Former Jalopnik Editor Ray Wert Launches Digital Content and Strategy Studio Tiny Toy Car

NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ray Wert, former executive director of content for Gawker Media, today announced he has launched a digital content and advertising strategy studio, Tiny Toy Car. The agency will provide online publishers and their automotive and agency clients with customized, branded advertising content designed to entertain, inform and engage car shoppers and automotive enthusiasts.

The studio name comes from the emotions and enthusiasm that children feel when they see a toy car. They fantasize about a fast sports car or an off-road vehicle that careens over dirt trails. Wert's goal is to bring these emotions to life for adults when they engage with content featuring their favorite vehicles.

"Our goal at Tiny Toy Car is to tell our clients' stories in a way that evokes the passion and emotion that people attach to their cars and trucks," Wert said. "We see ourselves as story tellers who bring the advertisers best brand attributes to life, creating deeper, more engaging experiences for auto enthusiasts and consumers in the vehicle shopping process."

Wert developed a similar strategy for Gawker Media, where he was in charge of conceptualizing and promoting scalable branded content and conversation offerings across all eight of Gawker Media's sites. He helped create Studio@Gawker, the company's custom advertising studio that produced sponsored content for its brand partners.  In the three months following the launch of Studio@Gawker, views of sponsored content on Gawker Media brand sites jumped by 300 percent.

Prior to helping Gawker Media launch Studio@Gawker, Wert served as editor for Jalopnik.com, Gawker's automotive lifestyle site. In six years, Wert helped turn Jalopnik from a site with a precious name to the go-to industry tabloid with a precious name, and a must read for auto enthusiasts with more than two million unique visitors per month.

Under Wert's leadership, Jalopnik site traffic increased from 2 million page views per month to 32 million page views per month with average annual traffic growth of nearly 100 percent each year.

Tiny Toy Car's first client will be Gawker Media.

"We're grateful to Ray for his efforts to bring our sponsored content offerings to the next level, and look forward to continuing to work with him at Tiny Toy Car," said Andrew Gorenstein, Chief Revenue Officer, Gawker Media.

About Tiny Toy Car

Founded in 2013 by former Jalopnik.com editor Ray Wert, Tiny Toy Car (http://TinyToyCar.com) is a digital content and advertising strategy studio specializing in the automotive industry. With locations in New York and Detroit, the company provides online publishers, automakers and their agencies work together to conceptualize and develop digital content to help tell automotive stories in entertaining and engaging ways. With the growth of social media and mobile platforms, Tiny Toy Car is helping manufacturers build stronger relationships with consumers by creating deeper, more meaningful experiences in the digital space. Ray Wert can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/raywert.

SOURCE Tiny Toy Car