slides: Samantha Hess and the Rise of Professional Cuddling
Email to a friend
Permalink
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Chris Vetter, GoLocalPDX Contributor
Chris, Samantha and cuddlers. Photo by Joe Wilson
Political consultant Chris Vetter traded public policy for professional cuddling. In the past 18 months, he helped Samantha Hess reach 47 million people across the globe without spending a dime on advertising. This is the inside story behind Cuddle Up To Me.
Inside Cuddle Up To Me | Part One
“There is a journalist on the line from Australia,” said my business partner Derek McLain. “Or maybe he is from New Zealand. I really can’t tell these callers apart anymore.” Our fledgling startup Cuddle Up To Me was overwhelmed by international media attention. It was December 2013 and professional cuddler Samantha Hess was an overnight sensation. We could not handle the incoming calls. After the first wave of publicity, we received more than 10,000 emails, a few of which included marriage proposals.
I never imagined my biggest accomplishment in life would involve professional cuddling. Over the past two decades I guided more than a dozen political races and developed marketing campaigns for over 100 clients. None of these efforts reached as many people as the work I performed for Samantha. As of last week, she reached over 47 million people on six continents in more than 300 features and interviews. Her retail location in downtown Portland is now frequented by tourists, joining the ranks of Voodoo Doughnuts and Powell’s Books as an iconic Portland destination. Samantha is one of the most famous women in Portland and her rise was no accident.
Photo by Joe Wilson
The Origins of Professional Cuddling
Derek, a mild-mannered software entrepreneur, discovered Samantha in a July 24, 2013 Willamette Week “Best of Portland” article. The feature identified her as a sole proprietor who cuddled with strangers for $60 an hour. She was drawn to the profession by a lack of affection from her former husband. Derek saw a business opportunity. “This idea is a fantastic,” said McLain. “I think professional cuddling could work on a much bigger scale. We should approach Samantha and see if she wants to launch a company.”
I thought he was nuts.
Samantha Hess. Photo by Joe Wilson
At first glance, the business model made little sense. People received affection from their immediate friends and family — and they did not need a credit card. Professional cuddling seemed controversial. I imagined protesters across the city picketing her business and decrying the commercialization of human intimacy.
After sleeping on the idea, however, my marketing instincts took over. Controversy meant publicity. Almost no one in the entire country was providing this service. How often can you start a company with 100% market share? There were no competitors. I thought Samantha was charismatic and I saw her potential as a media personality. Derek approached her about a prospective partnership and within a few weeks they developed a startup plan. The three of us had breakfast and Samantha asked me to join the company as a partner and marketing czar. I did not agree overnight. I worried that the unusual premise of her business would prevent me from being taken seriously in future political campaigns. Samantha persuaded me to take the risk. She already had more business than she could handle and the demand for professional cuddling was insatiable. “So many people need this service,” said Hess. “There are folks from every walk of life who lack intimacy in their lives and need someone to hold them. Professional cuddling is an idea whose time has come.”
I was moved by her sincerity. Samantha persuaded me that professional cuddling was an essential service. I signed up for duty and got to work. I hired ace photographers Carla Axtman and Joe Wilson for an iconic photo shoot in Washington Park. Their images were seen by millions of people across the globe in our first publicity campaign, an effortless public relations triumph that defied our wildest expectations.
Photo by Joe Wilson
The Changing Media Landscape
Over the past 15 years, the journalism profession took a hit. The Internet changed publishing forever. Readers stopped paying for content. According to the Pew Research Center, over 16,000 media jobs simply vanished. Some estimates claim roughly 40% of all journalism jobs disappeared. In order to survive, many media outlets consolidated, sharing resources and content across multiple platforms. This was a dream for publicists, who might place a single article in a local newspaper and see it syndicated across the country — or even globally. Television and radio stations partnered with print publications to share stories. In the modern media era, editors have limited resources for original reporting. It is easier than ever before to see a local article reach a vast audience. The contraction of the media world changed the game.
Chris Vetter. Photo by Sara Gray
Samantha benefited from this new media landscape when Shane Dixon Kavanaugh
wrote an article about Cuddle Up To Me for The Oregonian on November 12, 2013. The article was wildly popular, reaching over 450,000 Oregonians. Almost overnight, local television and radio stations picked up the story and Samantha was the talk of Portland. 48 hours later her story was syndicated to CNN and she reached a national audience of over three million people. Our local Fox News affiliate profiled Samantha and connected her to the Rupert Murdoch media network. Soon she was on the cover of
New York Daily News. Her story was syndicated to newspapers in London. Before we could even stop to breathe, her television interview with local NBC affiliate KGW traveled around the world, even airing on state television in China and Russia.
The controversial nature of professional cuddling made the public insatiably curious about Samantha and her business. Whether they loved or hated her, they were fascinated. The media juggernaut accelerated through 2014. We exhausted ourselves answering media requests for information, photos and interviews. Samantha was featured on Anderson Cooper 360, CNN Headline News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Comedy Central, NBC News, ABC affiliate KATU, People Magazine, Fox News, CNBC, Huffington Post, NPR, BuzzFeed, America Online, Reuters, Portland Business Journal, Yahoo, London Daily Mail and Nerve Magazine. The British tabloids followed her exploits. Samantha even landed on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. The Bible of modern capitalism made her their cover girl.
Today, Samantha is hounded for autographs at restaurants and stores. She is an emerging cultural icon and unofficial ambassador for Portland to the world. From the day we met, I knew she would make her mark in the world. It was just a matter of when.
Part Two: Samantha Hess writes the book on cuddling and becomes a reality star
Photo by Sara Gray
Chris Vetter is the former Marketing Director of Cuddle Up To Me and the former editor of Inside Portland Magazine. His new marketing company Modern Media Machine launches later this year.
Related Slideshow: The Cuddlers Reality Television Show
Prev
Next
Samantha Hess inked a reality show development deal with the creators of Housewives of New York. That contract expired last month and the show stalled. What follows is a list of characters and episode outlines for the one-hour docudrama The Cuddlers.
Samantha Hess: Founder of Cuddle Up To Me
The woman who launched an industry
Devastated by the lack of affection in her first marriage, Samantha became a professional cuddler to improve relationships and help people rediscover intimacy. She appeared in over 300 interviews, reaching 47 million people in the past 18 months. Samantha wrote a book about cuddling that received rave reviews. She hired a team of cuddlers to launch her iconic company.
Prev
Next
Heather: The Protégé
A mountain climber and outdoor adventurer with a head for business
After surviving a four-step interview process that lasted months, Heather quickly developed a reputation as a workhorse. As the company expands, she plans to open new stores in other cities. A polyamorous lesbian, Heather has a background in mental health. This comes in handy given the unrelenting pace of life as a professional cuddler.
Prev
Next
Ray: The Doctor
A brilliant and socially-conscious African-American physician
Ray is inches away from becoming a naturopathic doctor. She works part-time at a medical clinic in Portland. A peacemaker who honors the human body, Ray soothes her clients with words of wisdom and a soft caress. Wise beyond her years, she is an old soul destined to transform lives across the city. Samantha considers her a key ally.
Prev
Next
Kira: The Adorable Mystic
A spiritual wanderer who loves life
Guided by the stars, deeply metaphysical yoga master Kira is the life force of Cuddle Up To Me. Originally from Florida, she sees the world through a different lens, constantly aware of the human energies that surround us. She knew she found her home the moment she touched down in Portland. Single and searching for love, will the men she dates accept her profession?
Prev
Next
Jake: The Boyfriend
A quirky entrepreneur who is easy on the eyes
After a whirlwind romance, Jake fell for Samantha and is her port in the storm. He promotes a product called The Pillow Cape, a neck cushion for traveling that has a cape attached to it. The idea spring from a childhood love for superheroes that spilled into his adult life. Now inseparable, Jake works tirelessly to please the woman he loves.
Prev
Next
Chris: The Villain
The scheming business partner who values profits over people
A counterpoint to the wide-eyed idealism of Samantha, Chris makes sure the trains run on time. He wants to make Samantha a household name and he will stop at nothing to help her achieve global fame. Manipulative and driven, his ruthless business tactics sometimes rub Samantha the wrong way. Will his raw ambition someday threaten the company?
Prev
Next
Episode One: “Cuddling Is Serious Business”
The company debuts in a state of chaos
After weeks of rigorous training, Samantha is finally ready to allow her three employees to cuddle with real clients. A massive computer glitch causes scheduling mishaps and confusion. Chris angrily summons an information technology team to manage the crisis only to discover they are incompetent. Samantha channels her inner diva as she fusses over decorating the office.
Prev
Next
Episode Two: “Backlash”
An anonymous stalker pushes Samantha to the edge
After a successful grand opening and citywide media attention, both admirers and haters come out of the woodwork. A troll bullies Samantha online, driving her to the breaking point. Chris hires an investigator to track down the troll. The identity of the culprit shocks everyone. Jake takes Samantha on a romantic river cruise to forget her troubles. Kira is pressured for a date by a client.
Prev
Next
Episode Three: "Cuddle Con"
While promoting Cuddle Con, Samantha meets an unusual crowd
Overwhelmed by preparations for her first international cuddling convention, Samantha asks her fellow cuddlers to step up and manage the company. Chris pushes the idea of setting a Guinness Book World Record for the largest group cuddle. Samantha speaks at a promotional event only to discover her audience is a group of furries.
Prev
Next
Episode Four: “New Recruits”
The women embrace gender equality
With more business than her team can handle, Samantha posts an ad online recruiting additional cuddlers. The response is overwhelming and the cuddlers work around the clock to coordinate the hiring process. The women opt to hire male snugglers. A client invites all four women to watch him perform at a local circus..
Prev
Next
Episode Five: “House Call”
Kira takes the team to a yoga class
After an emotional plea from the mother of a client with ALS, Samantha opens the business to house calls. With an influx of new employees, Kira takes the group to an acrobatic yoga class as a group bonding exercise. Ray misses a client appointment when she gets stuck with a patient at a medical office. The client angrily confronts Ray, causing a scene.
Prev
Next
Episode Six: “The Business Trip”
Heather endures a jealous rage from her female lover
Samantha and Chris hop on a flight to Miami to meet a potential business partner who wants to open a similar company in South Florida. She leaves her business plan at the office and must enlist the help of Kira to track it down in time for the meeting. While cuddling with an attractive female client, one of the women Heather is dating arrives at the office and throws a jealous tantrum.
Prev
Next
Episode Seven: “Competition”
Mounting stress is tearing the company apart
Samantha discovers another professional cuddling shop is opening in town. Will the new company take clients away from Cuddle Up To Me? Heather, Ray and Kira are not meshing with some of the new hires, causing internal unrest. Chris finds himself juggling too many responsibilities and drops the ball on an important project. Samantha is not happy, resulting in an ugly confrontation.
Prev
Next
Episode Eight: “Trouble on the Home Front”
Jake and Samantha find themselves growing apart
Samantha and Chris patch things up. Jake feels neglected as Samantha devotes most of her time to running her company. He demands she cancel an appointment to spend time with him and she ignores his request. Are they about to break-up? An old college girlfriend visits the office and shocks Chris with an offer he is unable to refuse.
Prev
Next
Episode Nine: “Courting the Cuddlers”
Chris and Samantha consider selling the business
A large firm from San Francisco attempts to recruit Chris and Samantha to develop a national cuddling chain. They want to purchase the business and turn the company into a franchise. Rumors swirl that the cuddlers may lose their jobs in the transition. Samantha reaches out to her mother for personal and business advice. Jake and Samantha share a romantic dinner downtown.
Prev
Next
Episode Ten: “Civil War”
Samantha and Chris battle for control of the company
Ray is forced to spend more time at the medical clinic and misses several client appointments. Samantha questions her dedication. They have a heart-to-heart talk. After rejecting an offer for a corporate takeover, Samantha and Chris quarrel over the future of the company. Chris is convinced that international publicity has swollen her head. Samantha believes he is hopelessly arrogant.
Related Articles
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.
Email to a friend
Permalink
Delivered Free Every
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It