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BURLINGAME, Ferbuary 21—Technology public relations veteran Fred Hoar has joined VCPR, a boutique firm focused on venture-backed high-growth clients and venture capital companies, as senior counsel. Hoar will work with VCPR’s management team—including founders Lisa Kelaita and Denny Brisley—to develop client programs and build on the firm’s marketing and new business initiatives.
Before joining VCPR, Hoar was chairman of Miller/Shandwick Technologies. Earlier in his career he was vice president of corporate communications for Apple Computer, where he helped launch the Macintosh, and held various corporate communications positions with Fairchild Camera & Instrument, Genentech, and Raychem.
Hoar is also a co-founded of the Silicon Valley Band of Angels, a private investment club that helps fund entrepreneurial and early-stage companies. In seven years it has invested approximately $95 million in 130 venture deals.
According to Kelaira, “Given Fred’s history in the Valley combined with his unyielding energy, he brings to VCPR matchless knowledge and contacts. Since our agency’s creation in June, 2000, we’ve built a strong team of professionals trained in reputation management in the venture capital world. Fred adds both depth and experience, which translates directly into value to our clients.”
VCPR specializes in providing “reputation capital” for start-ups, established high technology companies and venture capital and venture capital-related services firms. Clients include Antara.net, Bivio Networks, H&Q Asia Pacific, USVP, Sanera Systems, Storm Ventures, Venture Law Group and Worldview Technology Partners.
“Brand equity has never been more important than today,” says Hoar. “During the Internet bubble, we saw brands created and then destroyed virtually overnight.” But the dot-com downfall reinforced once again that brand building must be done in a credible, sustainable way and that the strength of the company and its products or services is at the core of its brand. “Those of us involved in helping good companies craft and deliver credible messages based on real versus perceived success, must be very creative and execute much differently than before.”
Before joining VCPR, Hoar was chairman of Miller/Shandwick Technologies. Earlier in his career he was vice president of corporate communications for Apple Computer, where he helped launch the Macintosh, and held various corporate communications positions with Fairchild Camera & Instrument, Genentech, and Raychem.
Hoar is also a co-founded of the Silicon Valley Band of Angels, a private investment club that helps fund entrepreneurial and early-stage companies. In seven years it has invested approximately $95 million in 130 venture deals.
According to Kelaira, “Given Fred’s history in the Valley combined with his unyielding energy, he brings to VCPR matchless knowledge and contacts. Since our agency’s creation in June, 2000, we’ve built a strong team of professionals trained in reputation management in the venture capital world. Fred adds both depth and experience, which translates directly into value to our clients.”
VCPR specializes in providing “reputation capital” for start-ups, established high technology companies and venture capital and venture capital-related services firms. Clients include Antara.net, Bivio Networks, H&Q Asia Pacific, USVP, Sanera Systems, Storm Ventures, Venture Law Group and Worldview Technology Partners.
“Brand equity has never been more important than today,” says Hoar. “During the Internet bubble, we saw brands created and then destroyed virtually overnight.” But the dot-com downfall reinforced once again that brand building must be done in a credible, sustainable way and that the strength of the company and its products or services is at the core of its brand. “Those of us involved in helping good companies craft and deliver credible messages based on real versus perceived success, must be very creative and execute much differently than before.”
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