Buzztime Nabs New CMO: Beefs up Digital Marketing Strategy
CARLSBAD, Calif., Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NTN), North America’s leader in bar and restaurant entertainment, today announced the appointment of Barry Chandler as its new Chief Marketing Officer. In his new role, Chandler will drive Buzztime’s marketing services and platform for the benefit of its clients, which include national restaurant chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, Boston Pizza, Black Angus, and Beef O’ Brady’s. Chandler will lead all the company’s marketing efforts with special focus around content marketing and social media. Buzztime also acquired Chandler’s social media agency, Chandler Interactive, including its media properties,www.thebarblogger.com and www.manageyourbar.com.
Social media and online engagement have had a tremendous impact on the bar and restaurant industry in the last decade, while attracting new customers and extending their stay at a given location has become increasingly challenging. With Chandler’s hire, Buzztime clients will now be able to maximize their online presence while using advanced social media, email and content marketing to more effectively market about Buzztime games, events, and other promotions and drive Buzztime’s value proposition as a great tool for smarter bars.
“We are extremely pleased that Barry will be joining Buzztime as our new CMO –Barry has a rare blend of sophistication around social media and content marketing coupled with real world experience and expertise in the bar and restaurant industry. Based on that and the consulting work he has done with us over the past five months, we are confident that his expertise will accelerate our transformation from Buzztime Classic to our NextGen products and services,” said Jeff Berg, Buzztime’s Chairman and Interim CEO.
Chandler joins Buzztime with 19 years of experience in hospitality services under his belt. In 2004, he founded Ireland’s first and only online business-to-business consulting website for the hospitality industry. In more recent years, Chandler founded Chandler Interactive to help restaurants and bars attract more customers through the latest advances in marketing technology.
“With the acquisition, Buzztime is adding a digital marketing layer that cannot only be utilized in its own marketing, but in the provision of agency services to Buzztime customers,” Chandler stated. “Digital marketing for bars and restaurants is no longer a ‘nice to have’ strategy – instead, it forms the cornerstone of a successful marketing effort.”
Prior to Chandler Interactive, Chandler spent four years with Cunard Line and the Yachts of Seabourn as the youngest food and beverage controller in the history of the cruise line industry. Afterwards, Chandler pursued an advanced diploma in International Food & Beverage Management in Salzburg, Austria.
About NTN Buzztime, Inc.
NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NTN) is a leading bar and restaurant social entertainment and integrated marketing platform. Trusted by approximately 3,700 bars and restaurants in North America since 1985, Buzztime integrates trivia, card and sports games with in- and out-of-venue messaging and communication tools. With over three million registrations on the Buzztime platform and more than 52 million games played each year, Buzztime players spread the word and invite friends and family to their favorite Buzztime location to enjoy an evening of fun and competition. With Buzztime entertainment and marketing solutions, bars and restaurants attract new customers, turn casual visitors into regulars, and give guests a reason to stay longer. For the most up-to-date information on NTN Buzztime, please visit www.buzztime.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
Forward-looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements which reflect management’s current views of future events and operations, including but not limited to statements about changes to our organization and management, industry leadership, marketing and strategic activities, impact of online and social media, attracting customers, extending customer stays, client activities, NextGen products & services, company transformation, additional marketing layers and efforts, benefits of our products and services and the number of locations, players and games. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include lower than expected marketing activities or customer response to those activities, delayed or cancelled product or service offerings, the impact of alternative entertainment options and technologies, competitive products, and pricing, lower market acceptance or appeal of both existing and new products and services by particular demographic groups or audiences as a whole, the risks of adverse economic conditions, failure of customer and/or player demand, integration issues and other management and operational difficulties with our reorganization or acquisitions, termination of partnership and contractual relationships and technical problems or outages. Please see NTN Buzztime, Inc.’s recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks that may affect the Company. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and NTN Buzztime, Inc. does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes show that the indicated results or events will not be realized.
COMPANY CONTACT:
Kendra Berger
Chief Financial Officer
NTN Buzztime, Inc.
(760) 438-7400