Eric Schwartzman, Managing Director :: Schwartzman & Associates Public Relations

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BIOGRAPHIES

ERIC SCHWARTZMAN

Eric Schwartzman, Managing Director :: Schwartzman & Associates Public Relations

SPEAKING CREDENTIALS

Eric Schwartzman, the former director of promotions at Rogers & Cowan, established Schwartzman & Associates, Inc. in 1999 to offer technology, media and entertainment clients a full range of public relations services with an emphasis on integrating the Web into every aspect of media, community, analyst and industry relations.

Schwartzman is also the founder and president of iPressroom, which helps organizations extend the impact of their public relations, corporate communications and marketing programs through easy-to-use, dynamic communications software tools and services.

With over a decade of experience as a marketing professional on the client and agency side, Schwartzman is a known advocate and early adopter of leading-edge technology, such as blogs and podcasts, who hasn't lost sight of the basics.

In addition to his public relations duties, Schwartzman edits the blog, Spinfluencer, about how public relations, the news media and emerging technologies influence perception and shape popular opinion. He also hosts the award winning podcast, "On the Record...Online" which was honored with the "Award of Excellence" from the Society for New Communications Research and the "PRSA PRism Award", and brings an audience of 25,000 listeners the story behind the story, through in-depth one-on-one interviews with mainstream journalists, influential bloggers and podcasters about how technology is changing the news media business.

Due to his insider knowledge on blogs and podcasting, Schwartzman is a frequent presenter at conferences and academic universities. Recent speaking engagements include Bulldog Reporter’s PR University, the Media Relations Conference, the Public Relations Society of America, The Software Council, EMC Entertainment Marketing Conference and Pepperdine University. He has been quoted in industry trade publications including PR Week, Ad Age, Media Relations Report [PDF], Media Relations Insider [PDF] and PR News [PDF].

Schwartzman’s background in the realm of strategic communications is extensive, with seven years experience as a senior marketer on the client side for two well-known entertainment companies. The first was Wildfire, a leading special effects company, where his efforts resulted in seven figure contracts with Walt Disney Imagineering, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Universal Studios among others. The second was an interactive games manufacturer Laser Storm, where as an internal executive officer he helped complete an $18 million initial public offering on the NASDAQ exchange in 1995.

In 1996, Rogers & Cowan, recruited Schwartzman to lead the AOL account. As the agency’s Director of Promotions, where he aligned entertainment and corporate interests to create ‘mediagenic’ cross-promotions while spearheading accounts for agency clients Sports Agent Leigh Steinberg, Marriott, Renaissance Cruises, and the Animal Rescue Foundation among others. He also directed event pressroom activities at the Grammy Awards and the Soul Train Awards, and worked in pressrooms at the MTV Video Awards, MTV Movie Awards, FOX Teen Awards, the People’s Choice Awards and countless other special events and premieres.

Schwartzman began his professional career as a writer intern on the CBS sitcom, “Doctor, Doctor” starring Matt Frewer and next as a copy writer at Red Car Production before continuing on as US contributing editor for the UK-based Leisure Management Magazine, where he covered technology and entertainment trends.

After graduating from a leading agricultural high school in Israel in 1984 as class valedictorian, Schwartzman entered Tel Aviv University, electing courses in propaganda studies. Following a short stint at New York University’s summer program, Schwartzman found his way to San Francisco State University’s School of Creative Arts, where he graduated with honors under the tutelage of scholar and philanthropist Dean August Coppola, from the intensely competitive film production core of seminars fusing semiotics, the study of how meaning is derived from images, text, film, video, animation with the nuts and bolts of filmmaking.

Eric Schwartzman lives in Santa Monica, California, is a committee member of the United Jewish Fund’s Entertainment Division. He and his wife, photographer Celia Colton, and son William are members of Brentwood Country Club where they enjoy tennis and golf.