By Annette Zwald
For WisBusiness.com
MADISON – Joe Plasterer knows “new media.” He helped develop Sonic Foundry’s first $1 million account, MediaSite, and he hasn’t stopped thinking about other innovative ways to crack media markets.
Desktop Media Channels, Plasterer’s latest idea, may be the solution to reaching potential and current customers as segmented audiences and changing media channels pose a continually complex and ever-changing problem. According to Plasterer, Desktop Media Channels also offer communication with “the 20 percent of consumers that do 80 percent of your business, similar to a VIP pass for passionate fans at a concert.”
Traditional media markets such as radio and television can be difficult advertising mediums in today’s busy world. As new technologies like satellite radio and digital television recording devices change these markets, reaching the target audience can be that much harder.
Websites are useful, but using even opt-in e-mail to direct customers to sites can be difficult with the use of spam filters in e-mail accounts.
As a result, many companies find they need to spend more in media dollars to reach the same number of customers.
A company launched by Plasterer, Brainfruit, may have a solution to this increasingly complex problem. Developed to cope with the ever-changing market, Brainfruit offers a downloadable application, similar to Apple’s iTunes or Microsoft’s Outlook. Since a customer must personally download the channel, consent only needs to be given for that download, not for subsequent contacts. This also eliminates the need for potential customers to go through the hassle of repeatedly visiting a company’s website since any new information is available directly on the desktop. According to Plasterer, “it offers an escape for the consumer and a communication tool for the company.”
The Desktop Media Channel created by Brainfruit is a branded desktop application that the company says will provide functionality that outweighs most websites. Companies want to drive traffic to their websites to increase viewership and revenue streams. This is a tool to accomplish those objectives without making customers go through the extra step of opening a browser. A Desktop Media Channel can offer all sorts of content such as blogs, news, pictures, videos, sales offers, and other relevant information on demand.
Plasterer, Dan LaValley, Lars Nilsson and Tamara Bernadot head up the company, and they collectively bring more than 100 years of experience in the technology and startup sectors. Brainfruit presented during the Elevator Pitch Olympics at the 2008 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium. This annual contest is judged by investors familiar with start-up and early-growth stages of high-tech businesses.
“If the current customer base can be captured and made aware of other services and products available through a company they already trust, sales for these companies would increase dramatically,” Plasterer said. “The team at Brainfruit understands this and with our goal of 1 million desktops, we hope to build strong relationships between brands and customers.”
— Zwald is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.
