Press Releases
Jon Vlassopulos joins Moderati as Chief Executive Officer
Former Endemol and AT&T Wireless executive joins mobile entertainment leader
(SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) – November 11, 2008 – Bellrock Media today announced that Jon Vlassopulos has joined its U.S. subsidiary, Moderati Inc., as Chief Executive Officer. In his new position, Vlassopulos will oversee the company's new initiatives in branded entertainment and digital entertainment services, as well as its existing mobile personalization business. In addition to his new role as CEO, Vlassopulos will also assume the title of General Manager for Bellrock Media in North America.
Vlassopulos was most recently Senior Vice President, Digital Media & Branded Entertainment for Endemol, the global leader in entertainment programming. He was responsible for building Endemol's worldwide digital business and growing the company into new areas such as casual gaming and branded entertainment. He revolutionized the interactive TV market in the U.S. with his work on hit shows like "Deal or No Deal". Prior to that, he served as Senior Director, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at AT&T Wireless, launching major media brands on AT&T services including mMode. While at the carrier, he directed the launch of the first wireless music service, and ran major mobile marketing campaigns with brands like McDonalds and Kelloggs. At AT&T, he helped launch Moderati's Modtones ringtone service on mMode. His background also includes multiple executive positions at Bertelsmann in New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
With the hiring of Vlassopulos, Moderati signals the addition of branded entertainment products for mobile and broadband platforms. Its longstanding relationships with U.S. carriers and ability to quickly create and deploy mobile content, applications and sites positions it well to take advantage of the shift from traditional and digital advertising to integrated brand promotions and content.
"We're delighted to welcome Jon to the Moderati team," said Hiroshi Nakata, CEO of Bellrock Media. "His deep experience in branded and mobile entertainment will help pave the way for some exciting new initiatives."
"It is clear that the future of digital media and advertising are blending and I am excited to be tasked with creating a next generation global media company that delivers value to content providers and brands across all digital platforms," said Jon Vlassopulos, CEO of Moderati Inc. "The team at Moderati have done a great job so far and I look forward to building on the foundation they have put in place."
Founded in 2001 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese firm Faith Inc., Moderati is a leader in the mobile entertainment space in the U.S. The company is known for its original consumer products (Modtones and Mobile Faker), and has come to dominate the market for on-deck mobile content aggregation. Moderati has also been helping major brands innovate with new digital experiences, such as its introduction of the Virtual Zippo Lighter for the iPhone. The product has already seen more than 600,000 downloads and is one of the most popular applications in the iPhone App Store.
Bellrock Media, which acquired Moderati in 2007, creates original content that features organic integrations of branding and marketing messages, and distributes this premium content for mobile and broadband platforms throughout North America and Japan. Bellrock is backed by Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd., which is the largest media company in Japan with interests in talent management, entertainment venues and TV and film production
Vlassopulos will be working closely with the company's current management, including co-founder and SVP Marketing, Cindy Mesaros, and will be based at Moderati's headquarters in San Francisco, California.
About Moderati, a Bellrock Media Company
Moderati is a digital content agency that helps media companies and consumer brands connect with their consumers through the creation of engaging entertainment experiences. The company delivers the best digital content to consumers when, where and how they want it, with a mission to engage and entertain through creativity, technology and humor. Moderati has deep roots in mobile content and entertainment, and has been a trusted partner of top-tier wireless carriers and major media companies since 2001, having delivered over 100M individual content downloads. The company is a subsidiary of Japan's leading branded entertainment production company, Bellrock Media, backed by Yoshimoto Kogyo, the largest pure play media company in Japan with interests in TV, talent representation, film, music, physical venues and consumer products. Moderati is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit the Website at http://www.moderati.com.
All trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Former Endemol and AT&T Wireless executive joins mobile entertainment leader
(SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) – November 11, 2008 – Bellrock Media today announced that Jon Vlassopulos has joined its U.S. subsidiary, Moderati Inc., as Chief Executive Officer. In his new position, Vlassopulos will oversee the company's new initiatives in branded entertainment and digital entertainment services, as well as its existing mobile personalization business. In addition to his new role as CEO, Vlassopulos will also assume the title of General Manager for Bellrock Media in North America.
Vlassopulos was most recently Senior Vice President, Digital Media & Branded Entertainment for Endemol, the global leader in entertainment programming. He was responsible for building Endemol's worldwide digital business and growing the company into new areas such as casual gaming and branded entertainment. He revolutionized the interactive TV market in the U.S. with his work on hit shows like "Deal or No Deal". Prior to that, he served as Senior Director, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at AT&T Wireless, launching major media brands on AT&T services including mMode. While at the carrier, he directed the launch of the first wireless music service, and ran major mobile marketing campaigns with brands like McDonalds and Kelloggs. At AT&T, he helped launch Moderati's Modtones ringtone service on mMode. His background also includes multiple executive positions at Bertelsmann in New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo.
With the hiring of Vlassopulos, Moderati signals the addition of branded entertainment products for mobile and broadband platforms. Its longstanding relationships with U.S. carriers and ability to quickly create and deploy mobile content, applications and sites positions it well to take advantage of the shift from traditional and digital advertising to integrated brand promotions and content.
"We're delighted to welcome Jon to the Moderati team," said Hiroshi Nakata, CEO of Bellrock Media. "His deep experience in branded and mobile entertainment will help pave the way for some exciting new initiatives."
"It is clear that the future of digital media and advertising are blending and I am excited to be tasked with creating a next generation global media company that delivers value to content providers and brands across all digital platforms," said Jon Vlassopulos, CEO of Moderati Inc. "The team at Moderati have done a great job so far and I look forward to building on the foundation they have put in place."
Founded in 2001 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese firm Faith Inc., Moderati is a leader in the mobile entertainment space in the U.S. The company is known for its original consumer products (Modtones and Mobile Faker), and has come to dominate the market for on-deck mobile content aggregation. Moderati has also been helping major brands innovate with new digital experiences, such as its introduction of the Virtual Zippo Lighter for the iPhone. The product has already seen more than 600,000 downloads and is one of the most popular applications in the iPhone App Store.
Bellrock Media, which acquired Moderati in 2007, creates original content that features organic integrations of branding and marketing messages, and distributes this premium content for mobile and broadband platforms throughout North America and Japan. Bellrock is backed by Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd., which is the largest media company in Japan with interests in talent management, entertainment venues and TV and film production
Vlassopulos will be working closely with the company's current management, including co-founder and SVP Marketing, Cindy Mesaros, and will be based at Moderati's headquarters in San Francisco, California.
About Moderati, a Bellrock Media Company
Moderati is a digital content agency that helps media companies and consumer brands connect with their consumers through the creation of engaging entertainment experiences. The company delivers the best digital content to consumers when, where and how they want it, with a mission to engage and entertain through creativity, technology and humor. Moderati has deep roots in mobile content and entertainment, and has been a trusted partner of top-tier wireless carriers and major media companies since 2001, having delivered over 100M individual content downloads. The company is a subsidiary of Japan's leading branded entertainment production company, Bellrock Media, backed by Yoshimoto Kogyo, the largest pure play media company in Japan with interests in TV, talent representation, film, music, physical venues and consumer products. Moderati is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit the Website at http://www.moderati.com.
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All trademarks and/or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.