IDM Creates Broward Health’s Mammo-Palooza Macarena Video

We received a call from our dear friend, Maria Soldani of The Soldani Group.  Seems Lyn Clark, the Regional Manager for Marketing and Physician Relations at North Broward Medical Center, one of Broward Health’s nonprofit community hospitals, needed a videographer to document their upcoming “Mammo-Palooza Macarena”.

She invited hospital employees to dress in pink, come down to the atrium at the entrance to the facility, pick up a pair of pink latex gloves and join in a group dance of the Macarena- all in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

We scheduled the shoot, went out and shot the video.  The idea caught on like wildfire!  Suddenly, we were getting calls from other providers in the Broward Health system who were interested in having their Mammo-Palooza Macarena videotaped!  Within the week we had videotaped Corals Springs Medical Center, Imperial Point Medical Center and Broward Health Weston.  And within a week of that we had delivered an edited DVD master.

The response has be extremely positive.   Thank you Maria Soldani, Lyn Clark, Barbara Epes, Margie Garland, Diane High, and Tim Schira for all their help and input.  This was a fun video to create and we hope it brings more women in to have their mammographies done!

IDM Creates New Promo Video for Summer Theatre Camp

The director of the respected theatre program at South Plantation High School, Jason Zembuch, wanted to create a video for the summer theatre camp he successfully opened last year.    IDM, who already maintains their parent booster club website (FOTT.org) worked with Jason to identify the features of his program that distinguish it from other theater camps in the area.  After identifying these features, we wrote the script, recruited a talented alumni from his school program to serve as hostess (saving the client a few bucks in talent fees), shot it on a green screen and edited it along with footage IDM shot the previous summer into the final program you see here.

Our First Video Blog: Maria Soldani of The Soldani Group

Our goal, when we began this blog, was to bring practical marketing advice and ideas to you, the independent business owner.    One of the tools we intend to use is video.  Today, we present the first in our series of video blogs.  Since we know your time is precious, our video blogs will be brief and to the point.

Last week, Robert and I headed out to meet with Maria Soldani.  Maria is a much sought-after public speaker and one of the hostesses on the popular radio show “Be You Radio”, which can be heard on 101.5 LITE-FM.   She is also the founder and CEO of her own Public Relations and Marketing firm, The Soldani Group,  in Broward County, Florida.  She has a great message for you today that not only will open new doors and increase your visibility in the community, but will give more meaning to your life.

To learn about Maria, visit her website or email her at maria@soldanigroup.com.

Stage 84 in Davie

Opening a new business during tough economic times is a challenge but fortunately for Davie residents, brother and sister team Camilo and Laura Saravia didn’t let the bad economy stop them from turning the former Chocolate Moose Live Music Cafe  into Stage84.

Their marketing plan is simple:  offer great food, excellent entertainment and a comfortable, living room type atmosphere where anyone can feel at home.   Indeed, Stage84 offers an intimate setting with a chilled, quaint vibe where you can relax as you order from a varied menu, have a beer, a glass of wine or a coffee  and enjoy some local entertainment.

The service is very personable.  One might say that when you walk through the doors you become part of the family!

Stage84 will continue the tradition of Open Mic nights but will also feature specialty music nights such as rock, jazz, blues and reggae nights.  For you bohemians out there they are even offering poetry nights!

This Saturday, September 19th is the grand opening so c’mon out and do your part to support the local economy…and local artists.   They’re located at 9118 West State Road 84 in the Ridge Plaza between Kabooms and The Round Up.  If you’re a local artist, give them a call to arrange an audition.  Their number is 954-474-5040.

FYI, Stage84 is available for priviate functions such as parties and corporate events so call now to grab it for your upcoming Christmas party.

Interactive Digital Media will be out there opening night to enjoy the festivities.  We hope to see you there!

911 Remembered

This memorial debuted on the GodSpeaks To Kids site known as WUZUPGOD.com one year after the tragic events of September 11th, 2001.   We produced it with our friend, Robert Knight, at QuikMedia in Fort Lauderdale.  It is as powerful today as it was then. Let us never forget. Please share it with others.

socks for the homeless

Robert and I had the pleasure of volunteering our media services to support a worthy cause today-  “Socks For the Homeless”, a community outreach sponsored by the Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale North.

According to Pery Canan, President of Creative Services Group:

As of today 4355 pairs of socks have been collected and $966 in donations have been received.  Three pairs of socks may be purchased for $1.  That would make the total to date 7000 pairs of socks.  There are 4000 to 5000 homeless in Broward, 20% are children under 18.  In addition we have the silent homeless – families with kids in shelters.  That’s why this sock drive was begun and the members are thrilled to see it reach new dimensions.

It’s always great to work alongside Pery and Maria Soldani of the Soldani Group, and this opportunity was no different.   We provided editing, DVD authoring and audio/visual services for today’s Rotary Club luncheon announcing the success of the campaign.

Pery Canan, IDM's Robert Mayer & Maria Soldani

This outreach will close with the “We Socked It” rally tomorrow at Cardinal Gibbons High School, 2900 NE 47th St., Fort Lauderdale.  The rally begins at 3:30pm and ends at 5pm and will include cheerleaders and ice cream so c’mon out and join the festivities…and bring some clean, new white socks!

If you can’t make the rally, you can drop off your sock donation at American National Bank, 4301 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale anytime tomorrow.

the power of social media

Are you on Facebook?   MySpace?   Do you tweet on Twitter?  Are you blogging?   If not, you are missing a tremendous marketing opportunity.  Social media is a revolution in the way we communicate.   Watch this video and see if it doesn’t make you re-evaluate your marketing strategies.

Holy Cross “House Calls”

For over two years, Robert and I produced a weekly show “House Calls”.  House Calls was a community educational program presented by the physicians and staff of Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale and served as a great tool to increase awareness of the Holy Cross brand throughout Broward County.

South Florida Focus

I have been in touch with media professionals including motivational speaker and public relations specialist Maria Soldani of the the Soldani Group & Pery Canan, owner of Creative Services Group in Fort Lauderdale, as well as several Independent Business Owners (IBOs) in the area who are all willing to sit down with me to discuss the challenges IBOs face in today’s market and how they recommend overcoming those challenges.

What has surprised me is how open everyone is to sitting down with me and sharing their knowledge and experience.   This  positive response speaks volumes to the character of these men and women.    They all want to help you grow your business.

As I continue to reach out to IBOs to set up featured interviews about their marketing ideas and how they use today’s media technology to get their message out, I see that most of my network is located in South Florida- and primarily Broward County.   But I think you’ll find that as Notes From Your Media Department shares more stories and features more IBOs, their ideas and concepts will transcend geography, making this a more global blog.   So stick with us as we grow and if you come across a marketing concept that you think would benefit other IBOs, email the contact information to the company to digimediaman@comcast.net and we’ll get in touch with them to set up an interview.    And thanks for taking this journey with us.

Duuuuude…what a great commerical

Sometimes, it’s just plain fun being in the marketing and media business.   This is one of those times.    Not since Bud Light’s “dude” commercial has the declarative use of “dude” been so dang funny.

Twisted?  Perhaps.  But definitely memorable.   And that’s what makes a good marketing campaign.