Freestyle News

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What's New at Freestyle?

• April 2008 – 3 gets Freestyle with DM
• March 2008 – Freestyle Media Wins 3 Mobile Online Direct Marketing Account
• March 2008 – Clout of the Click. BRW
• 15 Feb 2008 - Freestyle CEO featured in B&T "Career Couch" (PDF)
• 6th Feb 2008 - The Freestylin' Formula (PDF)
• 21st Jan 2008 - We invite You to Exclusive "Online traffic workshop"
• 18th Jan 2008 - Freestyle Media's Fred Schebesta quoted on NineMsn
• 23rd Nov 2007 - Appointment of Online Media Strategist
• 16th Oct 2007 - Appointment of CEO
• 22nd Aug 2007 - FMCG division wins Goodman Fielder business
• 25th Jul 2007 - Appointment of Two New Senior Managers
• 7th Jun 2007 - Article Featuring Freestyle Media in The Australian
• 5th Jun 2007 - Freestyle Media Acquired by Q Ltd
• 2nd Mar 2007 - Appointment of New Account Manager

Are you interested in writing about Freestyle Media and our services? Contact us for more information.

Online marketing agency Freestyle Media has bagged the online direct marketing work for 3 Mobile.

The account was not put out to pitch. Freestyle replaces Euro RSCG which had previously managed the business.

Freestyle Media director Fred Schebesta said: "Freestyle Media will be focused on assisting 3 Mobile acquire new customers by implementing cost effective online campaigns."

The agency will be involved in managing online direct marketing projects and campaigns for 3 Mobile's consumer products as well as creating new online traffic through banner advertising, eDM, affilate and search engine optimisation.

Freestyle Media will be responsible for the direct online marketing of numerous 3 Mobile campaigns including the Nokia series, Sony Ericsson, Skype phone and mobile broadband. They will also be responsible for offline campaign integration.

Online marketing agency Freestyle Media has been appointed to the 3 Mobile Online Direct Marketing account.

Freestyle Media Director Fred Schebesta said he was thrilled to win the 3 Mobile Online Marketing account.

"It is a privilege to be working with well known brand 3 Mobile. We will have the opportunity to use our online direct marketing expertise to take 3 Mobile to the next level."

"Freestyle Media will be focused on assisting 3 Mobile acquire new customers by implementing cost-effective online campaigns," said Mr Schebesta.

Freestyle Media will be involved in managing the extensive range of online direct marketing projects and campaigns for 3 Mobile's consumer products as well as creating new online traffic through banner advertising, eDM, Affilate and Search engine optimisation.

"This contract win shows that Freestyle Media is going from strength to strength with well known brands recognising the success of our new online marketing techniques. This is an enormous opportunity for Freestyle Media and is evidence of the enormous growth in the online marketing sector," said Mr Schebesta.

Freestyle Media will be responsible for the direct online marketing of numerous 3 Mobile campaigns including the Nokia series, Sony Ericsson, Skype phone and mobile broadband. They will also be responsible for offline campaign integration.

Freestyle Media is a fast-growing online marketing agency with 15 full-time staff and group revenues exceeding $3M annually.

3 Mobile launched Australia's first 3G mobile network in April 2003. Their customers enjoy services such Mobile Broadband and face to face Videocalling.

For further information or interviews please contact:
Melissa Pack, CP Communications
P: (02) 9922 1063 E: melissa@cpcommunications.com.au

Our Director Fred Schebesta would like to invite you to his exclusive "Online traffic workshop" As featured in B&T magazine

If you've ever wanted to get a handle on online marketing and make a powerful impact on your business, here is your chance. With only ten places available for this seminar, participants will get hands on experience that will improve you online marketing abilities and enable you to start marketing like a professional online marketing agency.

An effective online marketing strategy is more than SEO, email marketing, or even optimising your website. It involves a number of activities that, when combined, result in a dramatic increase in sales.

Over seven years Fred has learnt the essential secrets to online marketing success and developed the Online Marketing Hierarchy. During the workshop he will show you what your online marketing strategy should contain a specific mix of:

• Online
• Branding
• Banner
• Advertising
• Email marketing
• Affiliate marketing
• Conversion optimisation
• SEO and PPC
• Website and content creation

Details Date: Thursday, 28th of February 2008
Time: 9am-1pm
Location: Level 3, 4-16 Yurong St, Darlinghurst, 2010
Limited Spaces: Maximum 10 participants
Price: $699

Register now for our exclusive "Online traffic workshop"

Sydney online marketing expert Fred Schebesta said the lack of comments is a worrying sign for the start-up business. "If it is actually decent content, the users should be engaging," Mr Schebesta said, adding that it does not necessarily mean the site is not popular with non-commenting visitors.

"The subject matter is definitely a niche - not mainstream here or in the United States.

"Probably only 0.1 percent of the entire business community is interested in this sort of thing."

Although high-brow content has a proven track record online - Wikipedia, for example - Mr Schebesta said the market is already saturated. "I predict it will be difficult because there is already a huge amount of [intellectual] content out there."

Read more at Sorry Moby, internet not for 'thinkers'

Online marketing agency Freestyle Media has appointed Iliana Ilieva as its Online Media Strategist to build resources for Freestyle's move into media planning and buying.

In this position Iliana has responsibility for planning and buying online media, developing strategy, SEO and SEM for Freestyle Media's clients

Iliana's impressive experience includes working at Ansearch Media, Sensis MediaSmart and Google in Account Management positions, for Catch as Online Sales Manager and Unwired as Assistant Product Manager.

Freestyle Media's fast-paced office and experienced team attracted Iliana to her new role.

"Working with the young direct marketer of the year and this creative and innovative team is truly a great experience," she said.

"Whether you are looking for SEM, SEO, CRM, display advertising or viral marketing, Freestyle Media does it all and I like working somewhere that has such a comprehensive offering for its clients.

"You can walk up to anyone in the Freestyle office with a question and get your answer instantly, so decisions are made here very fast," she said.

Freestyle Media is a fast-growing online marketing agency with 18 full-time staff and group revenues exceeding $3M annually.

We have recently promoted James Ward to the position of chief executive officer.

James was previously our chief operations officer for 18 months. He will be responsible overseeing Freestyle Media's profitability and production.

James said: "I am looking for efficient implementation of any recommendations from the newly created online strategy team and I plan to expand the team in line with the expected growth in our business".

"This growth, along with effective management and my plan to streamline web production processes, will result in improved client online results and Freestyle profitability," he said.

Mr Ward has degrees in Mathematics and Law from the University of Sydney. James will still work as account manager and provide web strategy for Sanitarium brands - Weet-Bix, So Good and Up & Go, and Constellation Hotels Group.

In June this year, Q Ltd paid $1.3m in cash and shares for Freestyle, with deferred consideration tied to future earnings of the company until the end of 2009.

Freestyle Media currently has group revenues exceeding $3m annually.

Our expanded FMCG speciality team has won five high profile projects with leading Australian food supplier Goodman Fielder.

Freestyle Media was contracted to build five websites for the food giant to boost its corporate and individual brand images. The agency is building sites for Goodman Fielder Corporate and Goodman Fielder Food Services, featuring the company's 30 food brands.

Freestyle Media's team is also working on three sites for Goodman Fielder brands: Italian garlic bread LaFamiglia; new dips range Copperpot, to be launched late this month; and new product Oilstream Partners, delivering fresh oil to customers and picking up used oil at the same time. The Oilstream Partners website will go live in early September.

"We have vast experience in building FMCG websites and optimising those sites for the food industry. Our work with Goodman Fielder shows online is a great medium to launch new brands, or reinvigorate existing ones," Mr Schebesta said.

"Freestyle Media specialises in building one-on-one relationships between FMCG companies and their consumers."

"We have a depth of experience in FMCG, with many successful campaigns such as the recent Weet-Bix Asia Cup Promotion which will outperform the World Cup Soccer Promotion. FMCG campaigns can be very effective and targeted online, allowing our clients to develop a one-on-one relationship with their customers quickly and cost effectively.

"Online works so well for FMCG brands because it is accountable and translates to the consumer more effectively. They can take immediate action, developing or extending their relationship with the brand immediately," he said.

Fred Schebesta is ADMA's 2006 Australian Young Direct Marketer of the Year. Freestyle Media is a fast-growing online marketing agency with 18 full-time staff and group revenues exceeding $3M annually.

Some of Freestyle's leading clients include Sanitarium, Virgin Mobile, Goodman Fiedler, Constellation Hotels Group, Laser Sight, Rabobank, PMI Mortgage Insurance, Computer Associates and The University of Newcastle.

We have recently appointed Sanson Lowe as Chief operating officer and Neerav Bhatt as Search Engine Marketing Consultant

In his position Sanson will be responsible for the execution and delivery of SEO enhanced websites for Freestyle Media clients.

Sanson brings a wealth of experience to his new role, with previous positions as Test Manager at Commonwealth Securities and Project Manager for Cycle and Carriage Automotive Services. He has worked in IT, specialising in website management, for the past nine years.

"I am looking forward to working with Freestyle Media's clients to create and deliver high quality websites that are also dynamic and relevant," Sanson said.

"Freestyle Media has a great reputation for producing excellent websites and I am excited to be part of that," he said.

Neerav will optimise existing websites and help design new websites for Freestyle Media clients, with the aim of improving site accessibility and usability. With extensive experience in web development, SEO and web standards, combined with writing and marketing skills gained through blogging and as a volunteer webmaster, Neerav will prove a valuable asset to the Freestyle Media team.

"I've been involved with professional web development for a number of years, some of them as a self-employed consultant," Neerav said.

"I will use this experience in my new role, but I also want to learn new skills in SEO, an industry which is constantly evolving," he said.

Today's issue of "The Australian" newspaper includes a feature article about Freestyle Media ...

"Online marketing agency Freestyle Media has gone from a standing start four years ago to annual revenues of $2 million and last month added Virgin Mobile to its client list ... The company's point of difference from many other online marketing agencies is the integration of search disciplines into the overall marketing campaign.

Freestyle recommends at least 20 per cent to 30 per cent of a company's direct marketing activity should be conducted online, and up to 80 per cent for categories such as travel. The firm apparently takes its own medicine: as of yesterday, Freestyle Media ranked first in Australia and internationally on Google under terms such as "internet marketing agency".

Read more of "Young gun hits the mark"

Online marketing agency Freestyle Media announced today it has been acquired by Q Ltd, a leading Australasian group of companies that provide services within the interactive advertising sector.

Q Ltd has acquired 100% of the share capital of Freestyle, one of the leading online marketing agencies in Australia. Freestyle works with clients to develop online strategies aimed at maximizing the capture and interaction of a brand with its target consumers.

The founders of Freestyle, Fred Schebesta and Frank Restuccia, will continue as joint Managing Directors under a 3-year employment agreement with the Q Ltd Group. The business will continue to operate under the Freestyle name.

"We are looking forward to being part of a bigger group," said Mr Schebesta.

"We will get some more powerhouse campaigns out there that pull millions of customers in for our clients. Keep building great converting websites and keep ranking our clients websites at the top of Google!"

Schebesta said that Freestyle plans on growing to 20-25 by the end of the year and will be opening an office in Melbourne in July. "Freestyle provides outstanding services to its clients, assisting them to cost effectively target, capture and interact with consumers online, ensuring an ongoing relationship not simply a transaction. At Q Ltd, we believe all brands can benefit from the powerful online interactions Freestyle facilitates for clients and we are delighted that they have joined the Q Ltd team" said Q Ltd's Managing Director, Paul G Choiselat.

Kevin Campbell, Q Ltd's Chairman said "Freestyle compliments Q Ltd's expansion with services that continue to add value and breadth to the interactive advertising and marketing services of the Group. We believe there will be strong synergy gains between Freestyle and the rest of Q Ltd and we welcome Fred and Frank as part of the Q Ltd team."

The purchase price comprises an upfront payment of $1,362,000 in cash and Q Ltd shares, with deferred consideration tied to the future earnings of Freestyle through to 31st December 2009. The deferred consideration is to be paid in a combination of cash and by the issue of ordinary Q Ltd shares.

Online marketing agency Freestyle Media has appointed Simone Lindsay-Rae as Online Account Manager. In this position Simone will drive the implementation of Freestyle Media's key online strategies to corporate clients with the backing of an experienced production team.

Simone has moved from Perth where she held an account management role within a pharmaceutical company and was a former national publicist for a highly regarded sports individual.

"I am revelling in the dynamic, creative environment Freestyle Media has to offer," Simone said.

"I chose Freestyle Media for their reputation of being experts at e-marketing, branding and leading providers of quality websites and I am excited at my new adventure with one of Australia's best marketing agencies."

"This is a great chance for me to work with - and learn from - Fred Schebesta and the experienced team at Freestyle Media," she said.

Are you interested in writing about Freestyle Media and our services? Contact us for more information.