Friday, March 20, 2015

Bring on Spring

Yesterday, we were joined by beauty expert and journalist Grace Gold, who talked to us about ways to keep our look fresh for spring. As we move on from the winter blues, we thought we’d take the time to find great brands to help usher in the new season.
First up was EcoTools, a leader in eco-conscious beauty accessories which recently launched its Complexion Collection. This is a makeup-skincare hybrid line designed to work with your products to maximize natural beauty and aid common skincare concerns, such as oily skin, dark circles and fine lines. The collection features four unique brushes with specific cuts meant to tackle key skincare needs and achieve a flawless base. All brushes are eco-conscious and cruelty free with incredibly soft, synthetic bristles and feature beautifully designed recycled aluminum ferrules and sleek bamboo handles.
We also checked out the LG G Flex 2, which is a truly sensational phone and was one of the hottest and most awarded devices at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. It has a revolutionary 5.5-inch Curved Full HD P-OLED screen that looks and feels incredible. The 13-megapixel camera on the G Flex2 captures true-to-life memories, even in less than ideal conditions.

Then there was SimySkin, which offers targeted skincare for every phase of life. Their line is formulated with age specific advanced scientific ingredients that correct, repair and reverse signs of aging. It utilizes vitamin B12 to promote skin repair and regeneration while helping prevent wrinkles; in addition, SimySkin manufactures an eye serum to correct puffiness and dark circles while restoring firmness and density (depending on age and skin needs).
Last but not least, we took a look at one of my favorite home cleaning brands, Caldrea. They have everything from dish soap to counter spray to laundry detergent. Their latest scent, Pear Blossom Agave, is a crisp bright fragrance with a mix of pear blossom, ripe citrus and succulent melon. All Caldrea products are made using responsible ingredients that are incredibly effective, yet safe and gentle for our homes. These products smell amazing and look great on my kitchen counter!

Next week we’ll be getting a visit from personal trainer and fitness expert Laura DeAngelis, who’s got some ideas on fitness in conjunction with March Nutrition Month. Expect the latest on ways to stay healthy and active now that warm weather is on its way (hopefully soon).


We’ve got a lot coming up this spring so we’ll make sure to keep you all posted!

Monday, March 9, 2015

The Vidicom Scholarship




The Vidicom Scholarship

Vidicom has benefited from the work of a very talented group of interns over the years. We try to teach them as much as possible (and very often they teach us a lot too! )


Interns tell us how much they welcome the chance to get plugged in at a media company, get some real world experience and make business acquaintances they can use throughout thei school year and even after graduation.


But they also tell us about the ever-increasing burden of school tuitions!


Here at Vidicom, we want to help! We are please to offer eligible students the opportunity to apply for a Vidicom Scholarship.

Our Organization 

Founded in 1982 by Christy Ferer, Vidicom is an award-winning video solutions agency that creates cutting-edge branded content to engage targeted consumers. Vidicom distributes multi-platform content solutions to channels no one else can deliver. Citybuzz is the premiere multi-platform network for travelers.
Learn more about us at:
www.vidicom.com

www.citybuzz.com




You will be judged on

Our Executive Scholarship Team will judge essays based on how interesting, compelling and persuasive they are. They will also be judged on how well-written each essay is.


How to Apply

We will need an essay between 500-1000 words. In this essay, we would like to tell us about your favorite website. We want to know why you like it so much, why it holds your attention and what makes it sointeresting to you personally. We like engaging people, so tell us why this site engages you! 
  • Please send your entries to: info@vidicom.com
  • Please be sure to send us your contact information and the school you attend/plan to attend
  • All submissions must be received by March 1, 2016

Only one scholarship submission allowed for a “Vidicom Scholarship” per student.



Eligibility

The Vidicom Scholarship is open to any student attending an accredited institution. High school seniors who are enrolling upon graduation are also eligible. Students of all majors and planned majors are welcome to apply. You must be a U.S. citizen in order to apply. You must be 16 years of age.

The scholarship awards will be sent directly to the financial aid office of the institution the winner is enrolled in.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Blogging At Vidicom

Blogging often goes unrecognized as an effective and easy first line of communication among companies, consumers, and everyone in between. Here at Vidicom we love blogs! We maintain several blogs, generating frequent original content posts as a proactive way to shape the image of our firm and communicate our daily activities. We like to keep everyone up to speed on what we're doing. If utilized correctly, blogging is also an excellent networking tool. By subscribing to various blogs and communicating with our own subscribers Vidicom has formed many new business relationships that, otherwise, never would have existed. As we grow, our utilization of blogging and online presence will also grow, in new and different ways, to further build our brand. At the same time, our blogging will become more innovative, creative, and entertaining for all who are exposed to it - Stay Tuned!  
For more information and tips about blogging from BuzzMaven please read the article below!  Also don't forget to check out more from Vidicom here!

Rubbing Shoulders in the Blogosphere – strategies and ideas for companies.

In my last article I gave an overview of the emerging power of consumer bloggers and their ability to form powerful social networks that spread news quickly. For those feeling uneasy about this change, there is much good news. Public relations, customer service, and project communications are all enhanced using these tools. Some examples and tips:
Journalists love blogs, and with good reason. It provides a ready source of information delivered to their desktop. It digs beyond the press release while making their job easier during early research. Companies that are blogging receive more journalistic interest, and some PR experts are calling blogging the “transformation of PR.” With news coverage, an existing blog can be your first line of communication with the newly-curious public. If you utilize the techniques I’ve mentioned earlier in RSS: One big happy brain you can scan ahead for items you may want to respond to in your blog.
Customers, investors, and partners will see you as pro-active and dynamic through your rapid responses. The openness and honesty gives customers little reason to continue a negative message, rather, these are often praised in highly visible places producing a form of PR that money cannot buy.
But don’t wait until then. I advice you become familiar with this before you need to join in. It offers an opportunity to make important connections, but not a chance for the company line. Nobody on the blogosphere wants a pitch or a “refer to our website” in place of a thoughtful answer. It’s a person-to-person style, not a podium. It’s okay to express emotion and to give the world a peek into your company’s culture. Still, one should be thoughtful enough not to embarrass the firm – and some firms are establishing blogging policies to enforce certain restrictions.
What to expect after your blog is live is the next question. This varies, and you should watch blogs to see what seems to interest people in your line of business. Unfortunately, many are abandoned, and the most common reason is a lack of time. This is unfortunate, because they aren’t supposed to be long and drawn out. Even posting a new paragraph a week is going to achieve many of these goals. Timeliness, regularity, relevance, and use of important keywords are more important than perfection in blogging. Nobody is going to slam you for it when you post a fuzzy “sneak peek” of the latest product or a less-than-formal writing style.
Blogs can build important contacts. Ben Cowgill, a legal ethics attorney in Lexington, says of his very popular blog “It has been far more successful than I could have imagined. The regular subscribers include lawyers throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Europe. It has also received visits from lawyers in Japan, China, Russia, Africa and South America. I have established relationships with a number of other experts in my field of practice.” Ben Cowgill’s blog can be found at legalethicsblog.com .
Don’t forget…. Google loves blogs. When people create regularly updated entries it increases the frequency of the Googlebot (Google’s “scan”.) For me, changes to my website (which holds my blog) are now visible to Google within a half day, letting me try new techniques, fix mistakes, or react to news. If a hot new topic hits the web, I can post my thoughts so they become part of the buzz early – while people are still searching for it.
Whether it’s about products, services, any company with motivation can create one that has real value to their visibility. Even restaurants can blog about new menus, for example, and horse farms about new foals. And no, you do not have to call it a “Blog.” You can call it “Chef’s diary,” “The Chalkboard” or “Paddock 9.”
One growing use is the extending FAQ, or Frequently Asked Questions. On websites, this is frequently the most visited page, often receiving more visitors than the home page. These “blogged” FAQs can be a fast, spontaneous Q&A, answering questions like “Are there any tables left for the Blue Grass Stakes Preview Dinner next week?” you’d probably not post on your permanent FAQ page.
Lastly, don’t neglect the value of “private” blogs. These are simply password-protected types meant for one known audience, such as members of a project. They maintain context, and unlike email, can be corrected if an error is posted. Some customers will subscribe via RSS and others will just hit the private webpage to read them. Everyone stays in the loop, while Email volume is reduced as well, which we all can appreciate.
I hope to have expanded your view on the benifits of blogging and encouraged you to look at your own business for ideas how it might work for you.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Vidicom's Past SMT: Purell!

With almost all of my employees commuting by train or subway,we use Purell year round at my offices at Vidicom.  

But, when I heard that this year's flu shot is only 25% effective, I made sure we really stocked up for the winter. We have Purell everywhere, and believe me, it is used!   It is really such a simple first line of defense against this season's flu bugs and viruses.    It works, and, personally, I love the fragrance!

Hear more from the experts at the company that make Purell:

Vidicom's past SMT: Thalia!


When I hear the name "Thalia", I think of the beautiful Latin Grammy Award winning singer,  global philantropist and talented actress. But, as if that weren't enough, I just discovered her latest triumph! The Thalia Sodi collection of clothing, shoes and accessories perfectly matches the "morning to night" needs of today's woman in a style that truly reflects Thalia's extraordinary passion and charisma.   Just beautiful!    

Check it out at macys.com/thalia 

Watch Thalia discuss the collection here:

http://bcove.me/ih8gcmzy



Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Vidicom Talks: Boost Your Brands Using Social Media

Christy Ferer is a big fan of social media and boosting our brands using our various platforms.  We recently came across this article that shows some, what I like to call "Life-hacks" or small ways to boost your performance on these sites.  Below are a couple ways to boost your brand using some simple strategies!

1.  Sell products on Twitter, Pintrest and Facebook.
2.  Live stream videos.
3.  Highlight your reviews.
4.  Ask your fans and followers to help!
5.  Monitor trending hash-tags.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242551


Monday, March 31, 2014

Pluto.tv Might Interest Brands as Vidicom Thinks About the Possibility of Branded Video Content on the New App



The Internet has become so dominant in today’s society that television tries replicate it by showing hashtags on your TV screen. However, now the Internet is trying to be more like TV with launch of the new app Pluto.tv. Pluto.tv brings web videos into a more TV like environment by providing something like a channel guide. “Guest content curators” including hip hop artist Nas, Scandal actress Darby Stanchfield, Iron Chef Cat Cora, and fashionista Nasty Gal, will help with the launch by “spinning” videos Tuesday night. Christy Ferer thinks that if Pluto.tv becomes a huge hit, brands should incorporate branded video content on the app. As a result, brands will reap many benefits such as increase consumer engagement, and spread brand awareness.