SocialNotions, Inc.

SocialNotion, Inc. is a marketing strategy and social media company. We basically do three things:

1. Marketing & Social Media Strategic Services

We help brands figure out what to do with social media and how to measure the effect its having on key business metrics. So much of what companies are doing with social media these days amounts to nothing more than random experimentation. We apply a robust marketing-based approach, validated across verticals and with some of America's largest brands, to help our clients first understand their audience's interests and online behavior, then design tactics they'll respond to, and only then make social medium and platform selections. We also design and implement social analytics frameworks that allow our clients to track the progress of their efforts and make course corrections based on their learnings.

 

 2.  Semantic Social Media Software for the Identification of Latent Social Networks

We believe that the real power of social graphs for marketers and brands lies in the weak ties and loose connections that are frequently ignored. Non-obvious or serendipitous connections between seemingly unrelated members of the sociosphere, when identified, can serve as a powerful marketing tool. 

We are building an influence engine for the sports and entertainment industry that will allow brands to find and influence specific audiences based on the brands' specific marketing needs.The technology is based on Complex Adaptive Systems algorithms and semantic web technologies.

 

3. Social Media Profile Setup & Maintenance

 

For those small and medium sized businesses that would like a social media presence, but are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the concepts/technology, we offer a managed service that includes some initial marketing consulting services, platform selection services, profile setup, monthly profile management and analytics review sessions. 

 

Devon Ferreira, Founder & CEO

 

Devon arrived in the USA in 1997 - fresh off the boat from South Africa - with a full-ride scholarship, two suitcases and nowhere to sleep the night. Since then, he’s applied his analytical and creative sensibilities, along with a common-sense understanding of what consumers want, to help marquee brands across the globe take advantage of new developments in marketing and operations.

In doing so, he’s helped companies in fields as diverse as apparel, consumer goods, media & entertainment, manufacturing, and financial services improve the way they connect and interact with consumers, employees and partners. Devon and and his work have featured in Business Week, Fox Business News, CNET, Portfolio and several other tier one publications 

Prior to founding SocialNotions, Devon was a Senior Principal with a global major consulting company, where he led their social media and digital marketing consulting team.  In this role, he has oversaw the development of social media applications for consumer and brand marketing across industries, and was tasked with developing cogent strategies and feasible business models for social media for global 1000 clients.

Devon also has experience working in an advisory capacity with start-up and early stage companies in the consumer experience and social media space, and serves as an advisor to venture capital and private equity firms. His specialties include:  creative strategy, consumer marketing, digital strategy, multi-channel commerce, experience design, interactive marketing, Web2.0, social media , social commerce, persona-centric design, personalization, marketing strategy and analysis, strategic process redesign, operations optimization, supply chain management and RFID.

Devon’s a former Fulbright scholar, and attended the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) on a Fellowship, where he earned a Masters degree in engineering.  Devon is currently a student of the Executive MBA program at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, where he focuses on Marketing and Entrepreneurship

Devon is a certified assistant instructor in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, and is a volunteer at LA-based studio Ekata Martial Arts, where he assists in applying martial arts philosophy and techniques to help children with diagnosed attention-deficit problems.

 

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Sagar Jethani, VP Marketing Strategy

 

Sagar lives and breathes marketing and social media. As lead marketing strategist for SocialNotions, he’s responsible for translating our clients vision and goals into tangible marketing tactics.

His career in digital marketing and social media spans product development, creative, customer service and e-commerce. His work has been featured in Business Week, The New York Times, TechCrunch, and a variety of film and TV outlets. His experience has immersed him in fields as varied as social networking, entertainment, manufacturing, and consumer electronics.

Before joining SocialNotions, Sagar was the executive responsible for all content at MySpace. In this role, he oversaw site content in order to improve user experience and drive engagement. To accomplish this, he managed a team of 150 employees in addition to two offshore vendors. He was involved in the development of products such as MySpaceTV, the Open Social application platform, and MySpace Local, the company’s entrée into local business advertising. Sagar also managed the largest of the company’s Fortune 500 clients, including Toyota, Warner Brothers, MTV, and Coca Cola. On his watch, MySpace were able to reduce the amount of unwanted site content down to an impressive 0.2%.

Prior to MySpace, Sagar worked with companies in the e-commerce, consumer electronics, and telecom sectors, always focusing on improving consumer experience. While at PriceGrabber.com, he launched several new products, including thematic shopping guides, new product verticals, and social shopping features. He also designed and led customer service teams for clients such as Ceiva Logic and Sunshine Products, reducing customer attrition rates by over 50% in several cases.

Originally from Chicago, Jethani attended Loyola University, where, in addition to founding several student organizations, he earned Bachelor’s degrees with honors in philosophy and political science. He later studied recording engineering and film music in Los Angeles under such industry veterans as Scott Smalley, Robert Drasnin, and Jeffrey Schindler. Sagar is also a music industry entrepreneur, and founded production company Bluescreen Music, whose clients include Kal Penn, Omar Epps, The Walt Disney Company, and Suzanna Hoffs.

Sagar is currently enrolled in the Executive MBA program at UCLA Anderson School of Management, with a focus on Marketing. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, twin boys, and 85-lb black lab. He occasionally sleeps.

 

 

Three revenue streams:

1. Strategic Services billed on standard consulting basis (T&M, Capped T&M, Fixed Price); Typical Dea Size: $75k - $225k

2. Managed Service fees  billed on monthly basis for contract period of 6-12 months; Typical Contract Value: $3k - $6k

3. IP monetization model under construction; Possible models include managed service contracts, reach-based revenue or deal participation

Semantic-based algorithms for identifying latent serendipitous networks - have a 3yr headstart and a fully functional platform currently being implemented by one of the country's largest grocery retailers. 

Contacts in the sports and entertainment industry are unrivalled.

Will have three referenceable implementations complete in Fall 2009