Joining the Edelman Me2 Revolution

Change is what life's all about. Sometimes it's planned, other times it falls in your lap.

When I first began to dabble with blogs as a communications tool over two years ago I saw change, but I didn't know what it was. I watched in awe as people like Robert Scoble, Buzz Bruggeman, Dan Gillmor, Phil Gomes, Tom Murphy and many others used a new medium powered by RSS, blogs and later podcasting to spread ideas far and wide. I sensed something big was going on. I got hooked on reading feeds faster than I did drinking Starbucks coffee. However, what happened next was anything but planned.

The environment at CooperKatz welcomes experimentation. After we rolled out a couple of client blogs in early 2004, I began to realize all the benefits of this new technology. I also knew I had to be part of the conversation, so I launched this blog on a whim one Sunday and I have been blogging every day since. Needless to say, it's been the greatest experience of my life... so far. And, thanks to readers like you, it's taken me to places I never could have imagined.

Two others who early on saw the revolution coming are Richard Edelman and Rick Murray at Edelman. Richard also started his blog in 2004. He gets it and he is fusing this Cluetrain thinking into the Edelman culture. Rick is driving a smart group that is developing breakthrough word of mouth marketing programs that utilize new technologies and processes. He was an early backer of WOMMA and is building a tremendous team of new marketers that includes the likes of Phil Gomes, Mike Krempasky and Guillaume du Gardier. As Doc Searls recently said, Edelman understands how the new and old worlds are coming together as one. Richard has called this the Me2 Revolution.

After five years at CooperKatz, I felt it was time for me to take the next step in my evolution. So I am excited to announce that I will be joining Rick Murray's team at Edelman (the world's largest independent PR firm) on February 27 as a Senior Vice President. I will be working out of their New York office.

My role will be consistent to the one I played at CooperKatz, except in a much larger organization. I will be charged with helping the team win new word of mouth business as well as in developing/executing client programs. One of our biggest goals is getting more Fortune 500s blogging. For more, see Richard's blog. If you have questions, please leave them here in comments or email me. If you're on deadline, call me today at 212-455-8085. We will try to address as many of these as we reasonably can in an upcoming Edelman earShot podcast. (For more see Adage and PR Week.)

One question I am sure you have now is: what about Micro Persuasion? It was, after all, the name of a CooperKatz practice. Well, Edelman and CK have reached an agreement where I will continue to blog at here at the same URL. Edelman will not use the Micro Persuasion name for any service offering. And CooperKatz is renaming the old Micro Persuasion practice Cogence - short for consumer generated intelligence.

I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank the entire team at CooperKatz, especially Andy Cooper, Ralph Katz and SVP Anne Green, as well as clients like the ANA, WeatherBug, simplehuman and Vespa. Two years ago when I stormed in raving about blogs these folks were willing to take a chance and do so rather blindly. CooperKatz played a major role in innovating in marketing and I am confident they will continue to do so without me, just as they did before I arrived.

Now, on with the revolution!

Technorati Tags: Edelman CooperKatz Me2 Revolution Steve Rubel Richard Edelman Rick Murray Cogence

Comments

[Jeff Risley]

Congrats Steve. Edelman will be even more of a force to reckon with now.

[Brian Clark]

Wow... congrats!

[FMF]

Congrats to you, Steve! Best of luck in your new venture.

[Toby]

Congrats!Steve. With the team that Edelman has built you definitely own the "PR blogosphere space."

[Narendra]

Wow,

Congrats and I hope you like your new digs. They are lucky because you have to be the most voracious filter of new information ever.

~n

[Darren]

Congratulations to both you and Edelman Steve.

[Guillaume du Gardier]

Congrats Steve, welcome !! ;o)

[John]

Congrats Steve...

[Bjoern Hasse]

That's really great news! Congrats and welcome on board!

[Sab]

Wow, exciting news Steve. Congrats.

[Tim McGovern]

Congratulations, Steve. It is well-deserved. Best of luck!

[Robert J. Ricci]

Congratulations Steve!

[Wayne Hurlbert]

Congratulations Steve on your new position with such a prestigious firm. All my best on your continued success.

[Neville Hobson]

Many congartulations, Steve!

[Rob]

Congratulations Steve! That business week article is what introduced me to you and the rest of the blogosphere. I'll never be the same.

[Tom Biro]

Hey Steve,

Congrats on the new gig - very exciting, and I wish you lots of luck!

[Alex Barnett]

Congrats Steve!

Senior VP? Who says blogging is a waste of time? ;-)

[Jen]

I'm glad you broke the news here at 7:30 before the AdAge daily e-mail (darn those non-RSS people) came out at 8:15. Way to go. Congrats.

[Giovanni Rodriguez]

Wow. Congrats, Steve.

[Phil Gomes]

Welcome! (Rookie!) *8-P

[Fergus Burns]

Steve, Congrats on the new job - Edelman are building a great team - Best of luck !!

[Alexander Muse]

Woot!

[Net]

Mazal Tov! Evolutions is good! All the best@Edelman!

[Jackie Huba]

Steve, you da man! Congrats on the new gig!

[Niall Kennedy]

Congrats! Looks like we will both be up to new things in March.

[Joshua Messinger]

Congrats Steve, we wish you continued great success!

[Mike Manuel]

Edelman 2.0 is underway, good luck with things, Steve.

[owen]

way to go steve...very exciting. and also thanks for the link on your iPod list, just noticed it! we'll be putting up some sweet stuff from psfk's future mktg conference late next week; but first come clowns...stay tuned!

[Jeffrey Treem]

Congratulations Steve, glad to see you will a bigger platform to deliver your gospel

[Paul Kedrosky]

Congrats Steve. I'm sure we'll be talking.

[John Porcaro]

Congrats!

I'm sure I'll bump into you as I build out our Xbox Community team...

[Jope]

Congrats, Steve! Shout if you need to buid your team in Spain... ;-)

[Javier]

Hi Steve
I want to show you ning.com
I saw it recently. It seems fairly new and haven`t read anything in your blog about it yet.
Don`t you think this web has the potential to turn down the tables again on the world of blogs, user defined content and socializing through the internet in general?
And another question, I haven`t had time to read carefully the website or their conditions, but in case that your chosen application is successful, do the visitors/advertising revenues belong to the site creator or to Ning?
I think this kind of applications can be revolutionary...
Regards
Javier
http://niquel757.blogspot.com

[B.L. Ochman]

Yay Steve! Very cool news for you and Edelman. COngratulations.

[Charlie]

Ironically enough, I was watching an interview with Billy Beane the other night. He was talking about how smaller market teams can't afford to keep the Tim Hudsons and Mark Mulders of the world after a few years.

Eireely remeniscent.

However, to complete the analogy, that also probably means CooperKatz has some rising stars in the pipeline. Maybe its that young Fordham grad you've got. Is Kathleen Deegan CooperKatz's answer to Rich Harden? :)

[Ben Popken]

Rockin'.

[Debbie Weil]

Wow! Sounds like a perfect fit and just the right move. Huge congrats - have fun!!

[Devin]

Congrats, Steve. Very exciting and I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes you. =)

[Bob Cargill]

Steve,

You are an inspiration to me and -- without question -- many, many others in the blogosphere!!! I look forward to following you -- and your blog -- throughout the next chapter of your career! Congratulations!

[Jim Kukral]

Grats Steve. We're following your lead, great work past few years.

[Nishi]

Wow, a lot of congrats and best of luck messages. Wishing you the same, and best of luck at your new company.

[Royal Farros]

(smile)... good things come to good people... big congrats, very happy for you!

[Todd Watson]

Steve, that's fantastic news. Congrats on the new gig and I look forward to hearing more great things coming from you at Edelman...Turbo

[Josh Morgan]

Steve,

Congrats and welcome to Edelman!

[Ross Mayfield]

Gratz!

[scott]

I'll add my congrats...and good luck!

[Andrew Foote]

Steve!!!! Well deserved my friend. Looking forward to seeing your magic flourish.

[Randy Charles Morin]

Dude, congrats! Hoping that piles of money (or beer) come your way.

[Randy Charles Morin]

or women

[David Jones]

It's been 12 years since I left Edelman's Toronto office (not long after the first e-mail addresses were installed.) I wish I was still there!

Congrats Steve, but more importantly, congrats Edelman.