LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
Myrna James Yoo
Publisher and
Managing Editor
Apogeo Spatial
and LBx Journal
myrna@apogeospatial.com
DEAR READER,
This issue marks 14 years that my company has owned Apogeo Spatial, and it has enabled me to see the macro view of the satellite and space sectors, and to acquire a wide horizontal knowledge base that is quite rare. I have interviewed and met with executives from all areas of our ecosystem. I bring people together; I connect the dots and see the patterns.
Based on this experience, I am thrilled to launch Apogeo Advisors, a strategy and marketing firm bringing a comprehensive understanding of the ecosystem, with other members of our team bringing deep vertical knowledge, as well. We help companies that are seeking to reach commercial markets after working with government agencies, that want to create partnerships with international organizations, and that need to translate technical jargon into understandable language for marketing and sales, as examples.
Members of our team include Jurgen Mantzke, who was my original designer for this publication in 2003, then called Imaging Notes. He was instrumental in creating the sophisticated design that lives on today. He is now an expert in User Experience (UX/UI) design.
Matteo Luccio is a prolific and talented geospatial writer; almost every issue of Apogeo Spatial, and other publications include his work.
Elliot Pulham was most recently CEO of The Space Foundation. He won the Silver Anvil Award for leading the team that rebuilt Congressional and public support for the International Space Station program. An advisor to three Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, he was awarded the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Public Service Medal, an honor he shares with Dr. Neil de Grasse Tyson.
Paul E. Smith is an expert in location-based technologies and geo-content products. He was Chief Commercial Of cer at C3 Technologies (acquired by Apple), whose 3D photo-realistic maps broke new ground in online mapping, and Chief Strategy Of cer at earthmine Inc. (acquired by Nokia/HERE), an innovator in street-level panoramic imagery. He was co-founder and Chief Operating Of cer at GlobeXplorer, a leader in cloud-based, Earth imagery Web services (acquired by DigitalGlobe).
My macro view is like the Overview Effect: it has helped me see things more clearly – trends, positioning of different companies, how the ecosystem ts together. The overview effect is an inspiring change in perception that brings an awareness that everything in the universe is connected.
What I see happening in our industry is inspirational too. The NewSpace companies (SpaceX, Blue Origin…) are pushing the enve- lope on what’s possible, with extremely bold visions. They understand the value of marketing, which is one reason they are getting so much attention – from investors, from the media (such as The Atlantic, The Economist, Esquire…), and from the public.
Marketing is complex. It should be different for every company. For example, not all companies should invest in advertising. Whether it makes sense for a company to do so, and whether it should be branding versus lead-generation/digital depends on many things, such as how mature the company is, whether they are launching new products or services, etc.
A strong brand is the backbone of a product or company. Building a brand is complex, and can include advertising. While advertising spending is under increasing pressure to show a nancial return on investment, creating a solid brand is more subtle than lead generation and “clicks” online. The influence of branding is powerful; the value of branding is priceless.
While I am announcing Apogeo Advisors here, rest assured that the publication will continue to provide in-depth articles that are objective and relevant to your business. We are still committed to editorial integrity. Apogeo Spatial delivers your branding message into the hands of the right executives. Email me to talk.
Sincerely, Myrna
