Mother Nature Network Launches Marketing Services Firm

ATLANTA, June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Mother Nature Network (mnn.com), the Atlanta-based leader in providing environmental and social responsibility news and information, announced today the formation of Mother Nature & Partners (mnandp.com), a wholly owned subsidiary providing advertising, public relations and digital marketing services focused on environmental and corporate responsibility initiatives. 

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100616/CL21685 )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100616/CL21685 )

The new firm will be led by Tarik Sedky, who has served as chief digital officer for Young & Rubicam Advertising since 2007.

"Helping companies better communicate their sustainability programs is a core part of our mission at MNN," said Joel Babbit, MNN's CEO and co-founder. "Today's public wants to know more than just what a company sells -- they are making purchasing decisions and basing brand loyalty on how companies operate and conduct themselves. There are a large number of companies making a positive difference in the communities they serve, including employees who are contributing in significant ways.  However, there is a great deal of confusion about the best way to communicate these accomplishments.  We believe there is a significant demand for an agency that offers this specialized expertise."

Sedky, who will serve as president of MN&P, said: "Our connection to MNN gives us a unique advantage, offering unparalleled relations with the media, nonprofits, NGOs, government and community leadership. Furthermore, there is no organization that is as up-to-date or understands the topic and current landscape of environmental and corporate responsibility better. Combine that with the marketing experience of those involved, and we feel we offer a very valuable proposition."

Sedky delivers a broad and innovative perspective, combining public affairs, advertising and digital.  He began his career in Burson-Marsteller's D.C.-based environmental practice before moving to Y&R where he headed key global advertising accounts.  

For the past decade, Sedky has focused on digital.  He headed Accenture's Internet marketing group and was managing director of BBDO's North American digital agency before joining Y&R as chief digital officer.

In launching MN&P, he joins a veteran group of marketers.  Babbit spent 22 years in the advertising and PR industries, most recently as president of GCI -- one of the world's largest PR firms with 40 offices in 22 countries.  Babbit was formerly a senior advertising executive at both Grey and Chiat/Day.  MNN board member Tom Bell was chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam, Inc, and was previously chairman and CEO of Burson-Marsteller.  MNN's head of PR, Dan Beeson, led media outreach for both GCI and Porter Novelli.  MNN's VP of Social Media and Community, Hope Dlugozima, held the same position at WebMD, where she oversaw the development of the world's largest health blog.

MN&P will operate as a separate company and be based in Brooklyn, N.Y.  

About MNN

Launched in January 2009, Mother Nature Network (mnn.com) has quickly risen to become one of the Internet's most visited resources. Among the over 6,200 websites ranked in Alexa Information Services' environmental category (based on visits and pageviews - MNN is now number 5 worldwide - only surpassed primarily by government agency sites such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. National Park Service. 

Attracting visitors from more than 220 different countries, the site has achieved traffic increases every quarter since its launch, with more than 5 million visits and 28 million pageviews in Q1 2010.  Along with this growth, many of the world's best-known companies have joined MNN as sponsors, including Dell, AT&T, GE, The Coca-Cola Company, Southern Company, Georgia-Pacific, Aflac, Premiere Global, American Express, MillerCoors, Pfizer and Clorox. 

SOURCE Mother Nature Network