Robert M. Brin, APR e-Business

Bob considers himself a true technopagan. After starting up PSB's emerging technology practice area, he launched the e-Business practice area. This puts Bob in a uniquely beneficial position of working both with clients who are developing Internet technology (like Spanlink and Wordtrak) and building things interactive for non-technology clients (like Four51, American Express, and Lutheran Brotherhood). As for new media, Bob and his team identified the need for building interactive tools, launching interactive ventures, and tapping the Web's promotion potential early on. He developed the PSB eVenture Vision planning product to help companies take a strategic approach to creating an online presence with the Digital 3Ds in mind (differentiating their online enterprise, eliciting the desired action from constituents, and creating ongoing dialogue). Under his leadership, our team has developed sophisticated tools (including a competitive Web site audit and the eVenture Validator) that helps clients see the forest, the trees and the leaves all through the project. The team's promotion toolbox includes search engine optimization to e-mail marketing to online surveys. As a member of the emerging tech and investor relations team, Bob gets his energy from distilling technical topics, applying heated discussion and extracting off the essential elements that make things like femtoseconds, expert systems and video conferencing interesting to reporters, the financial community and customers. Bob survived two tours at NCR/AT&T;/NCR and worked for other technology companies before switching over to the agency side. A highly creative and versatile writer, he has written everything from ads to annual reports to pithy e-mail pitches that have landed his clients in the likes of Wired Magazine's Fetish column. Somewhat opinionated himself, Bob is also a specialist in opinion-leader relations, which stems from his 3+ years handling industry analyst and consultant relations at NCR's Network Products Group. He has since applied this discipline to assisting companies in communicating with the financial community and helping Norwest Bank reach employee benefits consultants. Otherwise, Bob's primary occupation is of an archaeological nature: uncovering the better features of his family's 1880s farmhouse.