Some highlights include:

• The Light the Night Walk for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society: $1225 raised and many hours helping prepare for the walk
• Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC: Donation of 290 lbs of food and volunteer hours
• School Supply Drive: Over 1,300 items donated
• Habitat for Humanity, Durham: Donation of tools. Help building and renovating several house including the Agape School.
• Bronto helped restore the damaged Brontosaurus at the NC Museum of Life & Science with a challenge grant from Bronto CEO, Joe Colopy for “Project Bronto.”

• Total Volunteer Hours: 326 hours
• Volunteer hours donated on Bronto Time: 205 hours
• 10 Bronto sponsored accounts for local non-profits

These sponsored accounts are a unique way that Bronto can give back, allowing non-profits to strategically communicate with donors, volunteers, and supporters.  Through this communication they can increase donations, maintain connections with supporters and actively communicate with volunteers.

TESTIMONIALS:
“We wouldn’t be able to reach artists, citizens, travelers without Bronto!” – Rebecca Moore, NC Arts Council

“Bronto has been such an important tool for us and we look forward to the opportunity to continue our use of it” – Habitat for Humanity of Durham

“I wanted to give a huge thank you to you and all the Brontos that helped volunteer the day of the event.  The set up went so well and we could not have gotten it all done without your manpower…. I’m amazed by the great support and enthusiasm that your group has for community service and we are very lucky to be one of the organizations that you chose to support.” - Liz Miller, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Eastern North Carolina Chapter

However, we’re not stopping anytime soon.  Bronto CEO, Joe Colopy has led the charge with another challenge grant to help relief efforts in Haiti.  If Brontos raise $1,000, Joe will add another $1,000 to relief efforts through The American Red Cross.  There are already plans to continue supporting the Food Bank, Habitat of Humanity, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and we’ll continue to search out and assist charities in need.  Here’s to doing what we can to help the community in 2010.

Caroline Smith
Marketing Operations Associate

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On Friday, Dec. 18th the Bronto team gathered for an annual holiday luncheon.  The highlight was the famous White Elephant Gift Exchange.  Brontos are encouraged to bring in a gift, take a number and pick from a large gift pile.  From gift cards to unmentionables – the items run the gamut from the practical to the hilarious. Highlights included a Sham Wow, a dog Snuggie, ChocoWine, multiple copies of the Hangover and a hermit crab complete with full terrarium (you can thank Bronto CEO Joe Colopy for that gem).

Later that night, Brontos and their significant others met up for the annual Holiday Party.  This year the party was hosted at West End Wine Bar in Durham.  With seasonal music blaring, Brontos dined on heavy hors d’oeuvres and socialized with their fellow co-workers and special guests.

Entertainment include, but wasn’t limited to:

• Karaoke
• A Hypnotist
• Prize Giveaways
• Bronto Superlatives
• A Roving Magic Show complete with parrot

When Brontos weren’t singing along to hit songs, they were put under a trance by the hypnotist.  “KC” Cameron, local hypnotist, had several Brontos under his spell for 30 minutes running them through fun scenarios including “trust falls.”  All Brontos came out unscathed.

Bronto CEO Joe Colopy and COO Chaz Felix led the charge to give away fun prizes such as:

• 1 free day of PTO
• “Get out of kitchen duty” card
• Life size employee image in the Bronto HQ from FatHead
• Movie viewing privileges during work
  

The party was topped off by Bronto Superlatives, awards for the people, by the people.  With 10 awards, everyone was vying for the famed “Golden Bronto” with various categories such as “Favorite Bronto,” “Iron Chef Bronto,” and a “Professionality Award.”

Didn’t make the luncheon or the party?  Take a look at this video summing up 5+ hours of fun into 1 minute:

Have trouble viewing the video?  Check out YouTube or Blip.tv

So, here’s to a great 2009 and an even better 2010!

Caroline Smith
Marketing Operations Associate

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Here on Brontonation we often announce an open position, but this time we’re trying something different.  We’re going to talk with three people in this position to get a picture of “a day in the life of an OMS.”  I recently talked with Kimberly Snyder, Kelly Lorenz and Kristen Gregory to get a snapshot of their day along with why they love their job.

What do you enjoy about your work?

Kimberly Snyder:

• Guiding my clients to implement robust email marketing programs which truly impact their profitability.
• Working alongside a client as their partner – enjoying their big wins together.
• Being part of an extremely savvy strategic team – who love email marketing with a passion.
• Helping clients push the boundaries of email marketing.
• Seeing your client reap the rewards from smart testing practices.
• Knowing your email marketing expertise can actually help your client be a “game changer.”

Kelly Lorenz:

• You also really get to know your clients and they often treat you as a member of the team, which is rewarding and helps build trust.
• One of my favorite things is the ability to connect with my clients and really learn their business to help them succeed. It’s not just about advising them, it’s about partnering with them and experiencing the successes together.

Kristen Gregory:

• One reason I love my job is that I KNOW I am making a difference in the lives of my clients. Hearing the “Aha!” moments during calls, getting feedback that the advice I give is truly helpful and seeing tangible results reflected in the data, I am sure that my position matters and makes an impact.
• I love the fact that I am the partner and the ally to my marketing clients. I really enjoy educating on best practices. I love working with and learning about such a wide variety of businesses and getting to interact closely with many different personalities.
• I also think part of the reason that the Strategic Services offering is so successful, beyond our ability to learn our clients’ businesses and give stellar advice, is that we really care and want our clients to succeed. Clients can sense that.

What’s your daily life like?

Kelly

• Daily life would include keeping up with industry blogs and best practices, developing agendas and talking points for client calls, scheduled client calls, pre-sales support, and developing and writing blog posts.
• I think our role is to be our clients’ partners in email marketing and to help guide them to success. I think our internal role is to be the go-to resource on best practices and strategic guidance for the sales team and marketing team as well as to be the voice of our clients with the engineering and product development teams.
• We help push the product forward based on new trends in the industry and client needs.

Kristen

• Each day we meet with multiple clients to discuss their email marketing progress and present new ideas to improve their programs. Between calls, we are writing up call notes and sending clients follow-up materials to support the call topics, evaluating the efforts of clients and preparing for upcoming calls, attending internal meetings, working on blog posts and squeezing in industry research so that we can stay on top of best practices and trends.

How do you learn and grow as a professional in this position?

Kelly

• I feel that I learn something new everyday. There is always a new trend, a new feature, a new client challenge… that it never gets boring!
• Working in a team which allows me to bounce ideas and thoughts off of them and gain new perspective.
• I really enjoy getting to flex my own creative and writing muscle contributing to the blog and our bi-weekly best practices newsletter – these are opportunities to take what you’ve learned and become the “expert.”

So there you have it.  A great job at a great company.  Think you’re up for a rewarding challenge?  If so, apply today for Bronto’s Online Marketing Strategist.

Caroline Smith
Marketing Operations Associate at Bronto

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Bronto provided chicken and turkey complimented by sides ranging from mashed potatoes and gravy to corn and stuffing.  Every Bronto team member was encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert.  There was a “relish-off” between VP of Sales, Matt Williamson and VP of Marketing, Susan Wall – featuring Matt’s gingered cranberry kumquat relish against Susan’s cranberry-apricot relish.  However, their competition was nearly overshadowed by another food challenge, the “cobbler-off” between Chaz Felix, COO, and Brandon Wilkins, Territory Sales Executive pitting an apple crisp against Chaz’s blueberry cobbler.

Although the final victor of these competitions wasn’t determined, it was clear that Brontos met the call to fill the table with many delectable treats.  In addition to numerous pumpkin pies, there was a selection of cold salads, homemade salsas, breads and cookies.

To wash down this oversized lunch, Bronto’s unofficial resident bartender, Brandon Wilkins, constructed a signature beverage to celebrate the occasion, the “Turkey Trot” – Wild Turkey, 7Up, and cranberry juice.

The team sat together at long tables as Bronto’s CEO, Joe Colopy, addressed the team noting the many things Bronto is thankful for as we are nearing the end of 2009.

From Bronto, we hope that you and your family have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Caroline Smith
Marketing Operations Associate

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Kimberly has been living on the West Coast and was the Email Marketing Manager at online retailer Altrec.com.  At Altrec, Kimberly managed all aspects of promotional and transactional email marketing campaigns.  Missing the unique culture, friendships and opportunity for career growth, Kimberly has made her way back to the East Coast and Bronto.  Kimberly is working as an Email Marketing Strategist and will again be providing Bronto’s clients with outstanding advice on email marketing best practices and email campaign optimization.  She will also be bringing her newly acquired online retail experience to blog posts in the near future.

Click To Play

Trouble viewing the video? Check it out on Blip.tv

Joining Kimberly on her move back to North Carolina are her very supportive husband and adorable little man, Trace.  When not at work, Kimberly spends her free time being a mom and enjoying time with her family.

We are so excited to have Kimberly and her contagious laughter back in the Bronto offices.

Stacy Lyons
Corporate Recruiter at Bronto

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Take a moment to “walk through” the Bronto offices to see just how elaborate some of the decorations were.  If you have trouble viewing the video, try YouTube.

Bronto’s Client Services Team won the glory and gold (a gift card to Tyler’s Taproom) with their stunning rendition of The Addams Family mansion.  They also won the award for best group costume, in keeping with their decorating theme, they dressed as The Addams Family.  From the “Soggy Bronto Bottom Boys” to celebrating the Holidays, to The Addams Family – the competition was tough, but The Addams Family came out ahead.

For the individual costume winner many strong contestants entered to win, such as The Killer Bee, The IT Guy, the “pimp,” doctor, Data (from Star Trek: The Next Generation), but in the end the crowd applauded for Data with the most fervor.  Data – as expected, showed no emotional enjoyment in the victory.

Take a look at some of the other costumes on display at Bronto in the video below or some pictures from the party.

Trouble viewing the video?  Try Blip.tv or YouTube

From the Bronto family to yours, have a safe and happy Halloween!

Caroline Smith
Marketing Operations Associate

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At Bronto, we work hard and the last four months have been no exception.  The entire Bronto team worked towards another product milestone, the Bronto 2009 Fall Release.  Just take a look at what this release entailed.

Since the release went live Sunday, Oct. 4th, it was only fitting that Bronto celebrated with the first ever BrontOberfest – a celebration of Bronto accomplishments while welcoming the Fall season.

During lunch, the Bronto team was treated to a true Bavarian feast complete with authentic German food (wienerschnitzel, pretzels, bratwurst, potato salad) which was paired with a hearty German beer.  During the celebration, the Bronto Headquarters in Durham, NC could have been easily confused with a small town in Deutschland.

With long “bier hall” tables setting the stage, Brontos enjoyed the themed lunch with cheers of “Prost!” to celebrate the long hours of hard work to make the Bronto application more powerful, help clients to use Bronto better and ultimately help our clients become better marketers.

Caroline Smith
Marketing Operations Assistant @Bronto

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Scott Wood just relocated to Durham from the other “Big D,” Dallas. Scott brings over 10 years of experience in sales to Bronto. Most recently, Scott was an Account Executive with Forrester Research where he sold IT research, services and consulting.

When not pounding the phones looking for new sales opportunities, Scott can be found cheering on his beloved Texas A&M Aggies. Warned that living in the Triangle requires fan-ship of either Duke, NC State or Carolina – Scott has already chosen the Wolfpack as his local team. In addition to sports, Scott is also a theater buff. Keep an eye out for him at the local Little Theater, he may be headlining a play in the near future.

Trouble viewing the video? Try YouTube or Blip.tv

Michael “Moose” Musolf is also an experiences sales professional.  He brings over 15 years of experience in research, print and direct mail sales to Bronto.  Michael’s last sales role was with StrikeIron.  Michael started as an Enterprise Sales Executive and quickly moved into a Partner Manager role.

Michael is expecting his first child early next year. Baby Musolf will have plenty of buddies to play with – the Musolf’s currently have 3 dogs and 6 cats, all rescued from shelters. Michael is very active and enjoys running.  We definitely expect him to join the rest of the Bronto Triathletes next summer in the annual Sprint Triathlon.

Trouble viewing the video? Try YouTube or Blip.tv

We welcome Scott and Michael to the Bronto team! If you are interested in joining Bronto’s growing team, check out our current job openings.

Stacy Lyons
Corporate Recruiter @ Bronto

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Jeff originally hails from Louisiana and after majoring in mechanical engineering he went to straight to EDS and entered their heralded Developers Program.   Jeff has founded a couple of technology consulting ventures and is very familiar with building and managing teams.  For the last 7 years, Jeff has been in the Software as a Service (SaaS) space.  First with VOVICI, an enterprise survey software organization and NEMEA, compliance and remediation software.

Outside of work, Jeff enjoys spending time with his family especially watching sports and cheering the LSU Tigers and Washington Redskins to victory.  Jeff is also a history buff and enjoys watching old school World War II movies, his favorite being 1949’s Battleground.

Trouble viewing the video? Try YouTube or Blip.tv.

Jeff – welcome to Bronto, we are excited about having you on board and look forward to watching and assisting you with building our Production Engineering team.

Stacy Lyons
Corporate Recruiter at Bronto

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So, why bocce?  This easy-going lawn game is the perfect way to get out and enjoy the day without having to over exert yourself physically.  Teams can compete for 10-30 minutes during the day without affecting their work schedules.

The tournament was intense but players were always lighthearted. Most just enjoyed the ability to meet new people and play a fun game of bocce.  After a week of play, it was down to four teams.  On Wednesday, Sept. 30th the final teams met to play.  The teams:  Kid-n-Play (McKinney), Palin 2012.5 (Bronto Software), Team 1 (Square 1), and The Big Lebocce (Bronto Software) battled it out for the title of Downtown Durham Bocce Battles champion and the coveted prize of a $50 gift card to Tyler’s Tap Room.  After a very tough battle between Team 1 and Palin 2012.5 (you can see why in the video below), Bronto’s Palin 2012.5 reigned victorious. Click on the Bocce Battles logo below to see a video of the tournament.

Click To Play

Trouble viewing the video? Try YouTube or Blip.tv.

Palin 2012.5 is a team composed of Adam Covati, Product Manager and John Gunther, Technical Writer/eLearning Specialist and was inspired by a cardboard cut out of Sarah Palin. However, all players and guests were winners as for the final celebrations, everyone enjoyed beer from Tyler’s on a near perfect afternoon, socializing with other American Tobacco Campus employees.

Bronto looks forward to helping to organize another tournament with local business in the future.  Cornhole anyone?

Caroline Smith
Marketing Operations Associate at Bronto
@bronto

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