House Party Conducts More Than 50,000 In-Home Parties Nationwide in 2008

IRVINGTON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--House Party, a leading word-of-mouth marketing company, conducted more than 50,000 parties across the country in 2008, and as a result, connected with more than 50 million consumers through direct and viral communication. House Party specializes in engaging a select group of consumer advocates to host in-home events, where a brand or product is at the center of the party. Providing an exclusive, hands-on brand experience, House Party activates brand engagement through peer-to-peer endorsement and a viral online community where consumer advocates build transactions and excitement for the brand.

“The Secret Life of An helped to achieve the number one telecast ever for the network; The 1,000 in-home parties which took place around the series premiere of TNT’s “Raising the Bar”

“House Party had an incredible 2008 and we are already in high gear for 2009,” said Kitty Kolding, CEO of House Party. “Particularly in this difficult economy, marketers are seeing the value of using House Party because we offer them an effective alternative to traditional media spending. We help them directly and personally connect with their brand advocates and consumers through authentic and fun in-home parties, and ultimately provide them access to key conversations and intentions related to their brands and products.”

Doubling its sales in 2008, House Party executed a wide range of national events, each of which consisted of 1,000 to 10,000 individual parties across the country. House Party works with a diverse range of industries including consumer packaged goods, food, beverage, alcohol beverages, television, consumer electronics, toys & games, video games, pharmaceutical and automotive. The company branched into new verticals in 2008 and experienced a 63% repeat business rate with companies including Kraft Foods, Ford and Turner Broadcasting Company.

House Party foresees its business more than doubling again in 2009 since the company is currently preparing for more than two dozen events that have already been committed for 2009 from clients including Ziplock, Sargento and Canon.

Other 2008 House Party accomplishments include:

House Party conducted its largest event of 10,000 parties across the country over one weekend for the launch of Hershey’s Bliss chocolate. Through this event, Hershey’s connected with more than 150,000 hosts and guests, and achieved more than 85 million media impressions.
House Party continues to be a vital part of the marketing mix for the entertainment industry, conducting Premiere and Viewing party events for major networks.
- The word-of-mouth marketing company’s involvement with ABC Family’s second season premiere of “The Secret Life of An helped to achieve the number one telecast ever for the network;
- The 1,000 in-home parties which took place around the series premiere of TNT’s “Raising the Bar” helped to achieve the status of highest rated series premiere on ad-supported cable ever with more than 7.7 million viewers; and
- The History Channel stated that with House Party’s participation in the launch of “Ice Road Truckers,” the network conducted one of the most successful launches in its history.

Fisher-Price realized House Party’s highest recruitment score with more than 25,000 moms signing up to be considered to host a party. Fisher-Price wanted to introduce moms to a new line of holiday toys and successfully encouraged them to purchase the toys during the holiday season.
The Ford program generated over 8,000 test drives for local Ford dealers across the country.

“Many marketers are taking advantage of the fact that consumers are nesting more and entertaining at home,” said Mindy Davis, SVP of Experiential Programs, House Party. “House Party provides them with a turnkey way to reach out and communicate with their brand advocates and consumers, and we give the consumers an excuse to have a party on behalf of the brand or product.”

House Party also saw a significant increase in host sign-ups by more than 200% as well as a major increase in site visitors, consistently eclipsing more than three million page views per month.

In 2009, the company will concentrate on broadening its word-of-mouth services, continuing to grow into different verticals, launching its new, industry leading measurement methodology, expanding internationally and executing the best possible client promotions across the country.

About House Party

Founded in 2005, House Party is a leading word-of-mouth and immersive marketing services company that engages a select group of consumer advocates to host in-home events and provides an exclusive, hands-on brand experience. The platform encourages brand credibility through peer-to-peer endorsement and a viral online community where consumer advocates can continue their conversation and excitement for the brand. Headquartered in Irvington, NY, House Party works with such industries as consumer packaged goods, food, entertainment and toy and game manufacturing. Current clients include NBC, Disney and P&G. www.houseparty.com.