Atlanta-based business earns victory in corporate social networking competition among locally based competitors in large company category; advances to compete in national contest
ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apartment Guide, a leading resource for apartments for rent nationwide, today earned victory in the Atlanta market Social Madness competition, a matchup of Atlanta-based companies vying to show leadership in social networking influence. By beating 10 large company category competitors in the Atlanta market, Apartment Guide now moves on to national bracket competition, potentially facing companies such as FedEx Corp., Target and Southwest Airlines for the honor of being named the organization with the most social influence.
“We’re pleased to have come out on top in the Atlanta competition and hope to further validate our emphasis on social media as a key business driver when we compete in the upcoming national phase,” said Arlene Mayfield, Senior Vice President, PRIMEDIA and President, Apartment Guide, Rentals and Homes divisions. “Social media tools are highly effective for extending our advertisers’ reach, driving more qualified leads and facilitating faster filling of vacancies, and this is why we’ve embraced the technology so wholeheartedly.”
During the local market phase lasting from June 1 – July 16, Apartment Guide garnered 6,507 votes earned through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn activity and direct votes during competition. In total, 127 companies competed in the Atlanta market. In moving on to the national phase, the company will be one of 64 entrants, seeded according to total points earned during the local rounds. The national competition consists of seven weeks, from July 24 – Sept. 10. Head-to-head matchups based on seeding (#1 seed vs. #64 seed, #2 seed vs. #63 seed, etc.) will take place each week for the first five weeks, as the 64-company field is narrowed to two finalists. The two finalist competitors will participate in a two-week final round, with the company receiving the highest vote total from the start of local competition through the end of the final round being named the victor.
“We encourage all individuals connected to us through social channels including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to cast their votes and show their support,” said Mayfield. “We’ll face intense competition from well-known organizations, but we know our social presence is strong enough to help Apartment Guide prove worthy of inclusion among industry leaders.”
The Social Madness competition is presented by Capital One Spark Business. The 43-city local and national promotion, designed to measure the growth of companies’ social presence, involved thousands of companies in three categories based on organization size – large (500-plus employees), medium (100-500 employees) and small (fewer than 100 employees).
About Apartment Guide
A 36-year apartment industry expert, Apartment Guide helps millions of consumers nationwide find an apartment through innovative Internet, mobile and social media solutions. A trusted brand, it is a primary apartment search resource, offering potential renters content-rich apartment listings and information. For more information visit http://www.apartmentguide.com or http://www.listonapartmentguide.com
About PRIMEDIA
PRIMEDIA helps millions of consumers nationwide find apartments, houses for rent or new homes for sale through its category-leading web sites and mobile applications, including ApartmentGuide.com, Rentals.com, RentalHouses.com and NewHomeGuide.com. PRIMEDIA continues to simplify the consumer home search and drive leads that result in occupancies for property management companies, landlords, new home builders and real estate professionals. PRIMEDIA was acquired by TPG July 13, 2011. For more information, visit www.primedia.com.
About TPG
TPG is a leading global private investment firm founded in 1992 with $49 billion of assets under management and offices in Fort Worth, San Francisco, Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. TPG has extensive experience with global public and private investments executed through leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, growth investments, joint ventures and restructurings. TPG seeks to invest in world-class franchises across a range of industries. Some of the firm’s well-known investments include Continental Airlines, Burger King, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Hotwire, Travelocity, J.Crew, Petco and Neiman Marcus. Please visit www.tpg.com for more information.
PRIMEDIA, Apartment Guide and ApartmentGuide.com are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of PRIMEDIA Inc.
(C) PRIMEDIA Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.
