Strobe Promotions, RedStapler and Zezza Network announced on January 14 that they have merged to form Tenthwave, a fully integrated digital marketing agency headquartered in New York.  Lead by former i33 Communications Founder and Chairman Drew Rayman, Tenthwave reunites Rayman with former colleagues Steve Caputo and Rob Kaplan; Brian Hack and Mike Mazar; and Eric Schwamberger, the respective founders of Strobe, RedStapler and Zezza.

Tenthwave will provide digital and social marketing, promotions, web design and development from ideation through implementation for clients including CBS Consumer Products, eBay, Visa, Pepperidge Farm, Jim Beam, Hearst Magazines, and Sports Illustrated, among others.  Drew Rayman and Steve Caputo will serve as the agency’s managing partners with Brian Hack, Eric Schwamberger, Mike Mazar and Rob Kaplan serving as agency partners.

“The ways in which brands communicate and engage with their audiences has changed more in the last five years than it has in the previous twenty. Unfortunately, the traditional advertising and marketing agency model has not experienced quite as rapid of a transformation. Agencies need to think differently and act differently,” said Drew Rayman, managing partner of Tenthwave. “In order for brands to compete in a ‘connected’ marketplace they need innovative strategy and direct access to agency talent that is unburdened by corporate procedure. As a new type of digital agency, Tenthwave provides its clients with cutting edge creativity, ideas and work without excessive process, combined with the stability and operational efficiencies of larger firms.”

Rayman, a proven agency manager and operator, is charged with removing the barriers between Tenthwave’s top talent and its clients by enabling the other agency partners, all of whom built successful boutique agencies on their own, to focus less on the operational elements associated with running a business and focus more on what they love to do the most: developing breakthrough work on behalf of their clients and pushing the industry forward through original thought leadership.

“Tenthwave is the natural evolution of our business,” said Steve Caputo, managing partner of Tenthwave. “Client demand for solid marketing strategy in the social media space has increased dramatically over the past year. Our ability to bring that kind of insight and direction to the table will hasten the learning curve among marketers entering the space, and bring those already engaged to a higher level of involvement with their customers. We offer a truly creative environment where the best and brightest can focus on the work while our experienced support staff tends to the details.”

About Tenthwave

Founded in 2010, Tenthwave is the strategic blend of three award winning digital marketing agencies formerly known as Strobe Promotions, RedStapler and Zezza Network. Headquartered in New York, (with offices in Manhattan, Long Island, Silicon Valley and the Washington D.C. Metro area), Tenthwave provides clients with digital marketing and creative services ranging from web design and development, online promotions and sweepstakes, social media marketing and online brand activation. Lead by managing partners Drew Rayman and Steve Caputo, Tenthwave puts innovation before bureaucracy and provides clients with direct access to creative talent. With its focus of maximizing marketing dollars, Tenthwave refuses to embrace “how it’s done” and rather strives to define “how to do it better.”  For more information, please visit www.tenthwave.com.

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Do you or someone you know want to join the Strobe team? We’re looking for a great Marketing Assistant, read below for more information on the position and how to apply.

Marketing Assistant

Growing Long Island based marketing agency is seeking a well-organized, detail oriented, multi-tasker with excellent verbal and writing skills.  Assist in overall account servicing, consumer communication, implementation of online and offline projects and administrative duties.  Candidate must be proficient with Microsoft Office, knowledgeable in social media and should be comfortable working independently.  College degree and minimum of one year work experience preferably in a promotion, marketing or advertising agency.  Please send resume and salary requirements to: HR@strobepromo.com

Strobe was recently named by Inc. Magazine as one of the most entrepreneurial and fastest-growing companies in America. In 5 years, we have grown to $4.5MM in revenue, earning us a place on the “Inc. 5000,” the annual ranking of top companies in the U.S., spanning all industries, reported by the magazine. Strobe enters the top half of the list, ranked #1683, mainly due to our continued growth, a rate of 168% over the past 3 years. We attribute much of this growth to an increased demand for social media promotions, as well as deepening business with long-standing clients eBay, Visa and Pepperidge Farm. Recent additions to Strobe’s client roster include Campbell Soup Company, NetSpend and Tiny Prints, from the brand side, and Edelman and Imagitas, from the agency side.

“We are very proud to be recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the country,” said Steve Caputo, President of Strobe Promotions. “In today’s challenging economic climate, we have been fortunate to continue to expand our business. We are constantly evolving to meet the needs of our clients and the demands of the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing.”

The 2010 Inc. 5000, announced last week, measures revenue growth of privately held companies based in the U.S. from 2006 through 2009. More information about Strobe and its ranking on the list can be found here. The complete list, along with company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found here.

Strobe Promotions is excited to announce the move of our new corporate headquarters! Strobe has been blessed with great clients from day one, when we opened our doors just about five years ago. In that short time, we’ve achieved a level of success that is the catalyst for our move to new and bigger offices. We look forward to continuing to work with our clients to deliver world-class marketing solutions in today’s digital marketing landscape. We realize that much of our success is built on the relationships we’ve cultivated, and we can’t wait to begin this new chapter with you.

Our move is taking place today, July 26, 2010, with uninterrupted service for our clients.

Please address all correspondence to the new mailing address beginning today, July 26, 2010. Please note that our original phone number (516-733-1835) will remain active until October 31, 2010, to minimize confusion. Our email addresses, as well as all online destinations (website, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), will remain unchanged and will not be affected by the move. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the move, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We would love for you to come see our new place! If you are ever in the area, there is an open invitation for you to come visit us at our new facility.

Now through July 11 2010, soccer fans can visit www.youtube.com/visagofans to upload and view videos of enthusiastic fans screaming their longest “Goooal” shout. Fans that submit videos are emailed links so that they can easily share their submission on various social media outlets.

Visa also supports its partnership with FIFA in the Visa “Watch Your Way to Brazil” Sweepstakes. Fans that view “Goooal” videos have an opportunity to win a trip for two to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, or one of 60 $100 Visa gift cards. Strobe supported Visa with this epic promotion by providing content moderation, record/view functionality, email messaging/links, sweepstakes administration and web hosting.

Show your support for Team USA as they move to the top of Group C and advance in the race for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by checking out the Visa GoFans YouTube Channel! Go USA!

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photo credit: FIFA/Getty Images

Learn how to get started, gain a following and continue to engage that following with Strobe’s Social Media Marketing Kit. This convenient download includes our Strategic Thinker’s Guide to Marketing through Social Media, our Strategic Thinker’s Guide to Achieving Promotion Objectives and tip sheets on how to run engagement campaigns on Facebook and Twitter. The advice in this packet will show you how to analyze and improve any current campaign, and is helpful whether you are a social media novice or a more advanced user.

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PROMO magazine announced today its annual list of Top Promotion Marketing Agencies in the US, the PROMO 100. Strobe Promotions ranks #89, moving ten spots ahead of its inaugural position on the list last year. Building upon its success in 2009, Strobe Promotions reported net revenues of $1.99MM. In addition, its two-year growth of 49% landed Strobe among the Top Ten fastest growing agencies. Strobe attributes this remarkable success to expanding its business with existing clients Visa, eBay and Pepperidge Farm, while acquiring new brand accounts including NetSpend, Tiny Prints and Intuit, and new agency clients Edelman and Imagitas.

“Given the challenges presented by the economy over the past year, we feel truly blessed to have been able to continue to grow,” notes Strobe’s President, Steve Caputo. “We are so thankful that our clients continue to find value in our service offerings, and we work hard every day to deliver promotion marketing campaigns beyond their expectations.” He attributes Strobe’s success to date to the company’s tenacious approach to adapting promotion marketing to the changing landscape of digital delivery channels including social media, and to a tremendously dedicated and knowledgeable staff. “Every member of the Strobe team has contributed to our growth, and I am awed by what we have been able to achieve thus far. We are all looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.”

The 2010 PROMO 100 was announced via live webinar on June 1st and ranks firms across the country according to numerous factors including overall net revenue, net revenue per employee, two-year growth and years in business. The 16-page report, also unveiled at the webinar, not only lists the top 100 agencies, but profiles companies in specific marketing disciplines. See the full list.

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Strobe recently received a 2010 Interactive Marketing Award for its work with PayPal on the “Wishing Wonderland” campaign, which garnered 1st place in the Holiday Theme category. More on that program can be found here.

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Strobe’s new Strategic Thinker’s Guide to Marketing through Social Media offers tips and best practices for planning, executing and analyzing a social marketing campaign. Learn how to attract and engage a following and discover tools to measure your success. Download it here, free!

Play our Merry Memory Game now to try it out. Plus, you’ve got a chance to win an LCD HDTV or an iPod Nano! After all, who would we be if we didn’t take our own advice? Enjoy!