WE’RE FORMER WRITERS AND EDITORS.
We keep a flat structure where our core experience represents 25+ years in journalism and in-house marketing. Each is responsible and held accountable for strategic as well as tactical activities. No delegation. No junior hires.
WE’RE WELL-RESPECTED.
Any firm can create long lists of PR connections—but what’s the real nature of their “relationships”? We treat our media relationships with deep sanctity. Journalists remember and talk to us regularly.
WE’RE NIMBLE.
We’re acutely aware that a startup’s strategy and business decisions move quickly, especially in fast-paced, dynamic industries. In those times, we easily adjust, flip the switch on marketing and PR strategies, and do what’s needed to move as quickly—and methodically—as possible with our clients.
WE’RE CONTINUOUSLY PROACTIVE WITH IDEAS.
Traditional client-agency relationships wane over time due to inertia and lack of fresh ideas. Our multi-year clients beg to differ—we consistently infuse new POVs to test and explore in the market.
What We Do
Started in San Francisco, Word Play was founded by Diane Anderson. During her many years as a journalist at places like Wired, The Industry Standard, Adweek, Yoga Journal, and Bloomberg TV, Diane was shocked by how desperately businesses needed help improving their stories and taking them to the media.
Working with New York-based WIT Strategy, she helped several martech firms figure out their goals and execute their vision.
Now based in Orange County, Word Play focuses on businesses from coast to coast who are keen to tell their story in the most effective way.
Word Play helps small startups as well as established companies discern what matters most about their messages. The firm specializes in B2B companies, but loves B2C businesses as well. Whether you have an app, a consumer hardware product, or a SaaS platform, we can support your particular needs.
Word Play players come from the world of words (journalism) and the universe of advertising. We’re persuaders by nature.
Drop a line to schedule a call, or use the contact form at the bottom of this page to find out whether our services are right for you.
Recent PROJECTS
Meet Our Team
DIANE ANDERSON
AGENCY OWNER
Diane brings more than a decade of communications experience as a former magazine reporter and editor and TV producer. She has written for business and technology titles like Forbes, Fortune, and Business 2.0. She helped launch and produce Bloomberg Television’s Bloomberg Technology show. Before that, she worked at Wired, the Industry Standard, Brandweek, and Yoga Journal.
She advises clients on messaging, media and communications, leveraging strategic press relationships to help companies and executives tell their stories. Diane earned a master’s degree in English and American Literature and Criticism from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in Literature from Claremont McKenna College.
Lori Luechtefeld
Wookit Media LLC
Lori spent 15 years in the journalism and editorial world, most recently serving as editor-in-chief at iMedia. In this role, she wrote more articles than she cares to admit and had the final word on the rest of the content that appeared on iMedia Connection. In other words, she knows all too well what it takes to get a column published in leading industry publications. Today, she puts that experience to use by helping clients identify the topics that will resonate with editors and readers, assisting executives in shaping their thoughts around compelling topics, then weaving those thoughts into tightly written, cohesive, and infinitely publishable op-eds and bylines.
Bill Brazell
Validation Strategies
Having worked with top business and technology journalists at Wired and as a senior editor at the Industry Standard Magazine, with elite business authors as a senior book editor at Penguin Portfolio, and with top bloggers as director of author recruiting at Federated Media, Bill Brazell understands how journalists and bloggers think. Co-author of the humor book “He Meant, She Meant: The Definitive Male-Female Dictionary” and member of the PKD Foundation’s all-volunteer board of trustees, Bill earned a bachelors in English at Harvard, and a masters in journalism at U.C. Berkeley.
Josh Carter
Josh is a communications professional with more than four years of experience in the journalism, editorial and media relations industries. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Communications while minoring in Spanish. An avid skier, mountain biker and surfer, Josh is currently based in Southern California.
Alex Wolf
PHAEDRVS
Alex works as a writer and communications consultant for media and technology companies through Phaedrus. He met Diane while working at BloombergTV. He graduated from Occidental College with a B.A. in Religious Studies and Politics and is based in San Francisco.