What’s Up Interactive Announces Elevate Program to Assist Start-Ups in Atlanta

ATLANTA - Nov. 22, 2013 - PRLog -- What’s Up Interactive, an Atlanta-area marketing agency, has worked with established brands for more than 20 years to successfully connect with their audiences. Inspired by Atlanta’s growing entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to technology and innovation, What’s Up Interactive is offering its award-winning services to select local start-ups, free of charge, through its new program Elevate.

What’s Up Interactive recently launched Elevate, a mentorship program aimed at helping young brands navigate and succeed in today’s digital environment. The Elevate program is a three-pronged marketing program that begins with discovery. What’s Up Interactive engages the start-up in deep conversation to focus the program, based on the individual brand’s needs. Once direction is defined, a daylong boot camp is crafted to discuss strategy, review tactics, and develop a manageable approach for the business to begin its marketing endeavors. A follow-up meeting three months later brings the two teams back together to track progress, discuss any hurdles and define possible solutions.

"Atlanta has a vibrant, innovative start-up community and our team is committed to helping them grow,” said Richard Warner, CEO of What’s Up Interactive.  “We created the Elevate program to share our best practices and help start-ups navigate some of the challenges we've overcome."

As a local start-up in 1989, What’s Up Interactive understands the difficulties new companies face in terms of branding, connecting with the desired audience, and keeping up with growth. Having established itself in the Atlanta agency pool and having worked with national brands to develop and improve their presence in today’s digital market, What’s Up Interactive is now looking to lend its expertise to emerging area businesses. The program focuses specifically on Atlanta-area businesses, as What’s Up Interactive recognizes Atlanta as a growing leader of the technology and start-up industry and wants to help grow that position for the city it calls home.

“What’s Up Interactive is extremely pleased to launch Elevate in support of the wonderful entrepreneurial spirit that thrives in our community,” said Virginia Lewis, President of What’s Up Interactive.  “Having the opportunity to give back to others is an extremely important part of our culture, it’s in our DNA here at What’s Up. Our team is committed to this program and helping it’s recipients succeed in achieving their marketing objectives.”

umano, an Athens-based fashion brand with a social mission, has been selected as the inaugural brand for the program. Started by brothers Jonathan and Alex Torrey in 2011, umano’s mission is to empower kids in impoverished communities in the US and abroad with basic education to help them succeed. umano creates fashion essentials—sold at select boutiques across the United States, as well as on bloomingdales.com  and umano.com—that feature “PocketArt” with artwork designed by children from designated partner schools. With every pocket sold, umano donates a backpack full of school supplies to a kid from their partner schools. What’s Up Interactive believes in umano’s mission and aims, through this partnership, to help elevate the umano brand to gain more recognition and prominence in order to empower more children throughout the world.

“For Jonathan and I it all started with a simple idea: every kid deserves a chance. We set out to do fashion with a purpose and we’re super excited to work with the awesome folks at What’s Up to help elevate our brand. Our goal to give 10,000 backpacks full of school supplies in 2014 to empower kids and this program is a big step to making that happen,” said Alex Torrey, umano brother and co-founder.

What’s Up Interactive will begin accepting applications for brands looking to participate in the Elevate program in early 2014. The application can be completed online. Follow What’s Up Interactive on Twitter and Instagram (@whatsupinteract) for more information regarding the Elevate program and application deadlines.