About
Brand Strategist & Ideator; Patent Strategist; Patent Broker (with Chuck Cortright); Negotiation Expert
Patent Claims Construction -Strategy-Brokerage
Position, package and broker the sale of patent portfolios (with Chuck Cortright). Our motto is "Maximum Patent Monetization" achieved through a focused, strategic approach to maximize value and minimize risk and buttressed by personal relationships with key patent buyers, NPEs, and the like.
Consult personally on patent strategy, including claims construction. Co-author on various patents (co-inventor) in the field of Internet security shortly to be published.
Corporate -Brand Strategy - Creative Destructionist
There's plenty of conventional wisdom to go around. Which is why I don't offer any.
Being a direct, no-holds-barred East Coast guy from NJ who combines intellectual heft with street smarts, I tell you what you need to know -- not necessarily what you want to hear -- and how to fix it.
Fact is, like the original immigrants approaching the Statue of Liberty, many brand and communication strategies are tired and poor, huddled masses of platitudes yearning to be transformed into something evocative, compelling and great. Something that "hits 'em right between the eyes."
That's what Creative Destruction is and that's what great companies and brands are about. They're not incrementalist successes, but direct challenges to the conventional wisdom and the status quo. If you're getting there, I can help. If you're lost in the muddle of consensus and old ideas, I can help you break out of it and give you the veritable "shock to the system."
Whether you're a technology or CPG senior-level exec or an agency CD, if you want provocative ideas, evocative brands, words and messages that sing and either a new strategy that brings it all into place or a go-forward assessment of your existing strategy, reach out to me today:
Specialties include: Strategy, ideation, creative direction, problem solving, branding, positioning, naming, marketing program development & execution, complex business negotiations, patent brokerage, patent strategy, acting CEO/CMO. Industries: Technology, cloud, software, social media, services, and mobile (B2B and B2C), CPG (high-end foods and beverages, automotive aftermarket).
Work history
Principal
The Brand Mason
August 2001 – Present (13 years 3 months)
Acting and part-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO); brand and corporate strategy for emerging growth companies and startups; big data meta-analytics; corporate & product naming; corporate communications; go-to-market strategies; change management; CEO coaching; executive speechwriting.
Industries include: cloud computing, application-defined networking (ADN); application performance SLAs; social gaming; mobile services, enterprise software; organic food, nutrition and retail grocery; car care products; forensic accounting; and medical devices.
• Develop complete brand personalities for companies, products and services. Create names, taglines and messaging.
• Develop corporate strategies to launch new product lines. Execute creative marketing and PR campaigns. Write, edit and review business, marketing and strategic plans for presentation to venture capitalists.
• Direct all marketing communications. Ensure consistent messaging across all media. Conduct media training; hire/manage outside design and PR firms; serve as corporate spokesperson.
• Provide creative direction and copywriting for packaging, labels, POP displays, video scripts, websites, print advertisements, brochures and other corporate communications.
Principal
Liquid Patents
January 2010 – Present (4 years 10 months)
Primarily for individual inventors and entrepreneurs as well as for companies looking to monetize their patent portfolio, we package and position your portfolio -- this includes the preparation of claim charts. We create the deck and any other materials required and present them to qualified buyers, with whom we maintain numerous close relationships. We handle all phases of negotiation through to closing.
Advisor
Poker Trip Enterprises
July 2012 – Present (2 years 4 months) Las Vegas, Nevada Area
Generalist
Mentor
Cleantech Open
April 2012 – Present (2 years 7 months) United States
Mentor and Advisor To Cleantech Open CEOs
VP, Marketing
WorldChain
2000 – 2001 (1 year)
During my tenure as an executive and a consultant, the company doubled in size. Achievements:
• Built marketing department from the ground up. Created and executed go-to-market strategy. Three months later, led successful product launch.
• Participated in due diligence for $32M “B” round.
• Budgeted, justified, and controlled multi-million dollar marketing budget.
• Worked with CFO on key investment-related events and presentations.
• Identified new vertical markets and developed penetration strategies and value propositions for them.
• Rebranded and relaunched website.
Before any new customer or product announcements, secured articles in Wall Street Journal, Industry Standard (twice), Upside Today, Private Equity Week, Red Herring, Electronic Buyers’ News, Internet Week, Business Now TV, eWeek, Information Week, Industry Week, Line56 and more.Obtained keynote address for CEO at Line56Live! invited presentation for him at Technologic Partners’ conference.
VP, Marketing
Tonbu
March 2000 – September 2000 (7 months)
Assembled and led marketing team to fix strategic, branding,
media, competitive and market focus issues, which had forced it to compete against multibillion-dollar giants. Reinvented every aspect of corporate communications, earning the company significant recognition from the media and analysts. Achievements:
• Rebranded firm and served as its primary evangelist and spokesperson.
• Helped to close company’s first multimillion-dollar customer.
• Got company named to Managing Automation’s Top 25 Companies to Watch and getting its software listed by Aberdeen Research as a Top 10 C-Commerce Application.
• Led renaming initiative to replace interEMS.com (Tonbu is the Mandarin word for “collaboration”).
• Won company’s admission to Upside Magazine’s Launch event and won 2nd place for best demo at the event.
• Interviewed by Business Week, Voice of America, Industry Week and Fast Company.
• Chief contract negotiator, including a multi-million dollar licensing agreement.
VP, E-Business Solutions
Harte-Hanks Data Technologies
January 1999 – December 1999 (1 year)
Customers included consumer giants in financial services, automotive, retail, and technology. Charter was to transform the company’s non-web applications so they integrated customer data from web-based and traditional touchpoints. Also developed alliances, evangelized the company’s new Internet focus within company’s multiple divisions, worked with sales to redefine the value proposition and developed marketing requirements. Achievements:
• Architected and championed the company’s E-Business, Internet and product strategy.
• Performed extensive due diligence on acquisition candidates.
• Appointed corporate representative on industry-wide Internet standards organization about consumer privacy.
• Chaired intellectual property committee, andappointed to the nationwide CPEX marketing committee.
• Quoted as expert on CPEX in Forbes’ Digital, Investors’ Business Daily, and Information Week.
• Co-Chaired company’s Internet Task Force.
• Member, Divisional Strategy Task Force.
Strategy & Communications Consultant
Alchemy Group
August 1994 – December 1999 (5 years 5 months)
• Clients included Ogilvy & Mather Direct (IBM), Symbios Logic (PCMCIA & RAID), QSS (Requirements Management) and Surety Technologies (Internet security/digital notarization).
• Built alliances and closed major accounts for multiple clients
• Developed go-to-market strategies and launched new products into verticals.
• Recommended and implemented business, change management, and negotiation strategies.
• Developed/reviewed numerous business and marketing plans.
• Landed $10.5M from Battery Ventures for QSS, Inc. (sold in 2000 for $115M).
• Additional assignments involved organizational development, corporate & product strategy, lead generation, strategic partnering, public relations, sales (6- and 7-figure deals) and complex contract negotiations.
• Garnered substantial media and analyst coverage for multiple clients, even in the days before dot-com hype. In 2 months, press coverage caused Fortune 1000 CFOs and CEOs to call one client unsolicited.
