SocialxDesign, An Influence Firm For The Socially-Networked Economy, Launches With DC and California Offices

Today, a new marketing and influence firm called SocialxDesign (pronounced Social “by” Design) launches with offices in hotspots Sunnyvale (Silicon Valley, Union Square (San Francisco), and K St. (Washington, DC).

According to an email to Publicyte from one of the co-founders, Tony Chaudhuri, a DC-based public affairs consultant:

In the face of austerity and caution in Washington, our approach aims to boldly increase the impact – while decreasing costs – of government agencies, NGOs and businesses by empowering the people they serve to take part in the work. And with ties to researchers at Stanford – who helped many companies, like Facebook and Instagram, optimize social technologies – we’re bringing this method to the public sector arena.

We’re calling the company SocialxDesign (pronounced Social “by” Design.) We’re positioned to help organizations remake themselves for the socially networked economy – connecting online and offline activities, social and communications, and increasingly diverse and multicultural populations.

Tony Chaudhuri's co-founders in SocialxDesign are Barbara Bates, the co-founder and CEO of Eastwick, a top technology communications agency, and Giovanni Rodriguez, who helped create Deloitte’s "postdigital" practice (online and offline).

According to a Campaigns and Elections post about SocialxDesign, Chaudhuri describes the Obama campaign's "Dashboard" (their online organizing network) as a simplified example of what's possible - the "tip of the iceberg." Coverage in the National Journal's Influence Alley column discusses their current client roster in general terms:

The firm's D.C. offices will focus primarily on member-based, non-governmental organizations as well as local, state and federal campaigns. They have have about 10 clients so far, including continuing work with the White House and a State Department Middle East and North Africa project. They also have lined up in their roster a few start-up companies and a federal campaign, which Chaudhuri said he couldn't disclose yet.

Going into the conventions in just under two weeks, it will be interesting to see what kind of official or unofficial presence SocialxDesign and its co-founders will have in Tampa and Charlotte.