Pedersen steers ZAGG to much greater visibility

It's not surprising that many people who buy an invisibleSHIELD for a personal electronic device are converted to the product after seeing it.

After all, that's how Robert Pedersen came to lead ZAGG Inc., the maker of invisibleSHIELD.

Pedersen is president, chief executive officer, chairman of the board and co-founder of ZAGG. But in the beginning, he planned only a short-term consulting gig for the fledgling product's inventors.

But Pedersen was fired with enthusiasm after seeing the invisibleSHIELD, a protective coating for everything from laptops to cell phones that is made from a military-grade film originally used to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades.

With its clear, nearly imperceptible coating, invisibleSHIELD seems different from the bulkier cases that are its main competitors. But Pedersen knew that, once potential customers saw how well the product protected their devices, they would not only buy an invisibleSHIELD, but would also become evangelists for the brand, convincing others to give it a look.

To that end, Pedersen created a highly motivated sales staff and instilled a culture of fun and unity in the company. ZAGG now offers thousands of invisibleSHIELD designs used by millions of people, and its products are sold around the world thanks in part to enthusiastic word-of-mouth from customers.

ZAGG plans to continue expanding its invisibleSHIELD lines, but the company also is developing new accessories to enhance the relationship between electronic gadgets and their owners. One such line is ZAGGAudio, which makes award-winning earbuds, headphones and USB speakers for laptops.