blast! PR Appoints Veteran Marketing Executive Lana McGilvray as Principal; Opens Austin Office

NEW YORK, NY and AUSTIN, TX and SANTA BARBARA, CA--(Marketwire - Mar 20, 2012) - blast! PR, the number one public relations firm for the digital media industry, today announced that Lana McGilvray has been appointed Principal and will work side-by-side with Bryan and Kathleen Formidoni, who co-founded the agency in 2000.

This news represents the PR agency's commitment to growth and geographic expansion in response to the overwhelming demand for full-service strategic public relations services in the digital media space. McGilvray brings a wealth of experience heading up marketing and public relations for successful companies, most recently at PulsePoint, a NY-based media technology company.

In her new role, McGilvray is immediately responsible for strategic guidance to blast! PR's top clients and will help oversee the growing national staff. In support of blast! PR's geographic expansion plans, McGilvray has established an Austin, Texas office and is in the process of extending their footprint in New York City.

"Lana has been a client, mentor and friend for nearly a decade and we are so happy to announce her as a Principal of blast! PR," said Kathleen Formidoni. "For the past 11 years, our agency strived to deliver the best customer service and results-driven public relations services possible. Lana is like-minded and the perfect candidate to help continue our mission while also growing the agency."

What Industry Experts are Saying

"I consider Lana one of the top five marketers in the industry. The fact that Lana has decided to join blast! PR versus pursuing high-profile technology marketing roles that came her way is a huge win for the firm and its clients." - David Baker, Vice President, Acxiom Corp.

"Lana has consistently demonstrated a tireless dedication to the ethics and principles that underlie the nascent digital industry. She excels at all that she does, and inspires those around her to do so as well." - Rebecca Lieb, Digital Advertising and Media Analyst, The Altimeter Group

"Lana's appointment to this position will position blast! PR to extend their success to areas beyond their wildest dreams. It is phenomenal acquisition of talent." - Jeanniey Mullen, CMO, Zinio

blast! PR has guided numerous high-profile technology companies like BlueLithium and Teracent to mergers and acquisitions. The agency has also achieved an indisputable record of success serving and partnering with category leaders across the agency, design, media and entertainment, technology and venture capital sectors. blast! PR's digital media practice is among the most prestigious in the U.S. and continues to expand, even as new practice areas are added such as mobile and social. The firm and its clients are the frequent recipients of top business, leadership and service awards and contribute to a world-class range of publications and blogs. As the success stories continue, demand for blast! PR's service continues to grow, both in the United States and abroad.

McGilvray stated, "I am honored to join blast! PR. It is a key time in the blast! PR's history and I am excited to help the team and our clients to continue forging innovative, smart and responsible market leadership by example."

Prior to her tenure as Vice President of Marketing at Pulsepoint, she led marketing efforts at SKYLIST, Datran Media and UnsubCentral through their acquisition by PulsePoint last year. During her decade-long tenure, the company achieved two highly successful mergers, numerous acquisitions, a myriad of Fortune 500 client wins, substantial media, social attention and key awards.

Earlier in her career, McGilvray served in key marketing and leadership roles at Concero, Columbia University, the City of White Plains and McCann-Erickson Worldwide.

Alongside her career responsibilities, McGilvray was also instrumental in the development and support for critical industry and consumer protection organizations, laws and forums including the Direct Marketing Association's Email Experience Council, the CAN-SPAM Act, The Future of Privacy Forum, the Online Trust Alliance and Privacy Chat. She remains dedicated to supporting each as well as the brand-, agency- and publisher-focused councils, programming boards and content committees on which she continues to serve.

McGilvray received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York and was awarded a full-scholarship and assistantship to Fordham University's Graduate of Public Communications in partnership with the Columbia Institute of Tele-Information. During this time, she worked for legendary communications pioneers Dr. Everett C. Parker and Eli Noam.

About blast! PR:
Founded in 2000 by Internet advertising Oldtimers and digital media pioneers, blast! PR is now the #1 PR agency for digital media. The agency proudly works with various clients across the online advertising ecosystem. The agency specializes in digital media, social media, video, email with strength in vertical offshoots such as Automotive, CPG and Retail. The full-service agency has staff across the country including Austin, TX., New York City, Raleigh, NC., San Francisco, Santa Barbara, CA., and Washington D.C. For more information, please visit www.blastpr.com and follow us on Twitter @blastpr.