Leads United and Philippe Borremans to start online business communications agency Blackline

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New agency combines business communications expertise with online social media experience

Aartselaar (Belgium), December 18, 2007 – Leads United and Philippe Borremans have jointly created Blackline; a communications agency specialized in online business communications and the use of social media.

Blackline’s focus will be on public, private and non-profit-making organisations that wish to engage with their online audiences. The agency will advise on social media such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, videocasts and social networks. Combined with offline business communications outreach tools such as press releases and media interviews, Blackline provides a tailor-made solution to reach any target group.

In addition, the agency will offer consulting and hands on training & project management. Tactical support will be provided in the form of social media releases, blogger outreach activities and the set up of optimized press rooms.

Blackline will focus on both internal and external business communications projects while partnering with other companies when online marketing or advertising skills are required.

Both parties found each other at the right time. The market potential for specialized consulting in this area is clear and the synergy of both players - Leads United in business communications and Philippe Borremans in social media – offers clients best of both worlds.

The rise of User Generated Content through new - and mostly free - online media is changing the way organizations communicate with the “people formerly known as the audience”. The traditional command and control of the relationship between message and audience has lost ground to a new phenomenon whereby consumers talk back through different media they now control.

“Exposing communications professionals to these new tools through training and consulting will be one of Backline’s top priorities” states Philippe Borremans, Managing Director of Blackline.
“It’s no coincidence that Leads United has a reputation for its innovative approach in the area of communication” says Dian Wahlen, Managing Director of Leads United.”Social media are no substitute for other tools in the field of communication, but they do make a good supplement to the communication mix. We test the water for our clients to see whether a social media campaign might make an appropriate addition for them. We see social media not only as a complementary channel for business communications but also as a new way for companies to genuinely reach out to their customers and involve them in their product and service development. As a result, the establishment of Blackline fits in perfectly with Leads United’s long-term strategy.  We have every confidence that the combination of Philippe Borremans and Leads United represents the very best in the industry.”
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This press release can also be found on: http://www.blacklineblog.com/press-releases/2007/12/18/leads-united-and-philippe-borremans-to-start-online-business.html.

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About Blackline
Blackline’s focus will be on public, private and non-profit-making organisations that wish to engage with their online audiences. The agency will advise on social media such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, videocasts and social networks. Combined with offline business communications outreach tools such as press releases and media interviews, Blackline provides a tailor-made solution to reach any target group.
In addition, the agency offers consulting and hands on training & project management. Blackline provides also tactical support like social media releases, blogger outreach activities and the set up of optimized press rooms.

About Leads United
Leads United is a communication consultancy with a clear goal in mind – placing the brands, ideas and activities of our clients in the thoughts of their target audience and keeping them there. Leads United was established in 1993 and currently has 21 employees. Our core activities are media relations, internal communications and crisis communications in the most divergent sectors.

For our multinational accounts, we make use of several PR networks to cultivate world markets with consistent messages and localised programmes. Leads United is a full member of ECCO (a worldwide network of PR and marketing communication bureaus that work both within that structure and independently).

For more information:

Dian Wahlen, Managing Director   Leads United 
Mastboomstraat 8,
2630 Aartselaar/Antwerp
Tel: + 32 3 466.01.88
Fax: +32 3 466.01.80 
E-mail: dian.wahlen@leadsunited.com
 

Philippe Borremans, Managing Director Blackline
Mastboomstraat 8
2630 Aartselaar/Antwerp
Tel: + 32 497 45 11 33
E-mail: philippe@blacklineblog.com
Website: www.blacklineblog.com

Leads United
Mastboomstraat 8
B-2630 Aartselaar / Antwerp (Belgium)
T +32 (0)3 466 01 88
F +32 (0)3 466 01 80