Back to Press Releases PDF Version Crimson Consulting Group Partner Wins Silicon Valley American Marketing Association (SVAMA) Marketing Thought Award Karen O’Brien Receives First Place Honor for Web 2.0 Entry Los Altos, Calif. - June 12, 2007 - Crimson Consulting Group, a marketing consulting firm that provides marketing strategy and execution consulting services to high technology companies, has announced that Partner Karen O’Brien has received the SVAMA’s first place award for the organization’s “Marketing Thought Leader of the Year” contest. O’Brien was selected from a group of marketers who submitted their ideas to a new blog at SVAMA set up for the contest. O’Brien received the “best idea” award for her entry, “Web 2.0 Makes You Re-Think the Basics” on Thursday, May 31st at SVAMA’s Marketing Thought event at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Marketing Thought focuses on high level ideas and concepts that can be filtered down to accelerate and enhance the use of tools, tactics, and strategies that drive results. O’Brien was one of three top marketers to be honored at the event which included keynote speakers -- Guy Kawasaki (The Art of Innovation) and Andy Sernovitz (Word of Mouth Marketing). All three Marketing Thought winners will be included in SVAMA’s upcoming book, Marketing Thought, to be published in September 2007 by Quick2Publish. A seasoned Web strategist and recently-named Crimson Consulting Group Partner, O’Brien’s entry detailed a model she frequently uses with clients that has proved useful in the strategy and planning of multiple Web-based programs and initiatives. The model takes the traditional marketing communications model of acquisition, retention and growth and makes it more effective and relevant for today’s Web 2.0 marketer. O’Brien also spoke on the topic at SVAMA’s February 21, 2007 workshop. SVAMA President Gene Hall commented, “Karen clearly is deserving of this award as she is absolutely an expert in all of the nuances of Web 2.0. Her discussion was filled with useful and actionable information – most notably her very simple idea to use Web 2.0 to attract, engage and extend – a message that’s compelling and on target.” A Partner at Crimson Consulting Group, Inc., O'Brien has over 15 years of experience delivering effective and high-value Web programs. Her clients include Verizon, Disney, ABC, Cisco, Kodak, HP, Microsoft, Nortel, Seagate, Sun, Symantec, Verio and Yamaha. Her blog can be read at http://www.crimson-consulting.com/blog_karen.html. Founded in 1991, Crimson Consulting Group (http://www.crimson-consulting.com) provides marketing strategy and execution services for high technology companies. Clients include Adobe, BEA, Cisco, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Seagate and Symantec. For more information: Maura McNulty Mediahook 650 804-4456 maura_mcnulty@yahoo.com