TheBuzz
TheBuzz
The hubris
of Comm-PacFrom a Keeaumoku Street living room to a funky tech-biz-kibbutz on Merchant Street to a downtown penthouse office, Web-based marketing company Hubris Online LLC has moved and shaken and now been purchased.
Founded in May 2000 and listing principals Brian Schatz and Linda Kwok, the transaction involved Hubris' Technology Director Allen Galiza as a third principal, according to Kitty Lagareta, chief executive of Communications-Pacific Inc. The public relations company last week announced the purchase but did not disclose the price.
Schatz, a Democrat, is the state Representative for Makiki and, following a merger of a different sort last fall, Kwok is now known by her married name -- Linda Schatz.
Hubris' name will also be changed, to CP Interactive, a division of Comm-Pac at its main offices on Fort Street Mall.
Linda Schatz will run the division as a Comm-Pac vice president, Lagareta said, while Brian Schatz will continue in his role as a manager and strategist on a part-time basis while the Legislature is in session.
"We took everybody who was a full-time employee," Lagareta said. "It was quite a successful, profitable little company and we needed the four who came over to run it."
How much business will the new division take away from well-known industry players? "My read on the market for the really good companies in interactive communications is that there's really a lot of business out there," Lagareta said.
Those who'd given Hubris the business include Haseko Hawaii Inc., the Hawaii Tech Trade Association, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and Pacific Resource Partnership.
"We weren't interested in just offering Web design," Lagareta said, "because there are so many companies out there that do that, but in interactive communications, for marketing campaigns online, a variety of interactive communications and monitoring communications online."
She's not talking about monitoring e-mail, she said. "Companies are talked about on bulletin boards, there are whole conversations going on.
"I don't think there's anything 'Big Brother' about it. There are places online that companies aren't used to looking for," she said, citing community issues the companies are perhaps not attuned to.
Lagareta doesn't see Brian Schatz' legislative position as a conflict.
The last time the company handled a political campaign was in 1998, she said, adding, "running a political campaign was like a freight train going through my office."
While the company is not involved in any campaigns, Lagareta is politically active and said employees may volunteer for or do such work outside of the office.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com