It’s time to unveil crayon

The teasing is done and it’s time to get specific about the new company I’m now part of alongside founder Joseph Jaffe, veteran communicator Shel Holtz and podcasting pioneer CC Chapman.

The new company is called crayon and will be fully open for business this coming Thursday October 26 when we launch from Crayonville Island, our headquarters in Second Life that’s been under construction during the past few months.

So the first thing to tell you is that crayon is a both a real and a virtual company.

We’re real, in the sense that all of us involved are physical, real human beings based in real locations, on the US east and west coasts plus me here in Europe.

We start with an outstanding team in addition to the four of us – Gary Cohen, Aaron Greenberger, Chris Trela and Michael Denton. These names may not be familiar to you at the moment, but they soon will be.

We’re virtual, in the sense that our primary presence as a company is the three-dimensional online digital world of Second Life where we will conduct our business, our presentations, our brainstorms and our pitches.

And by the way, when we launch on Thursday, we will be the first company to be launched in Second Life.

The second thing to let you know is what crayon actually is.

We’re not an agency nor a consulting practice as is traditionally defined. What we are is whatever you want or need us to be.

I like to think of us as a true mash-up that combines the best in traditional and new thinking about marketing, advertising and PR.

We’re a solution provider. We’re an extension of your team. Consider us a new breed of partner – one that keeps everyone honest and on the right path. Our client is not the consumer: our client is the truth.

Our methodology pivots around conversation and transformation above communication. Our value proposition is designed to activate passions, enthusiasm, organic dialogue and no-strings-attached referrals and recommendations.

When Joseph approached me some three months ago to be part of this new venture, I could see immediately that here was a terrific opportunity to join forces with someone visionary who I’ve been paying attention to for a long time.

So I made my decision pretty quickly to join Joseph in creating something special that would enable us to work with marketers, advertisers and public relations professionals that will enable them to better understand the tremendous changes, challenges and opportunities in today’s complex world of fragmented attention, increasing consumer control and hardening attitudes towards traditional marketing and communication.

We think we have something compelling to offer that will enable every client to do what every business really wants – get to the future. First.

If you’d like to blog or podcast about crayon, I’d be thrilled if you would! Let me know if you need more information. Bookmark our website – www.crayonville.com – which will be live on Thursday.

And if you do want to know more about crayon before our launch, each of us is willing to talk to you at any time during the coming week. If you’d like to interview Joseph, or any one of the team, let me know directly or leave a comment here.

Looking forward to helping you get to your future first.

[Update Oct 23 @ 09:40] Joseph, Shel and CC have also posted about crayon. Theirs went up late last night my time.

I’ve been amazed by the reactions to our news plus the sheer volume of warmth coming our way from friends in the blogosphere. Thanks, everyone. You’ve set the expectation bar high indeed and we won’t let you down.