Press release:
Launch Generates Substantial Spike on Leica Web Site and Social Media Channels
NEW YORK, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ — Medialink Worldwide Incorporated
(www.medialink.com) and Evins Communications, Ltd. (www.evins.com) hosted a
press conference and live video webcast for Leica Camera AG on September 9,
2009, broadcasting the debut of the LEICA M9, LEICA X1 and LEICA S2 camera
models to a worldwide audience. The press conference, led by Leica Camera AG
Chief Executive Officer Mr. Rudi Spiller and Director of Product Management
Mr. Stefan Daniel, featured a special guest appearance by Seal, the Grammy
award-winning international recording artist and Leica devotee. The press
conference was webcast in real time in both a standard webcast stream and an
additional high-bandwidth stream that fed special “viewing parties” watching
the webcast on the new Leica high resolution projector in 15 locations
worldwide. The production also included simultaneous integration of multiple
video elements displayed to both the room and the webcast from a single
source.
Immediately following the announcement, the Leica Web site received an
impressive 222% increase in daily visitation. The dealer locator function on
the site registered a 158% increase in page visits in a single day, signaling
immediate consumer demand. Additionally, in the ensuing days after the 9.9.09
press conference, Leica’s Facebook group increased by 50% and the brand’s
followers on Twitter grew by 40%. To support the webcast, Medialink produced
and edited a high-resolution archived video, which was uploaded to Vimeo.com,
among many other social media sites, allowing brand enthusiasts around the
world to witness the event conducted in New York City.
This initiative, a landmark event for Leica Camera, was the result of three
months of planning by all parties involved. Leica Camera first announced
plans for the September 9(th) event with the distribution of a “teaser” video,
featuring Mr. Spiller at Leica’s headquarters in Solms, Germany. The video,
which was developed and scripted by Evins Communications and filmed by
Freischwimmer Films, was disseminated to key members of the press, top
photography dealers and Leica enthusiasts to build excitement and garner
interest leading up to the September 9(th) unveiling of the innovative new
camera models.
“Since the initial creation of this ambitious project, Evins Communications
has been an essential partner as we enter this new era of our legacy brand,”
said Mr. Spiller. “Leica has collaborated with Evins Communications for
nearly a decade, and we look to their team to continuously develop innovative
marketing and branding initiatives. Our sales results since the release of the
new products have been greater than we initially anticipated – the clear mark
of an incredibly successful and strategic launch,” Mr. Spiller said.
This event was technically innovative as a result of the multiple production
elements, including two separately switched event outputs, requiring seamless
integration of all creative elements both at the live event and in the
streamed version distributed to the worldwide audience.
“The global webcast was a success due to the smooth and seamless teamwork
between Evins, Medialink and Leica,” said Mr. Andrew Lipson, vice president of
operations at Medialink. “It’s exciting to be part of a close collaboration
and challenging project, where we’re able to surpass our client’s
expectations, ” Mr. Lipson said.
“When we first imagined the 9.9.09 event concept, we knew we’d need a strong
partner to help translate our vision on behalf of Leica into a reality,” said
Mr. Mathew Evins, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Evins
Communications. “We have a 20 year relationship with Medialink and have
collaborated to produce projects for a diverse set of clients. The Medialink
team was able to help us create the near flawless global webcast we envisioned
for Leica and expeditiously produce the archived video that we desired. Not
only did we achieve our own goals for this exciting launch, we exceeded the
client’s expectations on what was possible,” Mr. Evins said.
An archived version of the press conference can be viewed at
www.leica-camera.com.
About Medialink:
Medialink, a division of The NewsMarket, (www.medialink.com) produces and
distributes news-oriented video and audio content via the Internet, television
and radio for public and private corporations, governmental and non-profit
organizations, as well as public relations and investor relations agencies.
The NewsMarket is the global leader in the creation, production and
distribution of video based marketing services and a resource platform for
international media. Digital content hosted on the company’s media site
(www.thenewsmarket.com) is used by media professionals in more than 25,000
media outlets in 190 countries. Global brands, including General Motors,
Volvo Cars, the U.S. Department of State, IBM, UNICEF, Facebook and Google use
the NewsMarket’s proprietary technology to communicate with target audiences.
Headquartered in New York, the company has offices in London, Beijing, Mumbai,
Ahmedabad, and Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and San
Francisco.
About Evins Communications, Ltd.:
Since its inception in 1987, Evins Communications has received consistent
acclaim for its marketing communications and public relations programs in a
wide array of industries, including apparel and accessories, beauty and
health, catalogues and direct marketing, consumer products and services,
fashion, food and spirits, home furnishings and interior design, jewelry and
watches, publishing, specialty retail, travel and hospitality, as well as
technology and consumer electronics. Evins’ singular goal is to enhance
brand/product awareness and visibility, to utilize such awareness and
visibility to foster brand/product mindshare, and to translate brand/product
mindshare into market share. In order to break through the competitive clutter
in the marketplace, Evins’ marketing communications and public relations
programs are designed to enhance market perception, heighten market presence,
increase market awareness, foster brand/product affinity by utilizing
third-party influencers for affirmation and validation, as well as to build
sales and market share by differentiating a brand/product from its competition
and establishing a brand/product as a destination in the marketplace. Evins
Communications provide clients with an unparalleled breadth, depth and scope
of expertise in the Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer marketplace.
The firm has represented such clientele as Bergdorf Goodman, Chaumet,
Courvoisier, Damiani, Ebel, Escada, Glaceau Vitamin Water, JCPenney Direct,
Jean Patou, Joseph Abboud, Lancaster Group, Leica Camera, Maker’s Mark, Neiman
Marcus Direct, Park Hyatt Hotels North America, Preferred Hotels & Resorts,
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Swarovski, Tourneau and Vera Wang, amongst many
others.
For additional information, please visit the company’s website
(www.evins.com).
About Leica Camera AG:
Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, technology and experience. It is
at once an extension of art, knowledge and philosophy, providing a
state-of-the-art optical experience in a precision, hand-made photographic
instrument. Leica Camera has a simple mission: to provide users with an
incomparable experience, an instrument that defines an unsurpassed heritage
and sets a standard of excellence for the industry to meet.
Throughout the world, Leica enjoys recognition and customer loyalty, because
of its achievements in the photography industry and its uncompromising pursuit
of high-quality standards. Leica products are appreciated by discerning
clientele; the hand-crafted designs are fabricated with unmatched mechanical
and optical precision and yet they have an extraordinary aura that can evoke
feelings and emotions. For more than 150 years, Leica has maintained a
tradition of precision manufacturing and consistent innovation, which have
steadily reinforced its preeminent worldwide reputation.
For additional information, please visit the company’s website
(www.leica-camera.com).