NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Karen Post, CEO
Cell: 713-828-0691, Office: 912-898-0408

Oddpodz Launches Beta Site Powering Creative Professionals and Business
With a New Creative Idea EngineSM

Oddpodz is not another social network, career/job brokerage platform, or lowest-cost project bidding site. Oddpodz is introducing an online destination called the Idea EngineSM that connects buyers of creative services with trusted providers, and offers educational content and a platform for creative collaboration.

JULY 16, 2008, SAVANNAH, GA—Oddpodz released its new creative Idea EngineSM platform to a Beta community today. This new site represents a transformation from a pure online social network for creatives to a business-to-business property serving the $300 billion creative services marketplace.

Web 2.0 and user-generated content is dramatically changing the way creatives and creative service organizations market themselves, are accessed and evaluated, and procure new clients. Oddpodz is leveraging technology and online marketing to bring these creative buyers and sellers together in an educational, inspiring, and interactive environment called a creative Idea Engine. The Idea Engine brings collaboration, content, and connections to one place for creative professionals and business.

After making a very costly choice with one of their key creative service providers, Oddpodz realized that finding the right creative talent and resources in an efficient, comprehensive way was far too difficult and risky. Lack of know-how and experience in a vendor selection process and choosing a provider that is not a good fit for the project can severely and negatively impact a business’s future or a product’s market success. Through learning this costly lesson first-hand came the clear new strategy, purpose and offering for Oddpodz.

Currently, locating trusted creative resources online can be a grueling and unfruitful process. The majority of top search engine results can be irrelevant if a buyer does not know what type of service provider they need. Sponsored search results may be even less appropriate as they are generated from paid words and sponsors—not the best provider for the task at hand. Additionally, many super talented professionals and companies still don’t have strong Web presences, so creative buyers can’t truly evaluate their work or find specialty providers. Oddpodz would like to bridge the gap between buyers and sellers of creative services and help foster productive business relationships.

Oddpodz first launched in June of 2007 as a basic social network for creative people. Despite its course corrections, it has attracted thousands of members and ambassadors from around the world including entrepreneurs, creative and diverse industry professionals, students, and educators.

“We’ve learned a lot from the market and our journey. Creatives and those working with creative companies told us that just socializing online is not enough for busy, creative professionals. Conversations, collaboration, content, and connections to advance creative ideas, careers, and business interests are key to active online engagement,” explained Karen Post, CEO of Oddpodz. “We’ve regrouped and are confident we have something that was not being provided to the professional creative market. Creative services and industries are huge markets. This market includes everything from marketing and advertising to packaging, broadcast products, publishing, and new product design. While there are fragmented offerings to find creative resources, talent and content, most do not offer ways to validate the service provider, or screen for specialized expertise; nor do they provide complimentary content, tools, and features to further generate new creative ideas and creative work.

In January, Oddpodz engaged Wyndstorm Corporation, a Washington, DC-based social media technology and online marketing firm, to partner on the rebuild. “We’ve been very happy with their leadership and creative problem solving,” Post said. “The July Beta test is just the beginning of our creative Idea Engine. Our development is being launched in phased modules. Our vision is to be the Web’s most important destination for buying and selling of creative services. Our initial focus is on the Marketing/communications niche. That’s where the founders came from and we understand this space. Soon we will add a resources marketplace and content to cover a grander universe of creative sectors like film, fashion, and architecture.

Oddpodz, LLC was founded in January 2006 by entrepreneurs Karen Post and Jocelyn Ring. Karen is an international branding expert, consultant and speaker. She has been featured in a broad range of media outlets; including Bloomberg TV, CBS Early Show, The New York Times, The New York Post, NPR, Fast Company, and The Boston Globe, and her writing is published internationally, including a column for FastCompany.com. She is also the author of Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds (AMACOM). Jocelyn a former investment banker and brand strategy consultant.

NEWS RELEASE
Oddpodz.com
Contact: Karen Post, CEO
Cell: 713-828-0691, Office: 912-898-0408