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Bio — Keith Bates Keith Bates has a track record of entrepreneurial efforts and high tech ad agency management spanning more than 30 years. His primary efforts have been directed towards the growth of his agency, Keith Bates & Associates, which he founded in 1970. During this same period he also founded a high tech PR firm, a software company focused on the Ag market, a consumer publication with worldwide distribution, and an international travel information services company. He has been a communications consultant to companies ranging from such industry giants as Arthur Andersen (when they were behaving themselves), Boeing, Chasm Institute, IBM, JD Edwards, Lawson, Novarra, SmartForce and Zenith Data Systems to dozens of VC and angel funded startups.

Bates began his ad career at Foote, Cone & Belding and entertained briefly, overtures from both FCB and Ogilvy & Mather to merge with them in the mid 90s. In addition to time spent with Foote, Cone & Belding, and prior to the founding of his own ad agency, Bates was employed as an art director for CNA, art director for Allied Radio (now Tandy Corp), sales promotion manager for Zenith Hearing Aids.

He also launched an in-house ad agency for Kitchens of Sara Lee, and performed as an account supervisor on the Sears account for Vogue Wright Studios (at the time the world's leading photo and art studio).

Bates pioneered the development of the Marcom Engine in 1993 bringing to the technology sales and marketing environment an easily understood and manageable business process to replace the traditionally inconsistent random task approach to marcom management. The Marcom Engine successfully blends the disciplines of both Business Process Reengineering and Integrated Direct Marketing Communications. He also pioneered the 90-Day Blitz, the company’s most popular service.

In the spring of 2000 Bates contracted a serious illness which forced him into temporary retirement. Fully recovered one year later he started up a marketing strategy and business planning consultancy for technology vendors which he operates from a home office, assisted by a multitude of long-term industry associates. The focus is on creativity, big ideas, driving market awareness, and lead generation while lowering the cost of sales.