Tuesday, January 27, 2009 11:08:27 AM
The Platinum Gazette January 2009
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
A message from Brian Altounian
FEATURED PROPERTY
BEN HOGAN “REANIMATED”
IT CAME FROM CONTENT DEVELOPMENT!
Monthly update from our very own Content Development Department
INTERVIEW WITH A CREATOR
HOT CURSES AND COLD GUNNERS
An interview with Jorge Vega, creator of Gunplay
CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT REPORT
OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH
CORPORATE GIFTING – WOWIO “WOWS”
Velveteen Rabbit jumps through the holidays
_______________________________________
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
ON THE LAUNCHING PAD:
COUNTDOWN 2009
In the beginning of 2008, we were looking forward to going public on the Over-the-Counter market, with the anticipation of raising growth capital as needed to build Platinum Studios into a world-class entertainment company. Looking back on the year, already considered to be the beginning of the worst economic crisis in the US in 60 years, it was not an easy road, even though there were many highlights. Raising capital in a declining market proved extremely difficult. As you have seen, our own stock price has suffered in concert with the broader market. We strongly maintain that the current stock price is more reflective of the general sell-off in the market than of the fundamentals of the company. And as we look forward to 2009, we are more excited about our progress than at any other time in our company’s history.
This week will mark the close of financing and the formal start of pre-production on our feature film, Dead of Night, based on the Italian comic character, Dylan Dog, a project you have all been following through our press releases and SEC filings. Think of the story as a cross between James Bond and Underworld — Dylan is a private investigator who is reluctantly dragged into a fight between zombies, werewolves and vampires. Like most Hollywood film projects, this film has seen many starts and stops. To expedite the process of closing the financing, Platinum Studios has taken over the production entity responsible for producing the film. In a down economy and with banks and other financiers sitting on the sidelines of Hollywood, we think it says a lot about our tenacity and capability that we will soon be in production on our own film from our own IP library, for which we have secured outside, independent financing. We expect to begin principal photography in New Orleans next month, with an anticipated release of Spring 2010. This is very exciting for us.
In other news, Cowboys & Aliens is still on track for a 2009 start and Atlantis Rising is expected to follow quickly on its heels, so our relationship with Dreamworks continues to be a source of tremendous pride for the company. Additionally, look for press releases over the next few weeks as we continue to move forward on finalizing other television and film projects.
On the financing front, despite some hesitancy in the overall market, we continue to engage in conversations with various parties interested in providing capital of some level and we hope to have some progress to formally report before the end of the current quarter.
After the tough year just completed, we are eagerly and anxiously looking forward to what we feel will be a “launch-pad” year for Platinum Studios. Thank you all for your support and faith — we hope 2009 will be a great year for all of us.
Brian Altounian
President & COO
FEATURED PROPERTY
BEN HOGAN “REANIMATED”
Platinum Studios partners with McTee’s Champions LLC to bring a classic book to life.
Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf by Ben Hogan is one of the most famous books ever written about the game of golf. The PGA Professional’s Guide recently called it “a landmark instruction book… the Holy Grail to generations of golfers.” Originally released in March, 1957 as a series of articles in Sports Illustrated, the Five Lessons were collected in book form and published later that same year. It is currently in its 64th printing, having sold over 10,000,000 copies to date worldwide. Now Platinum is partnering to bring the 20th century classic squarely into the new millennium, using advanced motion-capture technology to make Ben Hogan’s flawless swing come to life.
“It’s a dream project for me,” states Platinum’s Senior Story Editor, Dave Collins. “I first read Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons when I took up the game at 12 years-old. Hogan’s no-nonsense yet engaging narrative, coupled with Anthony Ravielli’s amazing illustrations, left an indelible impact. To me it is more than just a book about golf. It is a guide on how to approach life.”
Platinum Studios and McTee’s Champions LLC will combine their efforts to make an interactive DVD from Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons. Each lesson will be broken down into individual chapters, using 3-D technology to create 360 degree views of computer generated images based on the Ravielli drawings. A celebrity narrator will introduce the DVD, using Ben Hogan’s own words to teach viewers of every age and ability to become better golfers. Platinum Studios and McTee’s Champions will co-own this ground-breaking new product.
Collins promises, “It will be the best thing for your golf game since the mulligan.”
It Came From Content Development!
Monthly update from our very own Content Development Department
As hinted at in last month’s newsletter, we’d like to take this opportunity to announce an exciting new comic series that Platinum will be publishing in print form in 2009, in an electrifying new format. Legendary writer Christopher James Priest, of BLACK PANTHER and QUANTUM & WOODY fame, returns to comics in 2009 with 1999, an ambitious 4-in-1 super-hero anthology consisting of four distinct comics set in a shared universe: Crimson, Eddie X, The Zionist, and the eponymous over-arcing series, 1999.
Priest describes the series as “the film Crash with super-heroes,” with every issue containing four individual storylines, each revealing mysteries and plot points about the other tales. The stories ultimately intersect at a shared event that ties the four main characters together as they face a looming threat. The stories encompass a wide range of cultural and ethnic conflicts, the series spanning a ten-year period in the U.S., South Korea and Israel. Genres include urban crime/mystery (1999), Manga-style martial arts action (Crimson), medical drama (Eddie X), and political/religious conflicts (The Zionist). The themes focus on the essential nature of family.
Written in prose form with illustrations by top industry talent, 1999 will be a six-issue series beginning in Fall, 2009, presented in a unique "pulp fiction" format of 6x9 saddle stitch, 64 pages, black & white newsprint with full color plates on gloss-coated stock for a special low price.
Platinum had the privilege of working with Christopher Priest just recently, when he penned the “dime store novel” segment of its 2008 Comic Book Challenge winner Gunplay. Priest is one of the few writers that has written for nearly every big name character in the comics universe. From Spiderman to Batman to Green Lantern, Priest has had a hand in shaping each and every one of their histories. We’re very, very excited to be working with him on such an amazing project.
Interview with a creator
HOT CURSES AND COLD GUNNERS
An interview with Jorge Vega: Creator of Gunplay
Coming out on top over submissions from 37 countries, Jorge Vega won Platinum Studios’ “The Comic Book Challenge” 2007 with his evocative historical drama, Gunplay. The comic book writer is based out of Brockton, MA, where he lives with his wife, two children, and very large dog.
Gunplay is the haunting, bullet-riddled tale of Abner Meeks, a Buffalo Soldier condemned to roam the Old West with a hellish curse slung at his waist — a demonic shooting iron that forces him to kill once a day. Abner’s salvation lies in earning the trust of Finn, a young faith healer with an agonizing secret of his own.
Learn how a one-time cavalryman was ambushed by a fell gun and how an adolescent faith healer brought disaster to an entire community. Find out how two lonely adversaries transform into a team, and if a boy can become a moral compass for an accursed shootist or remain simply a lodestone. After reading about Jorge below, saddle up and ride under the blazing western sun with Abner and his sidekick at Wowio.com!
Where did you get your start in comics?
In a local candy store at age eleven. They happened to have a spinning rack of comics right next to the Lemonheads. Forced to choose between tooth decay and wild, space adventure… well, I bought my first comic and I'm 100% sure that my passion for storytelling would not be the same were it not for that moment. My start in writing comics didn't happen until muuuuuch later, when Marvel opened the "Epic" door for potential storytellers. In the end, I got rejected like scores of others, but I kept writing and developing relationships with artists and mailing out pitches. You've got to stick with it.
What do you predict for the future of comics? What are you most excited about? Concerned about?
I predict that less of it is going to be on paper and more of it will be online. I mean, there are zillions of webcomics out there. Some have been running for more than a decade, some exist for all of an hour before fizzling out — but, in both cases, the material remains accessible to readers for much longer than a typical cover-bound comic or graphic novel.
The future of comics is access. Characters, stories, universes... they need to be accessible to a whole new breed of readers. Readers who, after a couple of keystrokes, want to read, hear, even SPEAK the world of their most loved comics. Webcomics address that type of reader, and I don't think it'll be very long before that reader is our main audience.
Explain your creative space. What do you like or need to be surrounded with to be productive?
Much of my creative process is random. I like to get the ball rolling on ideas with creative brain-teasing games. For instance, Gunplay came about after I dumped a box full of haphazard images and quotes onto the floor and challenged myself to connect the disparate pieces into a single story. I don't need to go to any special place; no incense or scented candles... all I need is a computer. I can't write anything out by hand, but give me a computer, a semi-functional keyboard (I like nice loud clacks), and a little time and I'm all set.
Do you find others in this business helpful/inspirational? Explain your collaborative process.
I find talking and mulling ideas over with other folks in the business to be EXTREMELY helpful. Without getting too “Platinum cheerleader rah-rah-rah!” on you, I've found a ton of great, collaborative minds in the Platinum camp. I regularly pick the brains of Dave Collins (Gunplay editor), Dan Forcey (VP of Content Development), Jay Busbee (Incursion writer) and DJ Coffman (2006's CBC winner/creator of Hero By Night).
Growing up, what were your goals/dreams? How about now? What is your ultimate career goal?
Well, I wanted to be a submarine adventurer right up until junior high… so, in that sense, I'm a complete failure. Now that I’m all grown up, I'd like to make storytelling my nine to five. My day job’s great, but I’d love to not have to work writing time around my other responsibilities. Submarine adventurers don't wait until after 5PM to explore lost underwater cities and scantily clad mermaid cultures. They scream "DiveDiveDIVE!" and plunge in. That's where I want to be.
Gunplay on Wowio
Corporate Development Department Report
As we enter a new year, the Corporate Development Department is steaming full speed ahead. Exciting things are happening throughout Platinum and as a result, we have lots of opportunities available. First and most exciting, Dead of Night, our big-screen adaptation of Dylan Dog, the Italian comic with over 70 million print units sold, is expected to close financing within the next week. The comic property is so popular that some of the licensing opportunities in Italy have already been contracted. Currently, we are looking for licensees domestically and in Asia, and we still have numerous licensing availabilities in Europe. In addition, we will have product placement opportunities available, in particular for apparel, shoes, vehicles, household cleaning products and other grocery items. We’re very excited about the possibilities offered by this fantastic script!
In another development, Platinum has been chosen to produce the CGI animated version of Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons – The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. This “bible” for the golfing world is anticipated to be ready for home video/DVD/Blu-ray distribution by Christmas of ’09. We have sponsorship and possible product placement opportunities currently available. Platinum’s President, Brian Altounian, has stated that Platinum will be “very selective” in who receives the sponsorship opportunities, as Ben Hogan was one of the greatest to ever play the game and it is Platinum’s responsibility to maintain the highest level of excellence in teaming up with quality companies in relation to the property.
And finally, we are trying to get the word out on how easy corporate gifting is with the WOWIO corporate gifting program. Green, inexpensive and flexible, the program has proven to be one of our greatest offerings to the marketing and PR communities. Read our article below, which describes how we were able to send out over 1,500 holiday gifts in under a week and with mind-blowing cost savings.
All in all, busy and exciting times for the Corporate Development Department this early 2009.
OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH
CORPORATE GIFTING – WOWIO “WOWS”
The Velveteen Rabbit jumps through the holidays
It was just a few months ago when I joined Platinum Studios to head up the Corporate Development Department. One of my first tasks was to get out the word to corporations and their respective marketing, PR and advertising providers about considering our newly acquired WOWIO e-book distribution platform as a great way to provide cost effective and green corporate gifting programs. Fast forward to December, I had to figure out how Platinum’s holiday card and corporate gift program was going to address the holidays. Despite the disastrous economy of 2008, I wanted to really wow our many friends and colleagues with the power of our optimism for the coming year. I decided to put our money where our mouth was, and send out both a gift and a card to our friends and colleagues while meeting our cost cutting requirements in these economically challenging times.
At first I was concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get our gifting project together quickly enough for the holidays, as it was already the second week of December when I finally decided to go the WOWIO e-book route. Brian Altounian, our President, assured me that the process would be easy and the result effective.
The first step was to decide what book we were going to send our friends. While we could have sent several different books or even let the recipients chose from the over 1,000 choices, we determined that the book which would bring our friends the most joy and infuse them with the spirit of the holidays would be the Margery Williams classic The Velveteen Rabbit.
We shipped our list of recipients to our WOWIO offices in Texas and a few days later, over 2,000 FREE e-books were sent out. What a terrific response we got! Here are some of the comments we received:
“Just a note to say thank you so much for the gift! We don't have The Velveteen Rabbit and I'm excited to read it to the kids. You rock!!!”
“Most charming gift. Thanks so much.”
“Thanks for the WOWIO Velveteen Rabbit ebook — what a clever idea! Go Platinum Studios!”
“This is absolutely terrific! I want to know more about Platinum Studios.”
We were thrilled by the number of responses we received like those above. The entire process took less than a week and had we been paying ourselves for the program it would have cost us around a $5,000. When I compared this with a similar gifting program revolving around the traditional corporate gifts I realized that we saved over $20,000!
The Velveteen Rabbit proved to be a corporate gift that was green, led to an 80% reduction in our corporate gifting expense and the whole program took less than a week from inception to execution. I can’t wait for next year’s great send out!
Mark Burton
Director of Corporate Development
If you are interested in learning more about our WOWIO Corporate Gifting Program, please contact Mark Burton at Platinum Studios.
Contact Platinum Studios:
Public Relations
(310)807-8100
Licensing & Business Development
Mark Burton
(310)807-8119
Wowio Sponsors & Corporate Gifting
Mark Burton
(310)807-8119
Investor Requests
Thomas Becker
(702)478-7363
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Platinum Studios Safe Harbor Statement
Matters discussed in this newsletter contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Although expected, actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of Platinum Studios and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting Platinum Studios and its operations; its markets, products, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently, and other factors detailed in reports filed by Platinum Studios with the SEC.
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
A message from Brian Altounian
FEATURED PROPERTY
BEN HOGAN “REANIMATED”
IT CAME FROM CONTENT DEVELOPMENT!
Monthly update from our very own Content Development Department
INTERVIEW WITH A CREATOR
HOT CURSES AND COLD GUNNERS
An interview with Jorge Vega, creator of Gunplay
CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT REPORT
OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH
CORPORATE GIFTING – WOWIO “WOWS”
Velveteen Rabbit jumps through the holidays
_______________________________________
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
ON THE LAUNCHING PAD:
COUNTDOWN 2009
In the beginning of 2008, we were looking forward to going public on the Over-the-Counter market, with the anticipation of raising growth capital as needed to build Platinum Studios into a world-class entertainment company. Looking back on the year, already considered to be the beginning of the worst economic crisis in the US in 60 years, it was not an easy road, even though there were many highlights. Raising capital in a declining market proved extremely difficult. As you have seen, our own stock price has suffered in concert with the broader market. We strongly maintain that the current stock price is more reflective of the general sell-off in the market than of the fundamentals of the company. And as we look forward to 2009, we are more excited about our progress than at any other time in our company’s history.
This week will mark the close of financing and the formal start of pre-production on our feature film, Dead of Night, based on the Italian comic character, Dylan Dog, a project you have all been following through our press releases and SEC filings. Think of the story as a cross between James Bond and Underworld — Dylan is a private investigator who is reluctantly dragged into a fight between zombies, werewolves and vampires. Like most Hollywood film projects, this film has seen many starts and stops. To expedite the process of closing the financing, Platinum Studios has taken over the production entity responsible for producing the film. In a down economy and with banks and other financiers sitting on the sidelines of Hollywood, we think it says a lot about our tenacity and capability that we will soon be in production on our own film from our own IP library, for which we have secured outside, independent financing. We expect to begin principal photography in New Orleans next month, with an anticipated release of Spring 2010. This is very exciting for us.
In other news, Cowboys & Aliens is still on track for a 2009 start and Atlantis Rising is expected to follow quickly on its heels, so our relationship with Dreamworks continues to be a source of tremendous pride for the company. Additionally, look for press releases over the next few weeks as we continue to move forward on finalizing other television and film projects.
On the financing front, despite some hesitancy in the overall market, we continue to engage in conversations with various parties interested in providing capital of some level and we hope to have some progress to formally report before the end of the current quarter.
After the tough year just completed, we are eagerly and anxiously looking forward to what we feel will be a “launch-pad” year for Platinum Studios. Thank you all for your support and faith — we hope 2009 will be a great year for all of us.
Brian Altounian
President & COO
FEATURED PROPERTY
BEN HOGAN “REANIMATED”
Platinum Studios partners with McTee’s Champions LLC to bring a classic book to life.
Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf by Ben Hogan is one of the most famous books ever written about the game of golf. The PGA Professional’s Guide recently called it “a landmark instruction book… the Holy Grail to generations of golfers.” Originally released in March, 1957 as a series of articles in Sports Illustrated, the Five Lessons were collected in book form and published later that same year. It is currently in its 64th printing, having sold over 10,000,000 copies to date worldwide. Now Platinum is partnering to bring the 20th century classic squarely into the new millennium, using advanced motion-capture technology to make Ben Hogan’s flawless swing come to life.
“It’s a dream project for me,” states Platinum’s Senior Story Editor, Dave Collins. “I first read Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons when I took up the game at 12 years-old. Hogan’s no-nonsense yet engaging narrative, coupled with Anthony Ravielli’s amazing illustrations, left an indelible impact. To me it is more than just a book about golf. It is a guide on how to approach life.”
Platinum Studios and McTee’s Champions LLC will combine their efforts to make an interactive DVD from Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons. Each lesson will be broken down into individual chapters, using 3-D technology to create 360 degree views of computer generated images based on the Ravielli drawings. A celebrity narrator will introduce the DVD, using Ben Hogan’s own words to teach viewers of every age and ability to become better golfers. Platinum Studios and McTee’s Champions will co-own this ground-breaking new product.
Collins promises, “It will be the best thing for your golf game since the mulligan.”
It Came From Content Development!
Monthly update from our very own Content Development Department
As hinted at in last month’s newsletter, we’d like to take this opportunity to announce an exciting new comic series that Platinum will be publishing in print form in 2009, in an electrifying new format. Legendary writer Christopher James Priest, of BLACK PANTHER and QUANTUM & WOODY fame, returns to comics in 2009 with 1999, an ambitious 4-in-1 super-hero anthology consisting of four distinct comics set in a shared universe: Crimson, Eddie X, The Zionist, and the eponymous over-arcing series, 1999.
Priest describes the series as “the film Crash with super-heroes,” with every issue containing four individual storylines, each revealing mysteries and plot points about the other tales. The stories ultimately intersect at a shared event that ties the four main characters together as they face a looming threat. The stories encompass a wide range of cultural and ethnic conflicts, the series spanning a ten-year period in the U.S., South Korea and Israel. Genres include urban crime/mystery (1999), Manga-style martial arts action (Crimson), medical drama (Eddie X), and political/religious conflicts (The Zionist). The themes focus on the essential nature of family.
Written in prose form with illustrations by top industry talent, 1999 will be a six-issue series beginning in Fall, 2009, presented in a unique "pulp fiction" format of 6x9 saddle stitch, 64 pages, black & white newsprint with full color plates on gloss-coated stock for a special low price.
Platinum had the privilege of working with Christopher Priest just recently, when he penned the “dime store novel” segment of its 2008 Comic Book Challenge winner Gunplay. Priest is one of the few writers that has written for nearly every big name character in the comics universe. From Spiderman to Batman to Green Lantern, Priest has had a hand in shaping each and every one of their histories. We’re very, very excited to be working with him on such an amazing project.
Interview with a creator
HOT CURSES AND COLD GUNNERS
An interview with Jorge Vega: Creator of Gunplay
Coming out on top over submissions from 37 countries, Jorge Vega won Platinum Studios’ “The Comic Book Challenge” 2007 with his evocative historical drama, Gunplay. The comic book writer is based out of Brockton, MA, where he lives with his wife, two children, and very large dog.
Gunplay is the haunting, bullet-riddled tale of Abner Meeks, a Buffalo Soldier condemned to roam the Old West with a hellish curse slung at his waist — a demonic shooting iron that forces him to kill once a day. Abner’s salvation lies in earning the trust of Finn, a young faith healer with an agonizing secret of his own.
Learn how a one-time cavalryman was ambushed by a fell gun and how an adolescent faith healer brought disaster to an entire community. Find out how two lonely adversaries transform into a team, and if a boy can become a moral compass for an accursed shootist or remain simply a lodestone. After reading about Jorge below, saddle up and ride under the blazing western sun with Abner and his sidekick at Wowio.com!
Where did you get your start in comics?
In a local candy store at age eleven. They happened to have a spinning rack of comics right next to the Lemonheads. Forced to choose between tooth decay and wild, space adventure… well, I bought my first comic and I'm 100% sure that my passion for storytelling would not be the same were it not for that moment. My start in writing comics didn't happen until muuuuuch later, when Marvel opened the "Epic" door for potential storytellers. In the end, I got rejected like scores of others, but I kept writing and developing relationships with artists and mailing out pitches. You've got to stick with it.
What do you predict for the future of comics? What are you most excited about? Concerned about?
I predict that less of it is going to be on paper and more of it will be online. I mean, there are zillions of webcomics out there. Some have been running for more than a decade, some exist for all of an hour before fizzling out — but, in both cases, the material remains accessible to readers for much longer than a typical cover-bound comic or graphic novel.
The future of comics is access. Characters, stories, universes... they need to be accessible to a whole new breed of readers. Readers who, after a couple of keystrokes, want to read, hear, even SPEAK the world of their most loved comics. Webcomics address that type of reader, and I don't think it'll be very long before that reader is our main audience.
Explain your creative space. What do you like or need to be surrounded with to be productive?
Much of my creative process is random. I like to get the ball rolling on ideas with creative brain-teasing games. For instance, Gunplay came about after I dumped a box full of haphazard images and quotes onto the floor and challenged myself to connect the disparate pieces into a single story. I don't need to go to any special place; no incense or scented candles... all I need is a computer. I can't write anything out by hand, but give me a computer, a semi-functional keyboard (I like nice loud clacks), and a little time and I'm all set.
Do you find others in this business helpful/inspirational? Explain your collaborative process.
I find talking and mulling ideas over with other folks in the business to be EXTREMELY helpful. Without getting too “Platinum cheerleader rah-rah-rah!” on you, I've found a ton of great, collaborative minds in the Platinum camp. I regularly pick the brains of Dave Collins (Gunplay editor), Dan Forcey (VP of Content Development), Jay Busbee (Incursion writer) and DJ Coffman (2006's CBC winner/creator of Hero By Night).
Growing up, what were your goals/dreams? How about now? What is your ultimate career goal?
Well, I wanted to be a submarine adventurer right up until junior high… so, in that sense, I'm a complete failure. Now that I’m all grown up, I'd like to make storytelling my nine to five. My day job’s great, but I’d love to not have to work writing time around my other responsibilities. Submarine adventurers don't wait until after 5PM to explore lost underwater cities and scantily clad mermaid cultures. They scream "DiveDiveDIVE!" and plunge in. That's where I want to be.
Gunplay on Wowio
Corporate Development Department Report
As we enter a new year, the Corporate Development Department is steaming full speed ahead. Exciting things are happening throughout Platinum and as a result, we have lots of opportunities available. First and most exciting, Dead of Night, our big-screen adaptation of Dylan Dog, the Italian comic with over 70 million print units sold, is expected to close financing within the next week. The comic property is so popular that some of the licensing opportunities in Italy have already been contracted. Currently, we are looking for licensees domestically and in Asia, and we still have numerous licensing availabilities in Europe. In addition, we will have product placement opportunities available, in particular for apparel, shoes, vehicles, household cleaning products and other grocery items. We’re very excited about the possibilities offered by this fantastic script!
In another development, Platinum has been chosen to produce the CGI animated version of Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons – The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. This “bible” for the golfing world is anticipated to be ready for home video/DVD/Blu-ray distribution by Christmas of ’09. We have sponsorship and possible product placement opportunities currently available. Platinum’s President, Brian Altounian, has stated that Platinum will be “very selective” in who receives the sponsorship opportunities, as Ben Hogan was one of the greatest to ever play the game and it is Platinum’s responsibility to maintain the highest level of excellence in teaming up with quality companies in relation to the property.
And finally, we are trying to get the word out on how easy corporate gifting is with the WOWIO corporate gifting program. Green, inexpensive and flexible, the program has proven to be one of our greatest offerings to the marketing and PR communities. Read our article below, which describes how we were able to send out over 1,500 holiday gifts in under a week and with mind-blowing cost savings.
All in all, busy and exciting times for the Corporate Development Department this early 2009.
OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH
CORPORATE GIFTING – WOWIO “WOWS”
The Velveteen Rabbit jumps through the holidays
It was just a few months ago when I joined Platinum Studios to head up the Corporate Development Department. One of my first tasks was to get out the word to corporations and their respective marketing, PR and advertising providers about considering our newly acquired WOWIO e-book distribution platform as a great way to provide cost effective and green corporate gifting programs. Fast forward to December, I had to figure out how Platinum’s holiday card and corporate gift program was going to address the holidays. Despite the disastrous economy of 2008, I wanted to really wow our many friends and colleagues with the power of our optimism for the coming year. I decided to put our money where our mouth was, and send out both a gift and a card to our friends and colleagues while meeting our cost cutting requirements in these economically challenging times.
At first I was concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get our gifting project together quickly enough for the holidays, as it was already the second week of December when I finally decided to go the WOWIO e-book route. Brian Altounian, our President, assured me that the process would be easy and the result effective.
The first step was to decide what book we were going to send our friends. While we could have sent several different books or even let the recipients chose from the over 1,000 choices, we determined that the book which would bring our friends the most joy and infuse them with the spirit of the holidays would be the Margery Williams classic The Velveteen Rabbit.
We shipped our list of recipients to our WOWIO offices in Texas and a few days later, over 2,000 FREE e-books were sent out. What a terrific response we got! Here are some of the comments we received:
“Just a note to say thank you so much for the gift! We don't have The Velveteen Rabbit and I'm excited to read it to the kids. You rock!!!”
“Most charming gift. Thanks so much.”
“Thanks for the WOWIO Velveteen Rabbit ebook — what a clever idea! Go Platinum Studios!”
“This is absolutely terrific! I want to know more about Platinum Studios.”
We were thrilled by the number of responses we received like those above. The entire process took less than a week and had we been paying ourselves for the program it would have cost us around a $5,000. When I compared this with a similar gifting program revolving around the traditional corporate gifts I realized that we saved over $20,000!
The Velveteen Rabbit proved to be a corporate gift that was green, led to an 80% reduction in our corporate gifting expense and the whole program took less than a week from inception to execution. I can’t wait for next year’s great send out!
Mark Burton
Director of Corporate Development
If you are interested in learning more about our WOWIO Corporate Gifting Program, please contact Mark Burton at Platinum Studios.
Contact Platinum Studios:
Public Relations
(310)807-8100
Licensing & Business Development
Mark Burton
(310)807-8119
Wowio Sponsors & Corporate Gifting
Mark Burton
(310)807-8119
Investor Requests
Thomas Becker
(702)478-7363
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Platinum Studios Safe Harbor Statement
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Madddog here.
All posts are: In my opinion and not as investment advice.
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