AUSTIN -- Powered, a leading provider of social marketing solutions, today announced the appointment of Ken Nicolson as president and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining Powered, Nicolson served as Chief Marketing Officer at Pluck, an Austin-based developer of social media technologies used by leading brands such as Circuit City, the Dallas Cowboys, Discovery, FOX News, Gannett and The Washington Post. As president and CEO of Powered, Mr. Nicolson will oversee day-to-day operations and guide the company’s overall business strategy as demand accelerates for Powered’s social marketing solutions among large consumer brands. Mr. Nicolson will also drive market and product expansion of Powered’s turnkey offerings that combine consumer education content, strategic program management and a social media technology platform proven to stimulate engagement around products and brands.

“As more and more people turn to the web to research products and connect with others, consumer brands recognize they must facilitate online community interactions that shape consideration and product preference,” said Mr. Nicolson. “Powered has proven success in helping companies like Sony engage consumers with branded educational content and rich community features that move customers from consideration to purchase faster. I’m thrilled to work with the Powered team as we continue to help marketing organizations carve out the best possible digital experience to build brand loyalty and drive sales.”

Mr. Nicolson joins Powered with over 20 years of experience in executive management and marketing roles with leading social media, online analytics and marketing optimization companies. While at Pluck, he led all aspects of product marketing and management, communications, field marketing and corporate strategy. Mr. Nicolson also served as president and CEO of Veridiem, a software firm that helped global brands optimize their return on marketing investments. While at Veridiem, Mr. Nicolson positioned the company as a leading provider of marketing optimization solutions and eventually led negotiations for its sale to SAS. Before joining Veridiem, Mr. Nicolson served as vice president of sales and marketing at Alphablox, a leading provider of web-based analytics applications. He has also served in executive marketing positions at Kiva Software, Red Brick Systems, Informix and IBM. Mr. Nicolson received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Duke University.

“Ken is a rare executive who combines market insight, stellar leadership and technology acumen with a strong marketing mind,” said Chris Pacitti of Austin Ventures. “Ken’s appointment as CEO is a testament to Powered’s success bringing social marketing strategies to the world’s largest brands, and his leadership will help Powered grow to meet the tremendous demand for integrated social media programs that deliver measurable results.”

Powered, which recently opened a Silicon Valley office, continues to post record growth, working with consumer electronics, publishing, pharmaceuticals, and lifestyle companies to develop social media programs that educate and engage consumers on brand sites. Powered launched its groundbreaking Panorama social marketing platform in November 2007 and posted nearly 70% year-over-year growth between 2006 and 2007. To date, Powered’s programs have driven nearly 100 million consumers to client sites and $1 billion in incremental sales.

About Powered Inc.

Austin-based Powered Inc. is the market and technology leader in social marketing solutions that engage consumers and move them from consideration to purchase faster. Powered provides a proven way for the world's largest brands to use social marketing to drive sales, build brand loyalty and deliver a significantly higher ROI than other marketing programs. Manufacturers, retailers, media properties and web publishers also rely on Powered to gain new insights into consumer attitudes and buying behavior. Powered works with respected brands including HP, iVillage, Motorola, RadioShack, and Sony among others. For more information, please visit www.powered.com.