kgb

In The News

• NY Times: An Advocacy Ad Elevates Interest in All the Ads

  February 5, 2010

  Likewise, decisions by CBS to reject commercials submitted by other advertisers were extensively covered, although such refusals are commonplace before most Super Bowls. CareerBuilder.com, GoDaddy.com and KGB, a text-message information service, were told some spots they sought to run did not meet standards for broadcast; all three replaced those spots with others that were accepted...

• USA Today: Super Bowl XLIV advertisers

  February 5, 2010

  Text answer service KGB offers faster, better answers than a regular search engine...

• The Daily Beast: 12 Banned Super Bowl Ads

  February 4, 2010

  Did the info request service KGB have its, er, head up its ass in thinking that it could run a Super Bowl ad featuring dudes who literally have their heads up their asses? Perhaps. But we’ll forgive them. This commercial is darn creative—and raises some interesting questions about human flexibility....

• Huffington Post: Top BANNED Super Bowl Commercials

  February 3, 2010

  One of the most entertaining parts about the Super Bowl, besides the game of course, is the anticipation of the new commercials...

• ABC News: Super Bowl Commercial Preview

  February 3, 2010

  Domain name registrar GoDaddy.com and text-message information service kgb both have had ads rejected by CBS. The GoDaddy ad featured an effeminate football player-turned-lingerie designer, while the kgb ad did a literal take on the phrase "head up the ass." But both companies also submitted ads the were accepted by CBS...

• Forbes.com: Banned Super Bowl Ads

  February 2, 2010

  CBS is turning its thumbs down to a few Super Bowl spots it deems unsuitable for year's big in-game ad blitz. The castaways aren't exactly surprising, but we thought you might want to judge for yourself...

• I4U - Banned kgb Super Bowl Ad Unveiled Online

  February 2, 2010

  A banned Super Bowl commercial is great for online marketing. kgb has got one of their ad submissions banned by CBS.
  A GoDaddy Super Bowl 2010 ad already got banned by CBS. Now kgb also submitted a Super Bowl 2010 commercial to CBS that the TV station found not appropriate for the Super Bowl XLIV.
  

• NY Post: CBS locks in commercial slots before Supe kickoff

  February 2, 2010

  CBS said it has sold out of commercial slots for the Super Bowl, a full week before the biggest ad event of the year...

• LA Times: CBS sells out Super Bowl commercials

  February 1, 2010

  ...Several first-time advertisers are in the lineup, including Kia Motors America, Qualcomm's mobile television service Flo TV, KGB texting information service...

• AdRants: CBS Says No to Golfers With Heads Up Their Ass For Super Bowl

  February 1, 2010

  ...kgb is an SMS service that lets people text questions and get answers so they don't end up looking like an idiot in front of their friends. Or, in the case of this commercial, with their head up their ass...

• MediaLife - CBS: We've sold out the Super Bowl

  February 1, 2010

  But some brands decided the exposure would be worth that money, buying into the game for the first time. Those advertisers include Kia, Flo TV and KGB, whose ad was rejected yesterday by CBS censors...

• 2010 Superbowl Commercial Lineup

  January 29, 2010

  ... kgb will have one 30-second spot to air in the third quarter that will focus on their “542542″ text-answer service as a way to get information from their “special agents” instead of searching for it like some kind of neanderthal...

• CNN: Superbowl 2010 Ads Preview

  January 26, 2010
  

  First-time Super Bowl advertiser KGB is calling on two of the Baldwin brothers (not Alec) to promote its text message service where it answers customers' questions. Here's one for KGB: Just how many Baldwin brothers are there?

• Wall Street Journal: Hopefuls Gird for Gridiron

  January 25, 2010

  Buying Super Bowl ads has helped catapult companies like online brokerage E*Trade Financial, Internet job board Monster.com and video site Hulu into the public eye. That's why several little-known advertisers—including mobile pay-TV firm Flo TV, information provider KGB and vacation rental service HomeAway.com—are forking over millions of dollars to appear on this year's Big Game broadcast...

• Ad Age: Who's Buying What in the Super Bowl 2010

  January 18, 2010

  ... While the actual content will be divulged later, kgb's ad will focus on its '542542' text-answer service as a way to get information by querying "special agents" rather than having to sift through voluminous search results...

• Media Post: KGB Playing With Big Brands At Super Bowl

  January 13, 2010

  Having only launched a year ago, text answer service KGB thinks it's ready to play with the big brands, having bought an advertising slot during the Super Bowl airing on Feb. 7...

• i4u: KGB Super Bowl Ad Coming

  January 13, 2010

  KGB is advertising on Super Bowl 2010. No, not the former Russians secret service. KGB is the world’s largest independent provider of directory assistance and enhanced information services. When you text message a question to 542542 (kgbkgb) you get an answer back from the KGB knowledge base or kgb Special Agents.

  KGB is actually already advertising with very funny TV commercials. So there is the potential for the KGB Super Bowl 2010 Ad to be one of the funniest Super Bowl 2010 commercials...

• NYTimes: Super Bowl Sales as Economic Indicator

  January 12, 2010
  

  ... KGB, a text-message information service and a first-time Super Bowl advertiser, is considering three ads ...

• Denver Post: KGB employees provide instant answers to queries texted by users

  December 22, 2009

  Kevin Atteridg is a KGB special agent, toiling from a second-floor bedroom of a snug home in a tranquil suburban neighborhood. He starts work Monday by logging on to a secure Web portal and scanning the queue of questions...

• Fox Business News (Live TV Interview with Bruce Stewart): "Text KGB for All the Answers"

  December 21, 2009

  KGB Mobile and Digital CEO Bruce Stewart on why KGB chose texting as the way for its customers to ask questions.

• Mobile Marketer: Warner Bros. taps kgb to promote Sherlock Holmes movie

  December 17, 2009

  Warner Bros. Pictures has partnered with kgb 542542, an SMS answer service, for a multichannel promotional campaign for the new “Sherlock Holmes” film...

• Media Post: Text Answer Firm, Warner Bros. In Promo Deal

  December 15, 2009

  Text answer company kgb542542 has positioned itself as the company that can sleuth out the answers to the most difficult questions. So it only makes sense that the company would partner with the world's most famous fictional sleuth...

• Wireless & Mobile News - Elementary, My Dear Watson, Txt kgb 4 Trivia, Win Tix to Sherlock Holmes from kgb

  December 15, 2009

  kgb 542542, text answer service, has teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures for a major cross-promotion for"Sherlock Holmes"...

• Fierce Mobile: kgb teams with Warner Bros. for 'Sherlock Holmes' promo

  December 15, 2009

  Text answer service kgb announced an agreement with Warner Bros. to launch a multi-platform promotion touting the forthcoming release of the Robert Downey Jr. vehicle Sherlock Holmes, which opens Dec. 25. Users who text keyword SHERLOCK to kgb will receive behind-the-scenes facts about the film and its characters...

• IESB: kgb and Warner Bros. Announce 'Sherlock Holmes' Partnership: The World's Greatest Detective and World's Smartest Mobile Text Answer Service

  December 15, 2009

  kgb 542542 (http://542542.com/sherlock) America's favorite text answer service, has teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures for a major cross-promotion with the studio's much-anticipated action adventure mystery "Sherlock Holmes"...

• Mobiletor: Warner Bros and kgb to jointly promote Sherlock Holmes movie via mobile platform

  December 15, 2009

  In a bid to win the rat race, film promotions have certainly become more and more innovative. The hottest way to promote a film now seems to be by using the medium of a mobile phone. With this platform, one can be assured to reach millions of people. Well, Warner bros is collaborating with kgb 542542 for a huge cross-promotion with the studio’s much-eagerly awaited action adventure mystery film ‘Sherlock Holmes’...

• Mediapost: Text Answer Firm, Warner Bros. In Promo Deal

  December 15, 2009

  Text answer company kgb542542 has positioned itself as the company that can sleuth out the answers to the most difficult questions. So it only makes sense that the company would partner with the world's most famous fictional sleuth.

• These kgb agents offer information, not espionage

  December 2, 2009

  It's OK that you know. And he's not the dangerous kind of operative. O'Brien works for the mobile answer company kgb. "I think the technical term is 'kgb special agent,'" said O'Brien, 20. "I like to use that whenever possible." ...

• 3KCRA - Technology Can Help With Holiday Shopping

  December 1, 2009

  Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb, on how 542542 is your personal assistant for the holiday season.

• woofeed: kgb teams with Warner Bros. for "Sherlock Holmes" promo

  November 15, 2009

  Text answer service kgb announced an agreement with Warner Bros. to launch a multi-platform promotion touting the forthcoming release of the Robert Downey Jr. vehicle Sherlock Holmes, which opens Dec. 25. Users who text keyword SHERLOCK to kgb will receive behind-the-scenes facts about the film and its characters--consumers can also submit their questions about movies, movie times and related subjects. In addition, kgb will produce a new television ad featuring Sherlock Holmes clips, and tickets for advance U.S. screenings of the film will feature a trivia question driving moviegoers to the kgb service.

• KGB at 542542: Just who answers those questions anyway?

  November 12, 2009

  The hardest question posed to KGB special agent Edgar Covarrubias came from a movie geek. "One night, I was asked the license plate number for the truck that almost ran them off the road in 'Evil Dead,' " the 21-year-old said...

• The Lantern - Students find work as 'special agents' for texting service

  November 9, 2009

  Students who are unsure of their post-graduation plans or who just want to make some extra money can become a “special agent” for kgb.

• MyFox Orlando - Earn cash as a KGB agent

  November 3, 2009

  If you need extra cash, there's an easy, fun way to score some green all in the comforts of your own home. Your mission? Become a special agent for the KGB.

• The Orion - Texting service offers answers, jobs

  October 21, 2009

   The kgb is out there and it’s waiting. Right now, hundreds of “special agents” are online, interacting with the populace. Some are even on the Chico State campus. There is no cause for concern over another Cold War because this kgb is actually a company, and its “special agents” are employees whose job is to answer questions.

• IntoMobile - Got a question? New iPhone app has your ‘kgb Answers’

  October 20, 2009

  Answers to just about any question you’re likely to come up  with are usually no more than a Google search away for iPhone users. But, sometimes, a Google research project is more trouble than it’s worth. For times like that, the new “kgb Answers” iPhone app has your, um, answers. The new kgb Answers app is now available on the AppStore to satisfy all your question-asking needs.

• Mobile Answer Engines Battle Search Engines

  October 20, 2009

  A class of mobile “help” or “answer engines” has arisen as an alternative to traditional search engines. They hold out the promise more efficient, relevant or direct responses to queries than search engines can provide on the small screen. In several cases they involve the use of live human agents or a community of users to answer questions. 

• New Apps Add Engaging "Gaming" Element to kgb Answers Service

  October 20, 2009

  Text answers service kgb this morning announced the release of an app for the iPhone and Android platforms. The app on either platform costs $1.99 and offers three free answers. After that the cost is $0.99 per question.

• Badger Herald - UW students ‘secret agents’ for kgb texting service

  October 20, 2009

   A number of students at the University of Wisconsin are finding comfort during these tough economic times in employment opportunities offered by the human texting search engine kgb...

• ESPN Radio interview with Bucky Dent

  October 8, 2009

  Special Agent Bucky Dent (Yankees Legend!) was interviewed on ESPN Radio today.

  (Instructions: Click on the link and select Bucky Dent on the right hand side.)

• New York Post: Ask Bucky

  October 4, 2009

  Bucky Dent will be a kgb “special agent for the day when he attends Game 1 of the ALDS. Dent will answer baseball questions being asked of kgb, a text message-based information service (99 cents per question texted to 542542). “I expect we’ll get lots of great questions,” Dent said. “I’ll even take questions from Red Sox fans.”

• Student earns cash by answering texts

  September 27, 2009

  Text a question to 542542 and Ryan Jones, a senior electrical engineering major at UCF, may be the one to answer it on the other end. 

• My Fox Phoenix: What Is kgb?

  September 25, 2009

  When you think KGB, you might think of the secret Russian spy agency. But nowadays, KGB stands for something else. Knowledge Generation Bureau. The company answers any question you may have, via text messages. FOX 10's Keith Yaskin talks with an ASU student who's been enlisted to answer your questions.

• Orlando Sentinel - About those people who answer your text-message questions

  September 17, 2009

  College students are used to having odd jobs, but even by those standards, Ryan Jones' work is a little unusual. He gets paid to answer questions about sexual positions, the weather, sports, recipes and virtually anything else you can think of.

• The Virginian Pilot - The text-message answer man

  September 15, 2009

  Who was the 1964 World Series MVP? What is the square root of 99? How can you tell if a boy really likes you? Why did Alexander the Great have Aristotle's nephew beheaded? Who knows the answers to all these questions? Thirty-year-old James Cooper does. And at a charge of 99 cents per text message, he, or one of kgb's thousands of other independent contractors in the United States, will enlighten you, usually in 102 characters or less.

• Myrtle Beach Sun News: Answers just a text message away

  September 10, 2009

  College students are used to having odd jobs, but even by those standards, Ryan Jones' work is a little unusual. He gets paid to answer questions about sexual positions, the weather, sports, recipes and virtually anything else you can think of.

• Prospectus News:Answers are just a text message away

  September 9, 2009

   College students are used to having odd jobs, but even by those standards, Ryan Jones' work is a little unusual.
  
  He gets paid to answer questions about sexual positions, the weather, sports, recipes and virtually anything else you can think of.

• Philadelphia Inquirer: Answers just a text message away

  September 9, 2009

  College students are used to having odd jobs, but even by those standards, Ryan Jones' work is a little unusual. He gets paid to answer questions about sexual positions, the weather, sports, recipes and virtually anything else you can think of.

• Daily Me: Answers are just a text message away

  September 9, 2009

  College students are used to having odd jobs, but even by those standards, Ryan Jones' work is a little unusual. He gets paid to answer questions about sexual positions, the weather, sports, recipes and virtually anything else you can think of.

• Answers are just a text message away

  September 8, 2009

  College students are used to having odd jobs, but even by those standards, Ryan Jones' work is a little unusual. He gets paid to answer questions about sexual positions, the weather, sports, recipes and virtually anything else you can think of...

• Philly.com: KGB holds the answers to your questions

  August 20, 2009

  "So there you are at the moment and for whatever reason, you find yourself needing an answer to a question. So where do you go or what do you do? You could go online and do a Google search for starters. But depending on the question, that may or may not be easily found. And what if you need the answer right away, or worse yet, you need an answer and you're nowhere near a computer? Well if you have a cell phone that can text, there's no need to panic. The answer is right there in the palm of your hand and it will only cost you 99 cents to get it."

• My Fox NY: kgb Answer Service

  July 22, 2009

  Does a 1996 transmission for a GEO fit in a Ford Focus? What percentage of the U.S. is covered by professional sports stadiums? A "KGB special agent" is on hand to answer these questions or whatever else you can think of to ask.

• Arkansas Blog: We're looking for a phone

  July 2, 2009

  "Call a new text service, KGB, with a text message question -- the score of the 1947 Cotton Bowl, quantum physics, the highest paid lottery staff in America, etc. -- and you'll get an answer texted back from an on-line expert for 99 cents. just dial kgbkgb (542542)."

• fox13now - Kgb Will Answer Any Question You Can Throw At It For $.99 A Pop

  June 29, 2009

  "If you've ever had a burning question that you needed an answer to... RIGHT NOW, then KGB is for you. It's a new service (launched at the beginning of this year) that will answer your questions via txt messaging..."

• Bruce Stewart interviewed on ComputerTalk with Dave Mason

  June 27, 2009
  Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb Mobile & Digital, interviewed on ComputerTalk with Dave Mason.

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• 6/26/09: New York Times: Text-Message Service Fields Flood of Jackson Queries

  June 26, 2009

  "... Mobile search service kgb, which employs human beings to answer text queries, has been flooded with questions about Mr. Jackson.  A spokesman for kgb said that since the first reports of Mr. Jackson’s hospitalization and death, the paid service — available by texting kgbkgb (or 542542) — has fielded more than 10,000 questions..."

• kgb profiled on NBC New York

  June 12, 2009

   kgb's 542542 service - and one of our Special Agents, Eric - are profiled on NBC New York.

• 6/4/09: Metro International: kgb’s texting service has all your answers

  June 4, 2009

  "In this Blackberry vs. iPhone world, some of us still do not access the Internet from our phone. And for those people, the kgb offers its services..."

• 5/27/09: Bruce Stewart interviewed on Fox Business News

  May 27, 2009

  Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb Mobile & Digital, chatted with the Fox Business Morning team this morning about the kgb 542542 service.

• The Courier Journal - "Smarty Text"

  May 16, 2009
  "A new service called the Knowledge Generation Bureau (KGB for short) will answer questions ranging from the trivial to the philosophical..."

  Download

• 5/5/09: WUSA9 - Vexing Questions Answered By Text Message

  May 5, 2009
  "How many times have you had something right at the tip of your tongue? That great movie? That huge touchdown? A fantastic restaurant? Now you can get answers in minutes... not on the internet but on your mobile phone."

  Download

• 5/3/09: Review Journal - ONLINE GUY: Got a burning question? Text the KGB

  May 3, 2009

  "Chances are you or someone with you has jumped to the Internet to find an answer to a question that just had to be answered NOW. Perhaps it was to settle an argument, win a bar bet or get that must-have piece of information for a research paper or project. Sometimes you just can't find what you're looking for. Enter the KGB (kgb.com)."

• 4/24/09: "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" interviews Bruce Stewart

  April 24, 2009

  Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb Mobile & Digital, was interviewed by Dave Graveline - a leading consumer electronics expert.  For more information, check out www.graveline.com.

• 4/21/09 - Baltimore Sun: Got questions? Text answers arrive on your cell phone

  April 21, 2009

• 4/21/09 - Popular Science: Make Quick Money on the Web

  April 21, 2009

  "Become an agent for the KGB—the Knowledge Generation Bureau — at
 kgb.com. Inquiring minds text questions (say, "What are hot dogs made of?") to 542542 (kgbkgb), which are relayed to agents online. You do some digging, send back a quick, accurate response, and pocket a cool dime each time."

• 4/10/09: St Louis Today - A text-based search engine for those times when just have to know

  April 10, 2009

  "KGB.com is a text-based search engine that does the work for you - for a price. Basically, you text your question to the service and they have someone look up the answer for you..."

• 4/05/2009: NY Post - The Rumble

  April 5, 2009

   "kgb, creator of the 542542 text answer service, is sponsoring team trivia question segments during broadcasts of all Yankees (WCBS 880 AM) and Mets (WFAN 660 AM) games this season. Sample questions may include: Who holds the Yankees single season record for doubles (Don Mattingly)? ..."

• 3/29/09: www.philly.com - Monica Yant Kinney: When fast answers are called for

  March 29, 2009

• The Philadelphia Inquirer: When fast answers are called for

  March 29, 2009
  "Staring at a laptop on his mother's kitchen table in Pottstown, B.J. Ellis ponders the meaning of life..."

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• 3/20/09: Boston Herald - We Hear: Brooke Burke, Sam Cohan, Knowledge Generation Bureau & more

  March 20, 2009

• 3/11/09: Event Marketer - KGB Goes Experiential

  March 11, 2009

• 3/10/09 : MSNBC - Wanted: KGB Agents in Milwaukee

  March 10, 2009

• 3/9/09: 620 AM WTMJ Radio - Wanted: KGB Agents in Milwaukee

  March 9, 2009

• 3/5/09: 88.7 FM kuhf Houston Public Radio - “Move over Google, here comes the kgb!

  March 5, 2009

• 3/5/2009: KUHF Business News profiles kgb's 542542 service

  March 5, 2009
  "kgb is visiting 18 cities to introduce consumers to their new 542542 text answer service, which answers any question on any topic in minutes..."

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• 3/2/09: Austin American Statesman - kgb wants to answer your texts… comrade

  March 2, 2009

• Dallas Morning News - New "542542" text service in Dallas this weekend

  February 27, 2009
  "A new texting service called 542542 supposedly can answer any trivia question in minutes that you can type out on your phone..."

  Download

• 2/26/09: Thrillist.com - The List:

  February 26, 2009

• 99.3 The Vine interviews Bruce Stewart

  February 23, 2009
  Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb Mobile & Digital, interviewed on 99.3 The Vine.

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• USA Radio Network interviews Bruce Stewart

  February 23, 2009
  Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb Mobile & Digital, interviewed on Daybreak USA on the USA Radio Network.

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• 2/23/09: ABC News Now - Ahead of the Curve w/ Bruce Stewart, CEO, Knowledge Generation Bureau

  February 23, 2009

• WDUN Atlanta interviews Bruce Stewart

  February 22, 2009
  Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb Mobile & Digital, interviewed on WDUN Atlanta

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• KDFK Sacramento interviews Bruce Stewart

  February 22, 2009
  Bruce Stewart, CEO of kgb Mobile & Digital, interviewed on KDFK Sacramento.

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• 2/18/09: : Thevoiceofmom.com - Review: KGB

  February 18, 2009

• 2/12/09: Resourceful Mommy - Calling the kgb

  February 12, 2009

• 2/9/09: kgb on WCBS 880 A.M. Radio New York

  February 9, 2009

• 2/9/09: Fashionpulsedaily.com - Got a Question? Get an Answer From the kgb

  February 9, 2009

• 2/8/09: Thatsfit.com - The kgb Has All the Answers

  February 8, 2009

• 2/3/09: Time.com - Answers for 50 Cents: Testing the New KGB

  February 3, 2009

• 1/28/09: New York Times.com - Free Internet-Calling Services Join the Cellphone App Market

  January 28, 2009

• 1/28/09: RCRWireless -kgb launches premium mobile search service

  January 28, 2009

• 1/28/09: StyleList - The kgb Knows Everything - The Fashion Secret Service

  January 28, 2009

• 5/29/09 - GeekSugar.com: Get Answers at Your Fingertips For 50 Cents

  January 26, 2009

• 1/23/09: The New York Times - Got a Question? Ask kgb Agents for the Answer

  January 23, 2009

• 1/15/09: Telephony - Mobile search companies offer human touch

  January 15, 2009

• 14/1/09: Laptop Magazine - Mobile Answers to All of Your Questions Anywhere

  January 14, 2009

• 14/1/09: Local Mobile Search - kgb Completes Consumer-Facing Transformation

  January 14, 2009

• 1/14/09: MediaPost - kgb Launches 'Secret Agents' Info Campaign

  January 14, 2009

• 1/14/09: Moco News - kgb Answer Service

  January 14, 2009

• 1/14/09: Philadelphia City Journal - Running Numbers -A scholarly look at the digits that matter

  January 14, 2009

• 1/14/09: Wireless Week - kgb Strikes U.S. Market

  January 14, 2009

• 1/14/09: Fierce Wireless - Have a question... any question at all? kgb has the answer

  January 14, 2009