ALLOWING YOUR PRODUCTS TO BE THE “STAR”

When you have a “cool” product, you may just decide to let it be the star of the show. iRobot was founded in 1990 when Massachusetts Institute of Technology roboticists Colin Angle and Helen Greiner teamed up with their professor, Dr. Rodney Brooks, with the vision of making practical robots a reality.

In 2009, the company generated more than $298 million in revenue and employed more than 500 of the robot industry’s top professionals, including mechanical, electrical, and software engineers and related support staff. iRobot stock trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol IRBT.

“I think the robots do a better job social networking than I do,” says Angle. “Roomba has a Facebook page and 2,000 videos posted about its ability to transport animals.” Social marketing is a huge part of the iRobot brand. The robot takes center stage. “It is a good virtual brand,” observes Angle, “because people are passionate about robots, and if you’re passionate about robots, you know about iRobot.”