Sugar Inc.

SUGAR ANNOUNCES DISTRICTSUGAR: THE PREMIERE DESTINATION FOR THE HUNGER GAMES

Laurie S — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:30:36 PST

The Hunger Games is just 50 days away! To celebrate the most anticipated movie release of the season, we're introducing DistrictSugar, the premiere destination for The Hunger Games. Our Sugar editors have lined up interviews with the cast, exclusive looks at the amazing fashion and beauty from the film, and tons of behind-the-scenes of the making of The Hunger Games. And we're bringing it all to you with a five-part video series beginning on February 20.

Here's a sneak peak of what's to come:

We're also offering one lucky fan the chance to win a trip to The Hunger Games world premiere at the Nokia Theatre in LA below! The prize includes a trip for two to California and tickets to the red-carpet premiere.

May the odds be ever in your favor #TheHungerGames50!

-The Sugar Team

Sugar Appoints Jodi Lipe as Executive Vice President of Marketing

Laurie S — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:57:00 PST

Former Flip Video Marketing Executive Joins Expanding Executive Leadership Team

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – January 4, 2012 – Sugar Inc., a leading content and commerce company, has named Jodi Lipe as Executive Vice President of Marketing. In this role, Lipe will oversee consumer and trade marketing for the PopSugar Network and the company’s commerce brands including, ShopStyle, and PopSugar Shop. Her key responsibilities will include brand management, marketing communications, advertising and consumer promotions.

Lipe brings a wealth of marketing experience in entertainment, media and consumer electronics to her role at Sugar. Most recently, she was head of marketing for Cisco’s Flip Video division where she led brand marketing efforts including, product launches, strategic partnerships, celebrity endorsements and innovative advertising campaigns. During her tenure, Flip Video achieved category leadership in the U.S. and industry-wide recognition for the “Do You Flip?” campaign.

We're thrilled to have Jodi on board to lead the marketing organization with a focus on further building our brand and establishing mainstream consumer awareness and demand,” said Brian Sugar, Co-Founder and CEO, Sugar Inc. “As we grow and scale our brand and businesses, Jodi brings the perfect combination of strategic and creative thought leadership to our executive team.

Lipe added, “I’m excited to be joining Sugar and its talented executive team as we scale up consumer-focused efforts. I see tremendous opportunity to impact the brand and business with strategic marketing and breakthrough campaigns that meet both consumer and advertiser needs.”

Prior to joining Flip, Lipe was Senior Vice President of Marketing of Current TV, the award-winning television and online network founded by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt. Earlier on in her career, Lipe held various marketing positions at leading media companies such as, AMC-TV, Viacom, Excite.com and Cartoon Network.

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About Sugar Inc.
Sugar's mission is to entertain and delight its audience with insanely addictive content, unmatched shopping experiences and a robust social community. Through an online global network, Sugar brings to life what is personally relevant to modern women everywhere – whether it’s a red carpet moment, an inspiring fitness tip, or an exclusive shopping event. Sugar has over 25 million monthly unique visitors worldwide. The company was founded in 2006 by Brian and Lisa Sugar and is backed by leading investors Sequoia Capital and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP). Learn more at: www.sugarinc.com.

Press Contact:
Laurie Spindler
Director of PR, Sugar Inc.
415.308.1550
lspindler@sugarinc.com

Sugar Opens up Video Shopping

Laurie S — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:35:25 PST

As a company, our continued mission has always been to expand on what we do best: maintain an engaged 25M+ audience through curated content and unique shopping experiences. In the last few weeks, we’ve taken that strategy to another level and introduced video shopping. Video has always been a core part of our media business and now, we are bringing it to our commerce business. For consumers, it’s a way to be an insider to shopping events. For brands, it’s a way to be an insider to the conversation.

As part of our PopSugar Shop offers, we’re integrating a video shopping experience. We did this most recently in collaboration with designer Lauren Merkin. Through video, our viewers were able to get an inside look into her luxury bag creations and tips on how to best incorporate them into a fashion look.

We also held our first-ever live shopping event on PopSugar Live, which attracted over 75,000 viewers. Hosted by our PopSugar editor team, the event showcased 25 hand-selected holiday gifts in fashion, beauty and home, available for purchase in real-time. Through Facebook and Twitter, viewers were able to engage with our editors and other shoppers throughout the broadcast.

These shopping events are a great illustration of where we’re headed as we continue to grow our commerce business. Video will continue to play an integral part in how we deliver shopping experiences to our consumers. Our early findings suggest that creating a video commerce experience that leverages our PopSugar content network enables more conversions into purchases.

Here are a few more insights we’ve uncovered:

• On average, viewers will tend to transact at 30-35% higher conversion rates, compared to non-viewers
• Viewers are more inclined to purchase incrementally more offers than non-viewers
• Similarly, shoppers will purchase more items and at higher price points

Introducing the New OnSugar: Start a Conversation with the World

Laurie S — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:51:33 PST

Since we first introduced OnSugar, our users have showed us the ways they make OnSugar a part of their lives everyday. OnSugar has always been a place to express interests and passions, to chronicle life experiences, to spark conversations, and more. From helpful make-up tips, coveted fashion finds to inspiring cooking creations, our users have pushed the boundaries of blogging and shown us new possibilities for OnSugar. That's why, from these stories, we’ve imagined a new OnSugar and we’re excited to introduce it to the world today. It’s a new social blogging platform that’s more elegant, more social and more rewarding.

First, we’ve redesigned OnSugar to look simple and elegant with new layouts. We’ve also built a set of new social features that make it easier for users to express themselves and connect with others around shared interests. With the new Social Stream, users can reblog content they find interesting and relevant to their own blog and audience. A new Discover feature surfaces up new blogs based on a user’s interests and recommends specific blogs to follow and engage.

We’ve also introduced Social Stats, which gives users a dashboard-like view into their social influence and relevance on OnSugar. This new feature measures a wide variety of popular social actions, such as Reach, which identifies the total touch-points of a reblog. The dashboard is customizable to easily see how a blog or set of blogs performed on a day, a week, a month, compared to your followers and the broader OnSugar community. It’s very addictive.

If you’re just getting started with OnSugar, you can choose from 62 hand-selected templates to customize your blog. And if you’re upgrading from the earlier version of OnSugar, you have the option to select a new theme, in just a few quick steps. Bloggers also get exclusive free access to an unlimited selection of Getty images to curate their blog. Like before, we also offer users the ability to monetize their blogs by offering self-serve brand advertising widgets from sister fashion site ShopStyle.

For those who enjoy sharing on networks like Facebook and Twitter, we’ve made it simple to blog, upload photos and videos, and tweet directly from OnSugar. We’re also planning additional integrations with other leading social content networks that share the same passion for social, blogging, and beautiful layouts.
The new OnSugar is available now at www.onsugar.com and will be available for the iPhone and iPod Touch devices very soon.

OnSugar’s mission from the start was to provide a place for users to express their collection of interests and passions and we remain true to that principle. We’ve just made it even better to start a conversation with the world and get noticed!
Happy Blogging!

Brian Sugar.

Sugar Deepens Social Shopping Strategy; Launches its First Live Shopping Event

Laurie S — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:37:29 PST

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 9, 2011- Sugar Inc., a leading content and commerce company, announced today its first-ever live shopping event on PopSugar TV. Scheduled to begin at 12pm PT and presented by Allison McNamara, PopSugar TV Host, the event will showcase 25 hand-selected gifts from the popular “PopSugar 100 Gift Guide.” Viewers will also get the chance to win exclusive items throughout the broadcast including, the celebrity coveted Proenza Schouler P.S.1 pouchette and beauty blockbusters, such as Butter nail polishes and luxurious lip glosses by Tom Ford.

"We’re always looking to create new experiences that elevate the PopSugar brand and the authenticity it stands for,” said Lisa Sugar, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, Sugar Inc. “Our annual Holiday Gift Guide coverage is a standout success online and now we’re bring it to life through video and offering a simple and interactive way for our viewers to shop it.”

Shoppers can tune in to the live program broadcast from PopSugar’s offices in San Francisco, and via Facebook, engage with their friends and other PopSugar editors as they shopfrom the carefully curated selection of fashion, beauty and home products. A video application will enable real-time shopping alongside a fireside chat where PopSugar editors will field questions and offer advice to shoppers onFacebook.

“Our continued mission is to offer delightful shopping experiences through innovation and new technologies,” said Brian Sugar, Co-founder and CEO, Sugar Inc. "This live shopping event is a great illustration of where we’re headed and we’re exploring additional opportunities too as we look to grow our commerce business.”

To join this special shopping event, visit PopSugar Live at live.popsugar.com. The live stream is set for Friday, December 9 at 12:00pm PST/3:00pm EST. Also follow us on Twitter @popsugar and #PopShopLive.

Press Contacts:
Laurie Spindler
Sugar Inc. PR
lspindler@sugarinc.com

CFDA finalist Pamela Love and ShopStyle Premier Exclusive Jewelry Collection on PopSugar Shop

Laurie S — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:46:01 PST

SAN FRANCISCO, CA and NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 30, 2011 – ShopStyle, the leading global fashionsearch engine, and Pamela Love Jewelry today announced the release of a limited edition capsule collaboration available only on PopSugar Shop. ShopStyle is debuting its first exclusive collection in conjunction with a special event at the Tribeca Grand hotel in New York City. The ShopStyle collection will feature three special-edition pieces: the DiamondPendant with silver finish, the Small Tribal Spike Necklace in a rose gold finish, and the Resin Tribal Cuff in matte red. Combining artistic tribal inspiration with a feminine twist, Love's designs toe the line between hard and soft, edgy and romantic with vivid colors, whimsical silhouettes, and bold statement pieces.

“We believe every woman should be an insider to the best shopping experiences not only from coveted well-known brands, but breakthrough designers as well that embrace fashion-forward trends,” said Melissa Davis, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, ShopStyle. “We’re excited to launch our first collaboration with Pamela Love and offer our shoppers truly unique pieces.”

Pamela Love said: "ShopStyle is a great place for discovering what’s trending in the world of fashion. They really understand every facet of a woman's style and how important jewelry is to making a look stand out. I’m thrilled to be offering exclusive pieces from my collection.”

About Pamela Love
New York native Pamela Love received her BFA from New York University before working as an artist’s assistant and art director for photo, music video, and film shoots. Seeking to broaden the styling options available toher, Love started her own jewelry line, working primarily from the basement of her Brooklyn apartment. Her label Pamela Love NYC now enjoys international acclaim, with designs sold worldwide. She is a winner of the 2011 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award as well as a runner-up for the 2011 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

About ShopStyle
ShopStyle is the leading global fashion search engine that brings together the world's most fashionable stores and best designer brands in one place. Launched in 2007, ShopStyle retail partners include Barneys New York, NET-A-PORTER, Tory Burch, DVF.com and hundreds of brand names and boutiques. ShopStyle is a division of Sugar Inc. and operates sites in the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan and Australia.

About Sugar Inc.
Sugar's mission is to entertain and delight its audience with insanely addictive content, unmatched shopping experiences and a robust social community. Through an online global network, Sugar brings to life what is personally relevant to modern women everywhere – whether it’s a red carpet moment, an inspiring fitness tip, or an exclusive shopping event. Sugar hasover 25 million monthly unique visitors worldwide. The company was founded in 2006 by Brian and Lisa Sugar and is backed by leading investors Sequoia Capital and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP). Learn more at: www.sugarinc.com.

Press Contacts:
Laurie Spindler
Sugar Inc
lspindler@sugarinc.com

Allison Sparkuhl
Pamela Love
Allison@pamelalovenyc.com

PopSugar Shop Launch!

brian — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:05:30 PDT

SAN FRANCISCO – October 19 – We're thrilled to introduce PopSugar Shop, a new dedicated site bringing the most personally relevant local and national offers to users in one place.

The new online destination features the same carefully curated offers our users have come to love such as deluxe spa treatments, restaurant hot-spots and innovative fitness classes - but will now also include national offers and more fashion finds from the top brands. Compared to other sites, PopSugar offers have been thoroughly researched, qualified and recommended by our editorial team.

Brian Sugar, Founder and CEO, Sugar Inc., said: "With PopSugar Shop, we’ve made it even easier for trendsetting women to sign-up and purchase our special offers. We already work with thousands of the most well-known global fashion brands and retailers in the industry and so, we’re continuing to create more ways for our users to shop for their favorite brands and get the best products – from the hottest jeans, the trendiest accessories and many more fashion must-haves.”

Users can immediately enjoy PopSugar Shop offers by subscribing to receive daily offers or by purchasing offers directly through the site. Shoppers can also earn credits for inviting friends through their social networks to join PopSugar Shop.

It’s the latest addition to Sugar's growing portfolio of unbeatable shopping experiences available on ShopStyle and Designer Apparel. Happy Shopping!

Subscribe now for unmatched offers personally tailored to you: shop.popsugar.com
For more information or to request high-res images, please contact Laurie Spindler at Sugar, lspindler@sugarinc.com

Sugar Inc. Hires Aol Executive To Lead Corporate Strategy, Operations And Business Development

brian — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 07:09:05 PDT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- September 12, 2011 – Sugar Inc., a fast-growing global women’s media company, announced today that Jennifer L. Wong joined the company as Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Operations and Business Development. In this position, Wong will oversee the strategic growth of the company’s media, commerce and social media portfolio of brands. She will report to CEO and Founder, Brian Sugar.

"Jennifer is a forward-thinking industry veteran with a proven leadership track record and I’m thrilled to welcome her on board the executive team here at Sugar,” said Brian Sugar, CEO and Founder, Sugar, Inc. "She will play a critical role in driving operational excellence as we continue to scale our media and commerce businesses and grow our audience internationally.”

Based in Sugar’s New York office, Wong will be responsible for leading corporate strategy development, managing day-to-day business operations and driving new business opportunities for Sugar’s lifestyle media properties, including PopSugar, FabSugar, BellaSugar and FitSugar, and social media platform OnSugar. In addition, Wong will also focus on growing the company’s fashion and commerce portfolio of brands that includes ShopStyle and Designer Apparel and expanding its offers business, through strategic partnerships, vertical expansion and new ventures.

"Sugar is one of the few companies in the women's lifestyle space that has quickly built organic traffic by successfully creating an integrated content and commerce experience,” said Jennifer L. Wong, Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy, Operations and Business Development. "Sugar’s impressive growth creates tremendous potential to scale the business and establish category leadership as the premier destination for lifestyle-driven women. I’m excited to join such a dynamic company.”

Wong is a digital media veteran and comes to Sugar from AOL, where she held several executive management roles. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Premium Network Display Products, where she led the development and go-to-market strategies for the company’s premium network display products. In a prior role, Wong served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of AOL Huffington Post Media Group’s lifestyle portfolio of brands, including StyleList, HuffPost Style, HuffPost Food, and HuffPost Travel. During her tenure at the company, Wong also helped oversee M&A efforts including acquisitions of TechCrunch, 5Min and The Huffington Post.

Before joining AOL, Wong was an Associate Partner in the Media, Entertainment and Information practice at McKinsey & Company. In her role, she worked with a broad range of digital media clients advising them on integrated print and digital advertising sales and editorial operations, online video distribution, advanced advertising in cable, and brand portfolio optimization.

About Sugar Inc.
Since being founded in 2006, Sugar Inc. has maintained its mission to entertain and delight its audience by producing insanely addictive content, unmatched shopping experiences, and a robust social community. Sugar is a leading international diversified women's media company with an audience of more than 25 million monthly unique visitors. The company has two business segments focusing on original content and commerce with a portfolio of brands including PopSugar.com, ShopStyle.com, PopSugarCity.com, and Fashionologie.com. Sugar has 190 employees and operations in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Australia. Sugar is privately-held and backed by Sequoia Capital and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).

Press Contact:
Laurie Spindler
PR Director, Sugar, Inc.
lspindler A T sugarinc.com

Sugar Inc. Closes Investment From Institutional Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital

smacnew — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:57:06 PDT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - April 13, 2011) - Sugar Inc., a fast-growing global media company for women, announced today that it has completed a $15 million later-stage round of financing led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), one of the premier later-stage venture capital and growth equity firms. The Company's original and consistent partner Sequoia Capital also participated in the round.

Sugar intends to use the funds for brand extensions, acquisitions, and international growth in pursuit of its goal of becoming the world's largest media company focusing exclusively on women's lifestyle. This round brings Sugar's total funding to $46 million.

Sugar is the online leader in original content, social media, and commerce targeting trendsetting women, with a global audience of more than 20 million. The company has two business segments focusing on original content and commerce with a portfolio of brands including PopSugar.com, ShopStyle.com, PopSugarCity.com, and Fashionologie.com. Sugar has 190 employees and operations in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Australia.

"On the eve of our five-year anniversary, Lisa and I are proud of the success and rapid growth we have demonstrated to date," said Brian Sugar, founder and CEO of Sugar. "In the last year we achieved significant milestones, including growing our audience to over 20 million unique visitors per month, driving over $250 million in commerce to our partners, and reaching profitability for the full year. We are excited with the opportunities ahead of us as we continue to pioneer the combination of content and commerce."

"Sugar is led by an outstanding management team that has driven impressive growth in a diverse set of complementary revenue streams," said Dennis Phelps, General Partner of IVP. "We see an enormous market opportunity and are excited about Sugar's ability to execute in a world of slower-moving incumbents."

"Brian and Lisa Sugar are entertaining a new generation of women. They do so around the clock and on hundreds of millions of mobile and web devices. But Sugar Inc. is still at the beginning of what is possible," said Michael Moritz, General Partner of Sequoia.

About Sugar Inc.

Since being founded in 2006, Sugar Inc. (http://www.sugarinc.com/) has maintained its mission to entertain and delight its audience by producing insanely addictive content, unmatched shopping experiences, and a robust social community. Sugar is a leading international diversified women's media company with an audience of more than 20 million monthly unique visitors. The company has two business segments focusing on original content and commerce with a portfolio of brands including PopSugar.com, ShopStyle.com, PopSugarCity.com, and Fashionologie.com. Sugar has 190 employees and operations in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Australia. Sugar is privately held and backed by Sequoia Capital and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).

About Institutional Venture Partners (IVP)

With $3 billion of committed capital, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP) is one of the premier later-stage venture capital and growth equity firms in the United States. The partnership is currently investing IVP XIII, a $750 million later-stage fund focused on investments in rapidly growing media and technology companies. Founded in 1980, IVP has invested in over 300 companies, 86 of which have gone public. IVP has a 30 year IRR of 43.2% and is one of the top performing firms in the industry. IVP specializes in venture growth investments, industry rollups, founder liquidity transactions and select public market investments. Since its inception, IVP investments include such notable companies as ArcSight, Aspect Communications, At Road (TRMB), Business.com (DEXO), Clarify (DOX), ComScore (SCOR), Concur Technologies (CNQR), Danger (MSFT), Digital River (DRIV), Foundry Networks (BRCD), HomeAway, Juniper Networks (JNPR), Kayak, LSI Corporation (LSI), Mobile 365 (SAP), MySQL, Netflix (NFLX), Polycom (PLCM), Quigo (TWX), Seagate (STX), Synchronoss (SNCR), Tivo (TIVO), Twitter, Websense (WBSN) and Zynga. For more information, visit http://www.ivp.com or follow IVP on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ivp.

About Sequoia Capital

Sequoia Capital is a venture capital firm specializing in seed stage, early stage, and growth stage investments. The firm invests in all sectors with a focus on energy, financial services, healthcare services, internet, mobile, outsourcing and technology. Sequoia Capital was founded in 1972 and has offices in China, India, Israel and the U.S.

Sugar Inc. Launches PopSugar City – Local Destination Guides and Stylish Deals For Trendsetting Women

brian — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 15:24:13 PST

San Francisco, CA, March 3, 2011 – PopSugar City launches today in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, and Washington, DC, providing insanely addictive local content and exclusive access to the best local services and experiences in each city. PopSugar City is part of Sugar Inc., the online leader in original content, social media, and commerce for trendsetting women with a global audience of more than 20 million. Readers can sign up to receive daily emails for each of these cities at www.popsugarcity.com.

PopSugar City’s editors deliver insider scoops on new local hotspots; firsthand reviews of everything from body-sculpting classes to cocktail bars to brow-shapers; and neighborhood shopping guides and close-to-home getaways. Reviews and reporting are written in the same fun, trendsetting, and stylish voice for which Sugar editors are known, by experienced writers who’ve spent years researching their city to find the absolute hippest places.

“We’re tapping into the same energy and enthusiasm we have for covering national trends and news and bringing it closer to home with PopSugar City,” said Lisa Sugar, Sugar Inc. founder and editor-in-chief. “We're excited to discover new exciting places and fashionable brands, which in some cases we can also provide exclusive offers to our savvy readers.”

“Our mission at PopSugar City is to provide great editorial content and well-researched and recommended services and experiences that hit every passion point for stylish women,” added Ryan Donahue, general manager of PopSugar City.

PopSugar City also provides its members with weekly exclusive offerings at top local destinations including restaurants, spas, fitness centers, nearby getaways, and local events. In addition to the eight launch markets, PopSugar City will feature national offers across PopSugar Network, which includes 16 editorial sites focused on three primary channels: Celebrity and Culture; Fashion, Beauty, and Shopping; and Home and Family.

To celebrate the launch, PopSugar City is giving away $100 PopSugar City credit every Thursday for four weeks on the PopSugar City fan pages. Visit www.popsugarcity.com, select your city, find and “like” its Fan Page via the Facebook button to enter to win.

About Sugar Inc.
Since being founded in 2006, Sugar Inc. (http://www.sugarinc.com/) has maintained its mission to entertain and delight its audience by producing insanely addictive content, unmatched shopping experiences, and a robust social community. Sugar Inc. is a leading international diversified women's media company with an audience of more than 20MM monthly unique visitors across three business segments: original content (PopSugar.com and PopSugar.tv), commerce (ShopStyle.com), and local (PopSugarCity.com) with operations in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Australia. Sugar Inc. is privately held and backed by world-class investor Sequoia Capital.