Ideas, Money & Art

Your Website Is Now a Living Thing

Lee Odden writes, "For many, the creation of a web site is a one time event with minimal updates. Marketing budgets are tight and companies are frugal."

I run across this all of the time. New clients don't yet understand that the way they built their first website back in 1998 is not the way websites are built today. I don't blame clients for still holding this thought, after all, their business is to run their business. Our business is to help their business and to keep abreast of all of the changes in the interactive world. Well, the need for a "living" website is one of those changes.

Beyond the benefits to your SEO efforts, fresh content on your website engages users and increases your conversion rates. Better yet, it gives your company a personality that people can connect with. 3 years ago I never encouraged clients to set up blogs because I knew they would never write anything. Now, a blog is mandatory for IMA's clients and we do the writing. Our client's behavior didn't need to change. We needed to change. In the end everyone benefits.

And today, with the rise of social networks, creating content is a must. You can no longer build a new site and walk away. The day your site goes live is Day One of a long journey. But, if done correctly, it's a long, fun, profitable journey. 

 Create Content or Die (yes, that's a little over the top)

We Won An Award for a Company That Doesn't Exist Anylonger

The following press release was sent to us recently. It claims that Movidmu Productions won an award for Best of Mill Valley (never mind that we haven't been in Mill Valley for a year). Who is Movidmu you ask? That was the name that Rob and I originally bestowed on IMA. We were purely a creative agency back then and it was short for MOVies IDeas and MUsic. Trouble was, nobody could pronounce it. I think it lasted for a month or two (long enough for us to buy business cards-whoops).   

Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that we won an award! Whoo-hoo! All we have to do is pay $150 and we get the beautiful crystal trophy pictured below. $150 for credibility? Not too shabby.

I'm not a fan of awards. Whether they be Best of, Tellys (another pay for play favorite of which we've won/payed for 2), Cleos, Tony's, Grammys, Oscars...you name it. It's all pure marketing and has little to do with merit. Which in and of itself is OK but some people really get caught up in "award winning..." which doesn't help much when they go out of business. 

How about we give credit to companies that provide a valuable service to their clients, act ethically and provide a great place for people to work (or work from home). Where's the award for that?

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Movidmu Productions Receives 2009 Best of Mill Valley Award

U.S. Commerce Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement

WASHINGTON D.C., June 8, 2009 -- Movidmu Productions has been selected for the 2009 Best of Mill Valley Award in the Audio-Visual Production Service category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association

CONTACT:
U.S. Commerce Association
Email: PublicRelations@us-ca.org
URL: http://www.us-ca.org

As Long as You're Stuck in an Airport You Might as Well Sing

Can You Handle the Truth? Real-Time Twitter Image Search

Want to know what images are being uploaded to Twitter every second of every day? Me neither, but I still stumbled on this site while doing some social research this morning. Enter at your own risk. 

And don't you dare click on the Real Time button. You can't handle the truth.

 

 twitcaps.com

The Latest - Cornerstone Sonoma Website

 

The Cornerstone Sonoma website that IMA produced went live recently. We are very proud of the design and hope it drives a lot of traffic to a truly unique destination in Sonoma County.

Why at this point I choose Small business

Why it's a good idea to sell to lots of little guys instead of one big guys

This is a great post from 37 Signals. Short, sweet and, in my opinion, a concept that a lot of business owners don't want to accept. I have met a lot of people over the last 5 years that want to get into Microsoft or Apple or Nike for the sole purpose of telling other people, "our clients include Microsoft, Apple and Nike". It's an ego requirement for them, not a business requirement. Not that having blue chip clients is a bad thing in and of itself, but most new companies don't have the capacity to operate at the level needed to handle a major client. And if they can pull it off, they are far too revenue dependent on one main cash cow. 

With IMA, I decided to double down on small businesses. It's a great feeling to help a small business because you can see the immediate benefits (their life improves) instead of simply watching a companies stock rise. And if it doesn't rise I'd rather have 20 other clients on the list than 1 or 2. 

Zach Galifianakis Lip Synchs Like Nobody's Business

Zach Galifianakis has a lot of heat lately because of The Hangover and Bored to Death (jury is still out on that show, in my opinion). But Zach got his first serious exposure in two great music videos. Both are hilarious.

Back in the saddle after after a road trip to Mexico and the delicious gluttony of Thanksgiving. Looking forward to a very productive December.

How to Make a TV Commercial by IMA

We don't make that many TV commercials anymore. It seems most of our work now is for online video (which is what we originally set out to do in 2004. Plans have a tendency to take longer than we think they will). 

However, making TV spots is fun. I ran across a pre-production clip this week and decided it would make a good post. So, here is a step by step guide to making a TV commercial (sans the boring parts like budgeting).

Step 1. Once we had the concept we always liked to shoot a rough version to shake out the idea and see if it played.

Step 2. Then we would call the storyboard artist and do the boards

Step 3. Once the boards were approved it would be time for the shoot!

 

Step 4. After the shoot it's time to edit and do the sound effects/mix

We don't have any good pics of that :)

Step 5. 8 weeks later, the final product. In this case, a Telly Award winning commercial (which we take very, very seriously. Any award that makes you pay to receive the statue must be legit).

Simple Idea, Perfect Execution

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Here is the inspiration:

Reading a newspaper, I saw a picture of birds on the electric wires. I cut out the photo and decided to make a song, using the exact location of the birds as notes (no Photoshop edit). I knew it wasn't the most original idea in the universe. I was just curious to hear what melody the birds were creating.

I sent the music to the photographer, Paulo Pinto, who I Googled on the internet. He told his editor, who told a reporter and the story ended up as an interview in the very same newspaper.

Here I've posted a short video made with the photo, the music and the score (composed by the birds).

Music made with Logic.

Video made with After Effects.

The newspaper story about my work (O Estado de São Paulo): tinyurl.com/l4qdbg