By Z

With our new BFF, Emerge Sales, moving into a corner office here at New Media, this seems a good time to review the importance of strategic alliances — not only during times of economic crisis, like the Great Recession that rocked our national economy for the better part of two years, but also in times like these, when recovery is a reality and the business savvy are gearing up for better days.

See those logos up there? Each of those companies — Emerge Sales, Trade Show Solution Center, Software Reproduction Technologies and Naz Creative — is a New Media professional ally. And each brings something unique and critically important to the party. While New Media provides these partners with services such as website development, corporate rebranding and Relationship Marketing, the partners provide New Media with access to their valuable skills. The result is a solid team — a corporate bloc, if you will — capable of addressing an expanded range of professional needs.

If our good friend Laura McLeod at Trade Show Solutions Center has customers interested in developing a Social Media network, she refers them to us; if we have clients who need a killer presentation for the big convention, we know whom to call. And so on.

“This is where the future is,” says Michael Kitakis, New Media’s CEO and architect of many of his agency’s strategic alliances. “In today’s economic reality, companies like ours should embrace our ‘vendors’ and turn them into ‘partners.’ It’s just good sense.”

The benefits go far beyond the services allies provide each other; it’s not only about New Media’s advanced talent for web design or Emerge’s unparalleled telemarketing knowledge or Naz Creative’s SEO expertise. As with any sound business practice, these alliances don’t just benefit current clients — they help the member companies drum up new business.

“All of these companies share their databases,” Michael notes. “The idea is to provide existing clients, as well as potential ones, the kind of nourishment that shows them — rather than tells them — the benefits each company can provide.

“If I’m a business owner and I see someone is producing a webinar with an hour’s worth of vital content about trade shows, or search-engine optimization, or the kind of transferable-media services SRT provides, why wouldn’t I listen to that?” Michael adds. “This is all beneficial stuff, and if one webinar doesn’t exactly apply to your particular business, the next one will.”

The corporate quintet is already spinning some intricate webinars. This week, Emerge cofounder and CEO Michael Sperduti web-casted two live webinars for salespersons working the health-care trades from a New Media conference room. And production has already begun on a series of webinars, slated to web-cast live before the end of this year, featuring all five allies discussing the best bets for 21st century marketing and communications.

New Media and its professional pals, meanwhile, are always looking for new allies, with digital signage pros and networking aces being strongly considered. The more, the merrier, according to Michael K.

“As long as a business can provide a new or better service that applies to our world, we’ll consider bringing them in,” New Media’s head honcho says. “This is all about providing the best services for our customers, and for our partners’ customers, and for all the customers out there waiting to be discovered.”

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.

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!

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.

Superstar Christie Brinkley (pictured with RELI honcho Gordian Raacke) is the latest celebrity to cross New Media's path.

By Z

Arnold Schwarzenegger ate dinner at my house once. True story. I had lunch with Hillary Clinton, too. Two meals, thank you, with the late Gregory Hines. Rick Pitino corrected my free-throw shooting. Even shared a long afternoon’s drink with wrestling superstar Hillbilly Jim.

You can probably drop a few names, too. Most people can. The time you were in the restaurant and so-and-so walked in, the time you were waiting for your luggage in the baggage claim and there was that guy from the thing…

They’re thrilling, these brushes with fame, always beguiling and filled with a vicarious charge – bringing your audience a little closer to the celebrity who, it invariably turns out, is just like us. Hillary loves cookies.

New Media – not completely unfamiliar with elite circles – is bolstering its own anthology of celebrity run-ins. Followers of this blog will recall that we’re hard at work on the next edition of Renewable Energy Long Island’s Green Guide; we’re now pleased to announce that one of the Island’s most glamorous and influential residents is gracing the book with a cameo appearance.

In addition to an inexhaustible supply of sustainability features and “greening” tips, the Green Guide now boasts an exclusive interview with megastar Christie Brinkley – model, actress, author, artist and big-time environmentalist. Ms. Brinkley is more than just a pretty face when it comes to various environmental concerns, and she’ll share her unique ecological perspectives as both a celebrity and a world traveler (not to mention a mother and lifelong Long Island resident). She’ll also impart her ideas on the special role society’s elite must play in the global greening effort.

We’re also knee-deep in a marketing/communications project for an Island business whose co-owner happens to be one of reality television’s biggest (and, ironically, littlest) stars.

Power of New Media readers know of New Media’s new alliance with marketing/training/telecommunications giant Emerge Sales and Chief Operating Officer Bill Klein, costar of The Learning Channel reality series “The Little Couple.” Well, we’re hard at work with Bill and Emerge Chief Executive Mike Sperduti on Emerge’s wall-to-wall rebranding effort, and it’s proving to be loads of fun – and not only because we get to rub elbows with a real-life TV star. Turns out Emerge does all kinds of interesting and impressive things, and writing about them is a full-on hoot.

While we’re on the subject, tell us about your brushes with fame … your personal ones, or your company’s. We’d love to share, and like I said – run-ins with the rich and famous always make good stories!

The West Hills Day Camp website, before New Media polished it up (left) and after.

By Z

One of the things we appreciate most at New Media is the opportunity to work with nonprofits and other goodhearted businesses and organizations. We’re proud to produce Renewable Energy Long Island’s annual Green Guide, for instance, and to heap much-deserved praise on Wales-Darby’s considerable environmental efforts.

One of our newest clients, the famous Gersh Academy, also puts a fulsome spring in our step. Since 1999, the Melville-based academy has provided superior educational services to students with autism spectrum disorders and related neurological concerns ¾ ever since founder Kevin Gersh identified a need in the special education community and acted.

Mr. Gersh, who himself overcame dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, determined to identify students who learned differently and to approach each with a customized education plan. Ten years later, Gersh Academy Inc. ¾ with day-school programs in New York and Miami and a new post-secondary program near Buffalo ¾ remains dedicated to creating dynamic partnerships between home, school and community; developing a whole child; and teaching everyday life skills in a nurturing environment.

When an organization like that seeks your services, you’re only happy to oblige, so New Media threw itself into Gersh’s new website. When the client is pleased with the work ¾ “Thrilled,” according to Gersh marketing representative Suzanne Driscoll ¾ you’re doubly cheered. And when the client is so thrilled it recommends you to its partners and associates, you consider yourself blessed.

Gersh did just that, recommending New Media to Long Island mainstay West Hills Day Camp, another organization that does a heart good. For more than 50 years, the Huntington Institution has hosted summer programs on its rustic and charming 18-acre site off Sweet Hollow Road, providing countless happy memories for innumerable campers.

West Hills and Gersh had teamed up to provide a winning summer-camp experience for autistic children with a range of neurological disorders, including Asperger’s syndrome, depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tourette syndrome, Anxiety Disorder and ADHD. When West Hills decided to upgrade its own website, Gersh led them to us ¾ and while the new site isn’t live yet, we’re very pleased with the progress so far. (Click that pic up there for a better view!)

Now we’re hoping to expand our relationship with Gersh, running through a spectrum of Relationship Marketing services ¾ including blogging, Social Media networking and other efforts that build an interactive world of information and communication around a product or brand ¾ to see how they might benefit the noble institution.

“We’re so pleased with the excellent work New Media has done so far,” Ms. Driscoll noted. “And we’re very excited to learn about the benefits of Relationship Marketing, and everything New Media has to offer in that regard.”

New Media dynamic duo (from left) Kelly Sullivan and Liz Maher check out the wares at Estelle's Dressy Dresses.

By Z

You’ve heard of “the beauty shot.” It’s the photo that makes you crave that Big Mac, makes that Boar’s Head sandwich look so tasty, makes that new Lincoln crossover look so freakin’ sexy.

Here’s a little inside baseball for you: Most “beauty shots” are fake, or at least touched up. No turkey sandwich looks that good, not without a dollop of Photoshop. Know those pictures on the cereal box, where the splashing milk looks so bright and white? That’s probably Elmer’s glue. Even the loveliest model has the occasional imperfection that must be airbrushed away.

However, this is not a universal truth. Sometimes, the “beauty shot” stands alone and speaks for itself, no assembly required. Witness New Media COO Chris Graziose’s trip last week to the big, breathtaking headquarters of Estelle’s Dressy Dresses.

Back in July, you read right here about Graz, on one of his patented caffeine binges, gurgling with excitement over our new deal with Estelle’s Dressy Dresses: website design, Social Media implementation and production, the whole 21st century marketing enchilada. Well, it’s six weeks later, and things – as they tend to do here at New Media – are zooming ahead.

Last week, Graz grabbed his state-of-the-art digital camera and took a crew over to Estelle’s for a massive photo shoot. His mission: stock up on art to bring Estelle’s new website to life, and to energize the Facebook and MySpace pages we’re crafting for the retail giant.

The shoot went better than we’d hoped, thanks in no small part to the incredible selection on display inside Estelle’s 37,000-square-foot facility. The brilliant colors, the hot styles, the glittering accessories … even the lighting was perfect, and of course the Estelle’s staff was gracious and helpful (this will surprise no one who’s visited the Farmingdale megastore).

So Estelle’s provided the beauty and we provided the shots. We look forward to sharing more of Graz’s great photos when the new Estelle’s site goes live … for now, enjoy these sample shots!

By Z

Think you’ve run out of marketing options? Think again.

It’s the 21st century and the marketing landscape has changed. You, intrepid business owner, already know this. That’s why you’ve taken steps to modernize your communications efforts – no longer satisfied with faxes and phone calls, now you have the shiny new website and even that weekly e-mail blast thing.

Congratulations! You’ve reached the pinnacle of electronic marketing – in 2005.

Marketing today changes at the speed of technology, and that’s very, very fast. Just as the proliferation of camera phones and “iReports” has altered the way we receive and consume our news, emerging Social Media options are changing the way we share our messages – whether we’re tweeting about our favorite breakfast cereal, advertising a big sale on YouTube or announcing a major corporate alliance on MySpace.

All kinds of professional organizations – tiny nonprofits, major national lenders, famous restaurants, veteran auto dealers, retail apparel chains, even government agencies – are catching the Social Media bug, and loving it. Call it Facebook Fever, or a serious case of the Twitters. Whatever you call it, sales managers are learning that marketing options don’t end at the homepage: You can stock your site with enough high-tech flash to land an airbus, but if you’re not branching into the vast (and expanding) Social Media universe, you’re missing the virtual boat.

And so, from MySpace and LinkedIn and even the personalized blog comes the latest marketing innovation. On MySpace, it’s a graphics-heavy, well-worded “group page” designed to introduce visitors to your catalogue of services and unique selling points. On FaceBook, it’s called a “fan page.” On Twitter, it’s updates – as regular as you like – about your business, people and products. On LinkedIn, it’s all of the above, tweaked to focus on business associates (manufacturers and contractors, for instance).

And always, from these sites and your company’s professional blog and even your new YouTube spot, it’s endless links back to your homepage - the heart of your online enterprise.

The technophile will tell you that’s the ticket, right there: reciprocal links, search-engine optimization, metadata management and lead generation, anything to drive traffic to your website. The bean-counter will note the cost-effectiveness. But the marketing manager, charged with attracting customers and increasing sales, will endorse Social Media’s real value – the melding of concept and media, the transformation of monologue into dialogue, the never-ending advertisement that reaches a global audience and fosters memory retention by inviting active participation.

It’s the interaction, baby, and that’s a lesson New Media has learned well.

We used to promise topflight marketing services “from concept to completion,” but to keep up with the times, we’ve had to rethink that. With Social Media presenting endless marketing options, there’s no completion anymore.

There’s just the next great thing.

So, how does it work? Glad you asked.

By Z

Wow, things are flying forward on Renewable Energy Long Island’s new Green Guide.

We told you in this very space a few weeks back that RELI, the Island’s preeminent nonprofit environmental watchdog, honored New Media by choosing us to take creative control of its super-informative biannual manual. We also cited a daunting challenge – to improve a book that was already attractive and brimming with environmental resources.

Well, we picked up that gauntlet and now we’re thrilled with the Green Guide’s progress. It all starts with the backing of major sponsors like LIPA and National Grid and a list of advertisers that would choke Al Gore. (Did you get your ad yet? Pity. Your chief competitor did.)

And it rockets up from there. Our crack design staff has created a beautiful cover (that’s it up there) and head copywriter Jeff Borno – he’s what would happen if Ed Asner and George Carlin somehow produced a child, gruffy and absolutely brilliant – has crafted an A-list of departments and articles. Among them: discussions on cost-effective optimization of your home’s energy efficiency, explorations of more personal aspects of ecological sensitivity, workplace renewability and numerous ideas for scaping your land without ticking off Mother Nature.

And those are just for starters. Throw in a rundown of recent environmental headlines, a jam-packed calendar of regional energy events and enough tips and tricks to keep you greening until the next biannual issue (not to mention a possible celebrity cameo or two!) and RELI’s all-new Green Guide promises to be Long Island’s ultimate environmental resource. A slamming good read, too.

As Borno put it, greening “is not a sacrifice, it’s a gain,” and the Green Guide isn’t only about helping the environment or promoting healthier lifestyles. It’s about “opening eyes to what’s possible,” Borno said – and it turns out the first eyes opened were ours.

Get your copy of the Green Guide this fall!