ alerts by SMS or email whenever your kid cries for longer than, say, 5 minutes, so you can give the babysitter a quick call to see what’s up after e.g. a meeting or dinner . . . Evoz lets you do all that, and more.

As both Stage Two founders are recent parents themselves, they know the value of a state of the art baby monitoring service. “I have wanted digital baby monitoring since I had my first kid,” said Jeremy Toeman. “RF baby monitors have been outdated since the 70’s. I’m already using this in my house with my newborn.”

We are proud to work with Avishai and the entire Evoz team.

Parents with children under 18 months old and 2 iOS devices are encouraged to sign up for the Beta here.

Why Usability Matters: A Nokia Post Mortem

Andrew Orlowski has a detailed article in The Register that looks at why Nokia’s mobile ecosystem failed. It wasn’t because their Symbian software was faulty (the article states that Symbian devices actually performed better than others in terms of signal strength and battery life). According to the article, Symbian died because it lacked usability. Quoting from the page:

Nokia’s phones were considered uncompetitive in the marketplace, because new products from Apple and Android had raised the bar for ease of use, particularly for new data applications, and Nokia’s user experience was awful.

The UX matters: it’s the first thing potential customers see when a friend passes them their new phone in the pub. A well-designed UX is consistent, forgiving and rewarding; Nokia’s user experience was inconsistent, unforgiving and hostile.

This last point is especially salient. Apple’s focus on usability and user experience is one of the reasons they have been so successful with devices like the iPad 2. In order to succeed, device makers must deliver well designed products with great UX.

GigaOm delivered their own Symbian autopsy in which ex-Nokia designer Adam Greenfield stated that the cause of death was lack of taste. “There’s nobody with any taste in the decision-making echelons at Nokia,” he writes. Steve Jobs has made similar comments about a lack of taste in the tech sector in the past. Tasteful design and desirable user experiences matter more to consumers than hardware specs and processing power.

While UX is certainly a critical component of successful product development, we see another key factor that led to Nokia abandoning their mobile ecosystem – the rise of 3G and constantly connected devices. In our opinion, Nokia (and Palm, for that matter) got into trouble early in the 3G adoption curve. The company built a bevy of brilliant feature phones up until the 3G paradigm shift, but once technologies like email and mobile web arrived, Nokia failed to adapt in the ways consumers wanted. Its operating system could not handle these newer features and the entire platform stagnated. Eventually, the OS fell too far behind the rest of the market to save it. When people examine the end of the Symbian ecosystem, usability issues will certainly come up.

Great usability must work in concert with a nimble, adaptive corporation that can respond to (and hopefully initiate) tech trends. And this – by the way – is how Apple could one day fail. If a paradigm shift occurs outside Cupertino and Apple fails to pay attention to it, they could move quickly from market leader to tech laggard. As a final aside, placing widgets on homescreens is not something we consider a paradigm shift (hint, hint, Android). When a real computing sea change happens, the winners will be the companies that recognize it and react swiftly.