The Sharper Image Names Kwittken & Company Public Relations Agency of Record
Agency to Lead National Media Relations Campaign to Re-launch America’s Iconic Gadgetry Brand
NEW YORK – October 30, 2008 – Kwittken & Company (KCO), the intelligent communications agency, today announced that it has been selected by The Sharper Image brand to spearhead its national re-launch and business transformation.
In May of this year, a consortium of private investors purchased The Sharper Image brand and intellectual property and have since developed a global licensing strategy for wholesale, e-commerce, catalog and direct-to-retail (DTR) businesses. This innovative and timely business approach will allow The Sharper Image brand to exist outside the confines of its historic core channels and on the shelves of leading retailers throughout the world.
KCO was selected as the result of a competitive pitch process and will support the brand’s transformation through a variety of communications tactics including national business, consumer and trade media relations, event sponsorship and management, product placement, celebrity and influencer outreach, as well as online and social media communications.
“We selected Kwittken & Company as our communications partner for its unique mix of experience in the retail, licensing, consumer lifestyle and B2B public relations,” said Federico de Bellegarde, vice president of Licensing, The Sharper Image. “We have one of the most recognized and iconic brands in the marketplace and as our new business model as a licensor ramps up, we will look for the strategic counsel and execution prowess of KCO to help us achieve our communication objectives.”
“The Sharper Image is about the limitless possibilities that technology can bring to our everyday lives,” said Jason Schlossberg, president of Kwittken & Company. “We are honored to support The Sharper Image brand as it re-enters consumers’ lives in new and ingenious ways and to bring about a new era of Sharper Image.”
ABOUT THE SHARPER IMAGE
The Sharper Image is a licensing company based in New York and owned by a joint venture between Hilco Consumer Capital – Toronto, Gordon Brothers – Boston, and Bluestar Alliance – New York. The company was acquired in May 2008 after a long legacy of developing innovative products through entertaining stores, e-commerce and award-winning catalogs. The Sharper Image currently has active licenses in RTA furniture, Luggage, Electronic Gifts, Replacement Ink Cartridges and is pursuing licenses in other product categories including: selective Consumer Electronics, Bath & Bedding, Cookware, Pet, Eyewear and Lawn & Garden.
