Roman Bodnarchuk branded the Backstreet Boys
07/27/04- 24 Hours

In 1995, he found his digital marketing seed to success luring people to websites. Bodnarchuk's first project was with boy-band mastermind Lou Perelman. Together they built "the world's most important email database to teenage girls," connecting frantic fans with the Backstreet Boys through cyberspace. This VIP club was all girls needed to keep them in the loop with updates, contests and paraphernalia.

"The secret hasn't changed," admits Bodnarchuk. "If you create incentive, people not only tell you all about themselves, but give you permission to market to them."

Twenty-seven months and $1 billion in sales later with the Backstreet Boys, 18 months and another billion dollars with N'SYNC, Bodnarchuk targeted another bull's eye.

In 1998, he became president and CEO of N5R, this time branding top advertisers. His digital marketing model differs from traditional Internet marketing like the banner ad.

"The old model, one-way communication, is not very successful," he says.

Bodnarchuk uses contests to lure clients. With Tridel, he used a $160,000 condo giveaway. The contact database created became leads for potential buyers.

"The brand needs to jump out of the box and try to engage customers interactively," explains Bodnarchuk.

With about 20 employees and 32 consultants/freelancers, Bodnarchuk boasts top North American clients including Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, TD Waterhouse and Microsoft. N5R was also voted one of Canada's Hottest Start-ups by PROFIT magazine.

"The Internet's great. But, we feel future is in the mobile phone," he says. "We can market to you anywhere at anytime."