Banyan Branch

It’s time to pull your hiking boots and North Face jackets out of the closet (as if you ever put them away), and prepare to get your hands dirty. Seattle Works Day is Saturday, May 19, and Banyan Branch is helping with social media strategy once again!

In this annual volunteer event, nearly 1,300 people will take to the streets, community gardens, public parks, and community centers to give our beloved Emerald City a little TLC. It’s a good way to find your passion in volunteering (maybe you’ll discover you want to volunteer at the Braille Library or for a P-Patch). There’s just so much going on in Seattle!

As the dedicated social media team for Seattle Works Day, the Banyan Branch crew probably won’t be getting our hands too dirty, but you can bet we’ll be putting our thumbs to work. Our plan is to spread out in pairs all over the city to interview volunteers and organizers at different project sites, and drive conversation about Seattle Works. In other words, we’ll be live-tweeting!

Look for pictures, interviews, and updates on Twitter with the hashtag #SWDay.

Our goal this year is to get #SWDay trending, so don’t forget to use the hashtag in all conversation about Seattle Works Day, and retweet @SeattleWorks and @BanyanBranch to your heart’s content. We would have gotten #SWDay trending last year if it wasn’t for the Rapture, which was on the same day.

It’s not too late to sign up for a team, and if you can’t make it to the main event on Saturday, May 19, you can still help spread awareness and drive conversation with the hashtag #SWDay!

We’ll see you out there!

If you’re on the lookout for the next generation of fresh ideas and energetic entrepreneurs, look no further than The Entrepreneurship Center at UW Bothell.

Banyan Branch President Blake Cahill hosted the final round of UW Bothell’s second annual Business Plan Competition on May 4, and was very impressed by the range of innovative ideas on display.

Though dozens applied, only four teams made it to the final round of the competition: Art of the Soul, CondoBids.com, EzCar, and Valeni Boots. These teams put their classroom experiences and unique ideas to the test in a head-to-head competition for $20,000 in cash and prizes. They competed in front of a distinguished panel of judges that included Dr. P.V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan (Professor, UW Bothell School of Business), Trisha Gross (President and CEO, Hubspan), Dave Parker (CEO, bundled.com, Inc., and Director, Founder Institute Seattle), and Richard (Rick) Shea (President and CEO, Spiration).

Banyan Branch was proud to sponsor the event, and Blake was excited to witness the creativity and business savvy of all the student competitors. “The overall concepts and plans were strong and well thought-out,” he says. “I would be interested in learning more about the execution tactics each team would use to bring their ideas to market.” Blake’s favorite business plan was the team that won the competition: Valeni Boots. “I was surprised and impressed by the inventive business model Valeni came up with, and I could tell the judges were, too.”

It’s exciting to see the wealth of ideas and ambition coming out of the UW business program, and we predict a bright and successful future for all the competing students. The many Puget Sound area CEOs, entrepreneurs, and angel investors who were sitting in the TEC Competition audience no doubt feel the same.

We love dogs here at Banyan Branch and encourage employees to bring theirs to work. Get to know our favorite four-legged assistants in the Dogs of Banyan blog series.

Labradors are common dogs so you can probably conjure an image of one in your head without much effort. Short hair, floppy ears, a big wet nose and a slightly droopy grin…you’ve got it. Weighing in at a solid 100 pounds, though, Bear is not your average lab.

When Megan Fleming of our Influencer Relations team adopted him last year, she was more than a little nervous about how well such a big dog would do in our space. Would he burn off his boundless energy running laps around the office? Would he bump into desks, unaware of his own size? Nope. It turns out Bear is a hibernator. He spends most of his time snoozing under Megan’s desk and occasionally gets up to do yoga stretches. She just taught him to do “downward dog” on command last week!

• Name: Bear
• Owner: Megan Fleming
• Age: 5
• Breed: Yellow Labrador Retriever
• Treat of choice: Anything that drops on the floor while my parents are cooking.
• Favorite place to sleep: My parents’ bed or the couch—both places I am supposedly “not allowed.”
• How I spend my day at the office: I really enjoy sleeping at Mom’s feet and showing off all the cool noises I can make during meetings. I get lots of treats, plenty of love from co-workers, and occasionally get put to work filming for company videos.
• My story: My parents don’t know much about my first 4.5 years, but they stumbled into my life after finding my picture on the Seattle Humane Society website. They came to meet me and instantly fell in love with my handsome looks and friendly demeanor. Now I spend my days in my very own backyard, playing in the mountains or on the coast, and sleeping—a lot. I have no interest in tennis balls or Frisbees (unless they have treats in them), but I love tug-of-war, squirrels, and cuddling!

I love this. By our very own Jason Barbacovi.

Written by Allison O’Connor, Content Manager

What does it mean to be “green”?

Seattleites are no strangers to the concept of recycling, keeping parks clean and shopping at farmer’s markets, but sometimes being green is harder than it looks. Another Earth Day has passed and we here at Banyan Branch are thinking more about our eco-footprint as a company. How can we reduce our impact, support our community, and make a difference?

A few of us got together after work one day to discuss these very questions. “What if we created a team of people who were ‘into this stuff’ and just started making things happen?” we wondered.

We came up with so many ideas in our first Green Team meeting that I can barely read the notes I frantically scribbled down. From small changes (“We should switch to paper towels made from post-consumer waste,” and “What about composting?”) to bigger ideas (“How about doing monthly volunteer events?”), we came up with some tangible and exciting goals.

In honor of Earth Day 2012, we want to share those goals with you. Here goes…

1) Clean up our act

A little goes a long way, so we’ll make sure we’re on top of our game around the office. No water bottles in the trash. No wasted paper towels in the bathroom. We’ll turn off projectors when we finish meetings and shut down our computers before leaving the office. Easy enough.

2) Go the extra mile

We’ll ride our bikes to work, use our bus passes, and walk when we can. We’ll head outside during lunch and take in the view of those beautiful mountains over the sound. And we’ll continue to support our local businesses (that means lots of Marination Mobile tacos and lattes from Cherry Street).

3) Volunteer in the community

We’ll keep an eye on local events and won’t be afraid to get our hands dirty when volunteer opportunities pop up. First on the list is Seattle Works Day, where we’ll be doing on-the-ground social media outreach for the citywide volunteer event on Saturday, May 19^th.

We’re excited to dive into these goals and will keep you updated on our progress. If you know of any community events or volunteer opportunities in the Seattle area we can participate in, tweet us at @BanyanBranch. We’d love to hear about how you (and your company) do your part!

We love dogs here at Banyan Branch and encourage employees to bring theirs to work. Get to know our favorite four-legged assistants in the Dogs of Banyan blog series.

There’s something about the sight of a wagging tail that just makes people feel good.

Unless you suffer from a rare case of extreme puppy phobia like this guy (or allergies), there’s probably nothing that will lower your blood pressure faster than a cute pair of floppy ears. In fact, studies show that having dogs in the workplace makes employees feel more relaxed and happy, causes them to get up and walk around (more playtime with the dogs!), and even stay with the company longer.

We love our pups here at Banyan Branch, and on any given day you’re certain to see at least one or two snoozing under employees’ desks. We want to share the puppy love with you and introduce our favorite dogs of Banyan. Kicking it off is a bulky little guy lovingly known as “The Tank,” Marketing Director Jess Estrada’s very own: Spike!

• Name: Spike
• Owner: Jess Estrada, Director of Marketing, and Blogger, Fresh Jess
• Age: 4
• Breed: English Bulldog
• Treat of choice: Chicken and sweet potato treats
• Favorite place to sleep: Fresh piles of laundry on my parents’ bed. Sometimes my own bed or the couch.
• How I spend my day at the office: I sleep at my mom’s feet until I get bored. I say hi to everyone in the office. When my mom leaves her desk I like to sneak off into other parts of the office. I know which door has no lock and I use my brute strength to push through that one.
• My story: I was born and raised in Olympia, Wash. I had a bunch of medical issues come up and when my parents couldn’t take care of me anymore, Bulldog Haven NW took over from there. My mom is a volunteer and supporter of BHNW, and she saw a tweet from them about me. She clicked over to their Facebook page to see a picture of me and it was love at first sight. What can I say, I’m a looker!

Jess wrote a post on her blog to raise money for my surgery, and when BHNW called to thank her, she said that she and dad wanted to adopt me. Now, I’m living the life in downtown Seattle. I get to come to work in mom’s cool office with her, and sometimes I go work out with my dad at his mixed martial arts gym. I get tons and tons of cuddle time and dog park dates. I can’t complain!

The talented team at Cheezburger visited our office today, bringing bags of information about their incredible business and even more important bags full of Dick’s Drive-In burgers, fries, and shakes.

Funny memes are everywhere (we’re looking at you Hillary Clinton), and they are fantastic ways to measure the impact of your brand marketing. Take Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World, which is more popular than ever despite a campaign launch date of 2006. The time and money spent on advertising and branding can be amplified through clever user-generated memes, which is where Cheezburger comes in. They make it easy for brands to leverage memes to promote their products, and social media adds fuel to the fire by making it easy to share memes across networks.

We’re excited to see where this relationship goes. Cheezburger and Banyan Branch go together like fries and milkshakes.

Another special thanks to the Cheezburger team. You guys (and gals) rock!

We are so excited to host KIRO 7 TV for “Connect with Jenni Hogan” this Thursday night at the Banyan Branch offices! Check out the official press release below for details. Hope you’ll tune in!

KIRO 7 OFFERS VIEWERS A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE OF PRIMETIME TV AND SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT, SHOWING HOW THE COMMUNITY CAN PLAY AN INTEGRAL PART OF HOW NEWS IS DELIVERED

Connect with Jenni Hogan to Include Integration of Livestream Broadcast

That Progresses to Interactive Primetime TV Format

Seattle, WA (March 19, 2012) - KIRO 7 Eyewitness News is announcing a new level of viewer engagement by introducing special programming during March Madness coverage that will mix traditional TV news with online livestream broadcasts and social media.  KIRO-TV anchor and social media enthusiast, Jenni Hogan, will host the show Connect with Jenni Hogan, discussing topics aimed at inspiring and educating viewers about the benefits of connecting online.

Throughout the 22^nd of March, viewers will be able to log onto www.kirotv.com at 10:00 p.m. to capture raw moments and extensive interviews with guests as they prepare to go on live TV at 10:30 p.m. on KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.

“We decided to bring this opportunity to our viewers because we are excited about being on the forefront of new ways to interact with the community and provide them with accurate and impactful information and resources delivered to them in the best way possible,” said Todd Mokhtari, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Web Manager.  “Viewers now have the opportunity to engage with newscasts in real time, and can truly impact the direction the show goes by sharing what they’re most interested in, asking questions, or making comments.”

KIRO 7’s Traffic Anchor, Jenni Hogan, was recently recognized as the ‘most followed local female TV anchor in the nation’ on Twitter, and currently has more than 120,000 Twitter and Facebook followers.  Hogan is passionate about sharing with viewers the opportunities and resources that social media can provide.  She will focus on topics aimed to inspire viewers to improve their lives and those around them through the power of connecting online.

The show will begin online with a livestream conversation, and then move to primetime TV.  The audience will be encouraged to interact online throughout the primetime segment by following hash tag #KIROConnect on Twitter, helping to create what the next generation of combined television and social media will provide.  The show will also highlight:

• Top Apps that can help save time and money;
• Ways to use technology to improve your life;
• Local celebrities and how they interact with their online communities; and
• The faces behind the online voices of your favorite brands.

Featured guests:

Josie Bissett, starred on Melrose Place

Ben Huh, CEO of Cheezburger

Blake Cahill, President of Banyan Branch

Porter Gale, Chief Evangelist of Kred

James Sun CEO of Pirq and former contestant on The Apprentice

Jean-Sun Hannah Ahn, Miss Seattle 2012.

“This is a show that can’t be done without the viewers and I’m excited to have them join us,” said Jenni Hogan. “They will be as much of a host as I am, adding their comments and helping to shape the direction as we explore the best ways to connect with each other during live broadcasts, using tools such as our mobile devices and laptops.”

Follow @BanyanBranch & @KIRO7Seattle, plus the hashtag #KIROconnect for tweets during the event!

Written by Megan Fleming

SXSW Interactive is one heck of a ride… 5 days packed with amazing speakers, insightful panels, innovative people and ridiculous parties. This year was my first SXSW experience, and I spent the first 3 days completely overwhelmed and looking, I’m sure, like a deer caught in the headlights. When I had finally begun to work out a survival strategy for the conference, it was beginning to wind down! I know a survival guide would have helped me, so I thought I’d share what I learned with all of you future SXSW newbies. Here are my top 5 tips:

1. Plan ahead:

Save money by buying your pass and booking a hotel room early. As a last-minute attendee, I cannot stress this enough. Spend some time researching before you leave for Austin and bookmark the panels and keynotes you want to see. RSVP’ing for the parties you want to attend in advance will also cut down the time you spend waiting in lines and ensure you actually get in. And finally, pick up your badge the day before the conference starts – the picture below shows only a small portion of the 2 hour line many got stuck in on day one – it’s worth the extra trip!

2. Be selective and accept the fact that you won’t make it to every event:

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of great panels and events going on, but try to get over that feeling as soon as possible. Curb your ‘missing out’ anxiety by accepting early on that it is humanly impossible to experience everything at SXSW. Do yourself a favor and pick out 2-5 events you want to attend each day and just enjoy them.

3. Don’t be shy:

Everyone is in the same boat. The majority of people at SXSW Interactive are there for work, and most of the time they’re wandering around Austin lost just like you. Don’t be afraid to sit down at a table of random people, say hi, start a conversation, and hand out those business cards. Take advantage of the designated hashtags at sessions and parties to jump into the online conversation too. The thousands of people who flock to SXSW Interactive are some of the most innovative and creative in the world. Get to know them!

4. Take care of yourself:

Don’t miss out by getting yourself sick. There is a smorgasbord of free food and drinks available everywhere at SXSW—enjoy it, but don’t skip out on sleep. Be sure to give your body time to rest and recover from all the late nights and over-indulgence. Drink water between all those free drinks, find some time to relax, and choose carrots over chips once in a while!

5. Get the Tools:

It’s time to pack. Don’t leave home without:

• Business cards – hand those suckers out!
• Phone charger – trust me, your phone/tablet is not ready for the amount of calling, texting, tweeting, emailing and Google mapping you’re going to put it through.
• The SXSW app – This handy app allows you to bookmark sessions and links directly to your social properties.
• Twitter – follow the #SXSWi hashtag and specific event hashtags to join online conversations and meet people who are in the same room.
• Pen and paper – yes, I’m totally serious. With so many people plugged into the wireless network, you’re not always guaranteed to have a fast/working connection. And remember what I said about batteries? It’s better to be safe than sorry.
• Comfy shoes – the amount of time you’re going to be on your feet is definitely worth an investment in some good shoes.
• A water bottle – Between the heat, the drinks, and all the caffeinated beverages you’ll be consuming, it’s important to keep drinking water.

I hope these tips help you out when you make the trip to your first SXSW. If you’ve been before, chime in and share your tips in the comments!

We’re thrilled to be a recipient of Lead411′s 2012 ‘Hottest Companies in Seattle‘ award.

Chosen from a pool of over 1,130 local companies in the Software, Wireless, Internet, Hardware and Media industries, Banyan Branch is one of only 44 Seattle businesses to win. It’s exciting to be mentioned in the company of so many greats, and we want to congratulate all of our fellow award recipients.

The Lead411 research team scoured hundreds of press releases and business articles on venture capital funding, company launches, new office openings, customer press releases, etc., and used their findings to cultivate a list of Seattle’s hottest, fastest growing companies. “We are very proud of the respected list of companies for the 2012 winners,” said Tom Blue, CEO of Lead411.

The year is off to a great start for us, from the exciting campaigns our clients are doing to the great press coverage we’ve received in the last few months, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of 2012 brings!

Check out the press release and find out who the other Lead411 2012 Hot Companies of Seattle are.