This week, we raise the curtain on the new online home of Estelle's Dressy Dresses.

By Z

It’s a busy time for our friends at Estelle’s Dressy Dresses.

Estelle’s intrepid buyers have been scouring the country for the latest looks, the hottest accessories and the best prices, with an eye toward everything from the 2010 prom to next spring’s mother of the bride. Missions to Atlanta, Chicago and Las Vegas have borne fashionable fruit, and racks of new dresses, rows of new shoes and a Zsa Zsa-worthy trove of glittery accoutrements is set to complement the already astounding selection at Estelle’s Farmingdale superstore.

Estelle’s fund-raising fashion shows, meanwhile, continue to prove popular. Churches, schools and charitable organizations of every stripe are benefiting from the Estelle’s road show, which brings models and hot looks to the masses. The word is out and the calls just keep on coming.

Estelle’s is also gearing up for a major debut — although truthfully, New Media handled most of the busywork on this one. This week, we raise the curtain on the new Estelle’s Dressy Dresses website, after months of designing and programming and writing and whittling.

It’s a primo site, positively overflowing with merchandise and information that will keep the fashion-hungry clicking. Every department in Estelle’s ginormous store is represented in force — kids, misses, plus sizes, prom and all the rest, especially Estelle’s world-class bridal section. Handbags and other trimmings get royal treatments as well. From insider stories on the hunt for affordable style to point-and-click browsing of Estelle’s entire mammoth selection, this is one-stop nirvana for the savvy and the well-dressed … and for those trying to get there.

We’re proud of the site, and so is Estelle and her staff. We think you’ll like it, too. Watch for it this week … and while you’re waiting, be sure to check out Estelle’s Dressy Dresses very own Social Media network, with pages on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. It’s a great way to keep up with the latest merchandise and news from Long Island’s No. 1 fashion retailer!

By Z

Now here’s an account we can really sink our teeth into (ahem).

Unless you’re a dentist (according to the Bureau of Health Professionals, only one out of every 675,000 Americans is, so let’s assume you’re not), you’ve probably never heard of Hauppauge-based Mydent International. That’s perfectly fine with Mydent, so long as dental pros around the globe – and the key distributors servicing them – have.

So Mydent has turned to New Media to make sure the company and its exclusive Defend® product line are on the lips (and teeth and gums) of healthcare providers here, there and everywhere.

Now, we’re just cutting our teeth (sorry) on the dental industry, but we know how to develop a ground-up brand image. It starts with listing the unique benefits – and there are several – that make Mydent the best at what it does.

What Mydent does is provide superior infection-control products, disposables and impression-material systems for dental practices. It’s not glamorous stuff or, to the layman, especially appealing — but dentists can’t find better or more affordable wares for protecting their staffs, their patients or themselves.

Spreading this particular message is a challenge with real bite (ouch). Mydent provides a critical service; boasts an uber-impressive international production, storage and shipping network; offers an innovative product line as deep as they come; and satisfies customers in every global corner … but this is not your typical “look, hook and feel” job.

Of course, New Media never bites off more than it can chew (zing!). So far, we’ve helped Mydent develop those all-important Unique Service Propositions, and now we’re knee-deep in work on their hefty catalog – not only streamlining and modernizing its appearance, content and functionality, but developing new ways to share it with target audiences.

Next we hope to delve into Mydent’s tradeshow marketing efforts, as well as website expansion, Social Media networking and a complete communications plan befitting a firm already recognized as the standard-bearer across myriad vertical markets.

Can we get to the root of this challenge? Will we drill it home? Rinse-and-spit those doubts, dear reader – the doctor is in.

By Z

So this week New Media welcomed its nifty neighbors from the north, Alliance Designer Products, the Montreal-based maker of the planet’s finest hardscaping materials. President Jack Tutino was in town to catch up and look ahead, as New Media continues a wall-to-wall relationship-marketing effort.

Jack launched Alliance in 2003 with a single goal: conquer the hardscaping world with an unprecedented selection of paving sands and dusts and concrete adhesives, as well as top-shelf paving edges, nails and other support products. So far so good: In short order, Alliance has developed a dedicated multinational following, including busy distribution points in Virginia, Arizona, California and Oregon.

Already a success story etched in stone (or between stones), Alliance (like Jack himself) is quite aggressive. Not resting on its laurels, the company hired New Media to produce a state-of-the-art website, launch a blog and craft numerous print materials, from product sheets to ads – including that one up top, a preview of Alliance’s new contractor-support program.

Contractor support is a big part of Alliance’s success. It’s a business model that’s really caught on in this tight economy – manufacturers befriend distributors who refer venders to manufacturers, who boast advanced products that meet modern demands. Everyone finds more business, and the industry as a whole is strengthened. You see it everywhere, from green construction to auto repair, and in the hardscaping world, Alliance is its master.

“Jack really gets the concept,” says Mike Kitakis, chief dude here at New Media. “Everyone wins with contractor support: Jack educates contractors on his great products, contractors meet demand for new and better services, distributors increase sales and customers get exactly what they want.”

For a relatively young and highly innovative company, it’s a key strategy. And Alliance is always developing the next great thing, whether it’s a breakthrough formula for polymeric sand or a cutting-edge packaging system that increases product efficacy and storage life.

So the manufacturer needs a vehicle to keep the hardscaping world informed, and to disseminate and share these fast-paced advances, Alliance has found a strong ally in New Media.

Alliance President Jack Tutino (second from left) visits with New Media partners (from left) Graz, Mikey K. and Joe Lap.

“New Media understands my type of business very well,” Jack says. “You take the time to understand what my company does and work hard to position my company where we want it to be. New Media has done a fantastic job taking my ideas and visions to the masses.”

That will continue in the coming weeks with the launch of the new Alliance website. Meanwhile, learn about their trend-setting products here. And keep an eye out in January for Alliance’s comprehensive, all-new contractor-support effort. We’re sworn to secrecy now, but rest assured, the “Gator family of products” will take new meaning for anyone working the hardscaping trades – or anyone with a patio, driveway or sidewalk to improve anytime in the next decade.

RELI Executive Director Gordian Raacke (orange tie) and several friends from Wales-Darby Inc. demonstrate Veissmann solar-tube collectors during the Long Island leg of Saturday's National Solar Tour.

By Z

Clouds, wind and rain couldn’t muddle moods, erode enthusiasm or dampen dispositions during Saturday’s National Solar Tour.

Sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society, the annual tour invites visitors to explore homes and businesses taking environmental stewardship to the next level via the latest efficiency technologies and concepts. Several New Media clients had a hand in the tour’s local leg, including Renewable Energy Long Island – which sponsored the tour on LI – and Wales-Darby Inc., which highlighted its ecologically sound plumbing, heating and HVAC wares at National Grid’s Melville hub.

Hundreds of visitors braved Saturday’s soggy weather to check out the tour’s 75 Long Island stops – comprised mostly of residences, with a few businesses and extremely impressive municipal facilities sprinkled in. Despite the rain, “the message of solar energy was delivered loud and clear,” according to RELI Program Director Kathy Cunningham.

“Spirits were high,” Kathy said Tuesday. “The tour visitors were all very enthusiastic and all of our solar ambassadors were just wonderful.”

In fact, the inclement weather might have aided the tour’s ultimate purpose, according to RELI Executive Director Gordian Raacke. “The rainy Solar Tour was a perfect demonstration of the fact that renewable-energy systems can lower your utility bills even when it rains,” Gordian noted. “I’m sure our solar ambassadors were asked many times ‘does it work when it rains?’ And of course, the answer is ‘yes.”

Among the popular nonresidential stops: the 10-kilowatt solar array and “shellfish aquaculture facility” at the Town of Hempstead’s Department of Conservation and Waterways facility and National Grid’s Melville center, where Islandia-based Wales-Darby was among the progressive businesses showcasing cutting-edge efficiency products.

Wales-Darby – a longtime distribution linchpin for LI plumbing, heating and HVAC contractors – has pushed renewability to the forefront by championing energy-efficient systems and educating contractors about the company’s many environmentally friendly options.

“The Solar Tour was the perfect place for Wales-Darby to share the latest plumbing and climate-control technologies with an audience interested in learning about them,” said Wales-Darby President Brian Darby. “There are so many wonderful products out there now to heat our homes and conserve our water and keep us comfortable without sacrificing the environment, products that even save us money in the long run. We were thrilled to share that.”

While still basking in the afterglow of Saturday’s tour, RELI – like any good forward-thinking enterprise – is already looking ahead. The group is busily weighing ideas for a possible “Solar Soiree” later this year, and according to Kathy has already developed some interesting ideas for the 2010 National Solar Tour.

“There are a lot of wind-powered options out there now, through LIPA programs and otherwise,” Kathy said. “We’re anticipating having more residential wind-power installs on next year’s tour.”

By Z

New Media may not be the largest marketing and communications firm on Long Island – yet – but we’re certainly the greenest.

Over the summer, we told you about the inaugural meeting of the Green Island Coalition, a grassroots group determined to engage Island lawmakers, labor representatives and industrial leaders in meaningful environmental dialogues. Lending weight to that first meeting, held at Wales Darby’s Islandia headquarters, were representatives of the Green Mechanical Council, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit dedicated to educating business principals about environmentally healthy residential and commercial mechanical systems.

We also told you that GreenMech had recognized Wales Darby – a veteran and uber-successful distributor of plumbing, heating and HVAC products – as a greening leader. Hosting the coalition kickoff wasn’t the half of it; from its commitment to the New York Department of Transportation’s Clear Air New York campaign to the multipurpose, multidimensional Energy Learning Center inside its headquarters building, Wales Darby has taken a leading role on several environmental causes – and GreenMech proudly welcomed the Islandia firm as a member organization in July.

While working closely with Wales Darby, rubbing elbows with the Stony Brook-based nonprofit LI Green, producing Renewable Energy Long Island’s biannual Green Guide and involving ourselves in a half-dozen other worthy ecological efforts, New Media has learned a few things about the environment. We get greening, and why it’s critically important.

Now, we’re pleased to announce that New Media Marketing and Communications is the first-ever marketing or advertising firm to become a member of the Green Mechanical Council.

Jo Keirns, GreenMech’s executive director, welcomed New Media with open arms this week. Jo gets around; I finally tracked her down in San Diego, where she was checking out a green-to-the-recycled-rafters house built with materials provided by EcoTech Builders Inc., a Mandalay Beach, Calif.-based GreenMech member.

Having New Media on the GreenMech team, Jo noted, provides a serious boost for council members.

“It’s so important to have a marketing department or a marketing firm that can assist our members in putting their companies out there,” she said. “Right now, consumers are reaching out for green. If you’re trying to put your company out front, to give it an edge, you really need to have a media source that totally understands how to do that.”

Exactly the advantage New Media provides, according to the executive director. “Being able to utilize New Media really gives our members a competitive edge,” Jo noted. “We’re very happy to welcome New Media.”

Thanks, Jo! We’re proud to be with you.

Rich Ciota spent his weekend pitching Division 7's state-of-the-art solar-energy services.

By Z

Homeowners in all stages of remodeling, and those just dreaming the dream, came in droves this weekend to Suffolk County Community College’s Brentwood campus for the Long Island Fall Home Show.

Presented by American Consumer Shows (America’s No. 1 home-show producer) and Findapro.com (ACS’s online division), the three-day extravaganza featured hundreds of Long Island’s top remodeling, landscaping and decorating firms in a massive home-improvement smorgasbord. This was the scene for anyone considering any level of home renovation; everyone from Alure Home Improvements to the Long Island Builders Institute was there, and right in the middle was Uncle Richie.

Well, he’s Uncle Richie to our man Graz. To everyone else, he’s Managing Partner Rich Ciota of Division 7, a Stony Brook-based provider of roofing and solar energy solutions. A registered Woman-Owned Business (Aunt Kerry, Kerry Ciota to you, is the boss), Division 7 is re-tasking over 40 years of roofing expertise and emerging as the Island’s new solar authority – and the Ciotas were thrilled to spend their weekend in Brentwood showcasing their cutting-edge wares and services.

Uncle Richie (left) shares his solar knowledge with customers at the Long Island Fall Home Show.

“We have so much wonderful solar-energy and efficiency knowledge to share with customers,” Rich said during the show. “We’re still the Island’s best source for residential and commercial roofing, single-ply roofing, built-up and modified bitumen roofing, all of that. But now our expertise includes solar thermal and solar PV solutions, and the Home Show was the perfect place to share that with thousands of homeowners.”

Now, lest you think the Power of New Media blog has eschewed all professional standards and devolved into a nepotistic love-in, please note Division 7 is also one of New Media’s hottest new clients (our blatant favoritism remains reserved for customers, thank you). This summer we designed their new logo and smart new business cards; we’ve helped hone their new message, assisting Rich and Kerry in their transition to major solar players; we even produced their display booth for the Home Show. Next, we’re developing Division 7’s website, which is good now and begging to be great.

The fact that Graz spends half his weekends wolfing down Uncle Richie’s world-class barbecue will have absolutely no bearing on the negotiations.

The WKJY can is cool, but not the coolest vehicle at Thursday's Subaru Love at First Sight event at Hassett of Wantagh.

By Z

Deals, giveaways and a special appearance by a popular Long Island DJ set a festive atmosphere Thursday night, when Hassett of Wantagh hosted its 2010 Subaru Love at First Sight Preview Event.

Hassett, one of the first U.S. dealerships to take delivery of Subaru’s shiny new Legacy and Outback models, pulled out all the stops for the one-night-only showcase. DJ Jim Douglas and the staff of WKJY radio broadcasted live from the event, where enthusiastic customers munched on snacks and enjoyed free beverages and took advantage of special deals and door prizes (the free iPods disappeared as fast as the new models).

Hassett Subaru Manager John Fanuzzi made some new friends Thursday night.

“The Love at First Sight Preview Event was met with a lot of enthusiasm,” said John Fanuzzi, who was milling around the showroom answering questions and assisting the sales staff as numerous buyers took advantage of special prices, exclusive warranties and other Preview Event bonuses. “We’re very happy with the way it turned out.”

The confident and dynamic 2010 Legacy and the rugged and adventurous 2010 Outback were the real stars of the show, but making these attractive vehicles even more desirable was Subaru’s Guaranteed Trade-In Program (ensuring the highest possible trade-in price for older Subarus, plus an additional $500 in Subaru Rewards) and the complimentary two-year maintenance program for all new vehicles purchased during the Love at First Sight event.

Similar deals will be flying Oct. 15, when Hassett of Wantagh hosts its next big premier event – this time spotlighting the 2010 Lincoln MKT. For more on that event and all the great deals at Hassett of Wantagh, check out Hassett’s main website and the exclusive Hassett Highlights blog!

Gene Stern (left) of the Green Peak Group and friends at Wednesday's Going Green Symposium & Business Expo.

By Z

For ’tis green, green, green, where the ruined towers are gray,
and it’s green, green, green, all the happy night and day…

This probably wasn’t what the late poet Mary Elizabeth Blake, a nice Italian girl from Dungarvan in County Waterford, meant. But some serious greenin’ went on Wednesday, when builders, plumbers, electricians, architects and the cream of Long Island’s business crop united for the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce’s Going Green Business Symposium & Expo.

The third-annual event – a smorgasbord of construction-related discussions and networking with an environmental edge – was split into successive sessions at Huntington’s Long Island Hilton and Melville’s Leviton Manufacturing Company. And it was bigger and better than its predecessors, according to Ronald DiGiacomo of the Huntington Chamber’s Board of Directors.

Ron, who chairs the chamber’s Environmental Committee, played an active role in organizing the symposium, which attracted “greater participation and more sponsors this year.” Among the luminaries was former National Grid CEO Bob Catell, chairman of Stony Brook University’s Advanced Energy Research & Technology Center, who delivered the keynote address.

Big-name sponsors included LIPA, National Grid, Verizon, The Home Depot, Newsday and Long Island Business News, a well as several of Long Island’s most influential construction and financial institutions. Also cracking the sponsor list was Green Peak Group, a Hauppauge-based enterprise that “integrates all facets of green construction and renovation, from conception to completion,” according to Ron, who’s also Green Peak’s chief operating officer.

New Media has enjoyed a close relationship with Green Peak since the environmental concern launched in December. We’ve honed their brand and their image, developing everything from their logo to their unique message; we’ve provided digital content and print ads; we even produced their booth for Wednesday’s expo, where Green Peak was more than a simple cosponsor.

Green Peak people, in fact, were all over the place. Charlie Hall, who manages Green Peak’s energy services, was part of the “Finding the Green to Go Green” panel discussion during the morning session. Joining Charlie was Jacob Goldman, a professional member of both Green Peak Group and Energy Tax Savers, an amalgam of CPAs, engineers and legal eagles consulting clients on federal greening incentives.

Dr. Ron Vitori, another professional Green Peak member and vice president of the construction-management firm Axis Group, moderated the “Training the Trades” discussion during the afternoon session at Levinton.

Carrying a heavy load at the symposium was ideal for Green Peak, and not only because its COO organized the chamber event. “As a consultant, a big part of what we do is finding the green to go green,” Ron told me. “Since we’re into construction as well, we’re also very interested in seeing the trades stay up-to-date on green building techniques.

“It’s all about making these buildings efficient and more sustainable,” he added. “Making them better places to live and work.”

For more on Green Peak Group’s comprehensive approach to environmentally friendly construction, check out their website (yeah, that’s one of ours!) at www.greenpeakgroup.com.

That's a wrap!

By Z

Holy guacamole, whatta week!

Two weeks, really, ticking down to deadline on Renewable Energy Long Island’s biannual Green Guide. I have friends in the newspaper business who will understand this immediately, but if you’ve never labored over a printed work – in this case, 64 glorious, full-color glossies highlighting humanity’s best environmental practices – under the frenetic lash of punctual printers and anxious clients, well, I’m not sure I can describe it.

Busy, certainly. Tense, yes. Hours of steady work punctuated by moments of deep despair and total triumph. As is often the case, however, the tougher labor produces the sweeter fruits – and so, New Media is very, very proud to present the latest edition of RELI’s uber-informative magazine, coming next week to a National Solar Tour stop near you.

We worked very closely with RELI on this book, conferring constantly with Executive Director Gordian Raacke and his top lieutenants on content, layout, art, even grammar. They were very exacting, and you know what? They should be. The Green Guide is their baby, their face, the No. 1 means of spreading their very important word. It should say what they want, how they want. This was a challenge, but in the end, we nailed it.

“When we saw the first printed copy, we were oohing and aahing over here,” Gordian told me.

From the exclusive one-on-one with superstar model, forthright activist and concerned Long Island mom Christie Brinkley to the eye-opening articles to dozens of everyday energy-efficiency tips, the Green Guide is exactly what was intended: the Island’s ultimate environmental resource and the blueprint for every Island-based greening brochure that follows. The photos and graphics are sharp (kudos to those punctual pros over at Spectragraphic), the information is up-to-date (and mind-blowing, in spots), even the ads are a wealth of practical ecological opportunities.

The green-minded (and everyone else) can find their copy and other important renewability materials all along the Island leg of the National Solar Tour. Sponsored locally by RELI, the American Solar Energy Society event is scheduled for 10 am-4 pm Saturday, Oct. 3, and stacks of the Green Guide will be available at many of the 90 LI stops. They’ll definitely be at 16 “hub” locations, according to Gordian, including the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, the Department of Conservation and Waterways in Hempstead, Tanner Park in Copiague (Town of Babylon), NYIT’s Central Islip campus and the Mount Sinai Heritage Trust facility (Town of Brookhaven).

For more information on the tour and its stops, see the RELI homepage (www.renewableenergylongisland.org). The tour is free, but participants are asked to preregister on the RELI site.

The Green Guide is also free. Considering what it can do for the environment and the homeowner’s bottom line, it’s priceless, too.

By Z

Nicolock Paving Stones and Retaining Walls came to us at the beginning of 2009 with a relatively simple request: Help us increase sales.

We jumped right in. Nicolock’s a strong Island-based company with a long tradition of excellent craftsmanship and fair dealings – exactly the client you want in your rolodex.

In the spring we produced Nicolock’s 2009 Product Catalog (below), and since a traditional book would never do for such a multidimensional company, Graz went all nutty with his Mac Pro and concocted a 3D catalog – complete with glasses – that brought the stones and walls to life.

We also helped Nicolock plan, promote and polish its 2009 Contractor Convention, a networking and training extravaganza at the Long Island Sheraton in Hauppauge. The event was packed with “Best Practice” instruction, business-building seminars, giveaways and more, and our aggressive advertising campaign helped Nicolock pack the house.

We followed up with Nicolock’s first-ever direct-response television ad, a 60-second spot that ran this summer and generated a “significant response,” according to Mark Fuss, Nicolock’s sales VP. Highlighting the firm’s patented Paver-Shield technology, the ad offered free home-ideas catalogs and design software, Nicolock’s guide to easy financing and a list of qualified Nicolock installers. It also invited viewers to learn more about Nicolock’s lifetime warranty and special installation rebates.

But our Nicolock efforts have hinged mostly on Hardscape Pro, an expansive contractor support program. In lieu of conventional advertising, this program speaks directly to the source – contractors and installers, front-lines types who can really push Nicolock’s wonderful products.

They can be Nicolock’s mini-sales force, the theory goes, the perfect middleman (and woman) between the company and all those customers itching to beautify their homes. Arming them with tons of Nico-knowledge, while supporting their entire business effort, is a win-win: The benefits to Nicolock are obvious, while small, independent contractors thrill at the prospect of larger marketing and support mechanisms.

The contractors don’t only learn how to sell Nicolock products, they learn how to sell themselves – no small thing in a troubled economy. Professional, informative, easy-to-use catalogs. Job-site signs that catch the eye and spread the word. Attractive direct-mail postcards, personalized for local campaigns. Referral programs, credit card processing services and, of course, extensive education on the latest technological advancements and techniques – the list goes on.

Members become part of something bigger, enjoying increased sales potential, enhanced marketability, extended advertising reach and an expanded scope of professional capabilities. And Nicolock is etched as a paving industry cornerstone.

One-hundred-fifty Hardscape Pros (and growing) will tell you it’s working beautifully, a testament to Relationship Marketing done right. And with the support program steaming along, New Media can refocus on more traditional services, developing new web and television campaigns for our Nicolock friends.

To learn more about Nicolock’s products or for information on becoming a Hardscape Pro, check out their site. To learn more about Relationship Marketing … look no further, baby.