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Recent Blog Posts
Online Video Trends That Can Guide Your Marketing Efforts
We live in an ever-changing world, especially when it comes to our technology and the ways in which we communicate. While this, to a certain extent, has always been the case, changes are occurring faster than perhaps ever before, with each generation’s technology improving significantly compared to the one that came before it. One such example can be found in the proliferation of online streaming video, and the way in which streaming content has completely transformed how we choose to be entertained and informed.
A Brief History
In the early 2000’s, television was essentially the same as it had always been. There were more channels than before, of course, as cable and satellite providers looked to serve niche markets and interests with appropriate programming. Digital video recorders—often referred to by the particular brand name TiVo—allowed consumers to watch programs at their convenience, but only shows that had already aired and been recorded. At the time, Netflix was just a few years old and was little more than a mail-order DVD rental company, but we were starting to hear seemingly outlandish predictions that streaming content would be how we accessed entertainment in the near future.
Snapchat Changes Its Name, Announces New Product
When a company decides to overhaul its image or its flagship product, the reaction from consumers can be unpredictable. Of course, much of the public reaction will depend on the company’s ability and willingness to communicate about the upcoming changes and how suddenly they occur. A surprise announcement and poor marketing can lead to public relations nightmares—think New Coke—but when the marketing is done properly, including the effective use of social media, major changes may be welcomed with open arms.
A New World
When Coca-Cola made the fateful decision to replace its top-selling product with a new version in 1985, the internet was in its infancy. Companies had few options for getting information to consumers, especially when something big was on the horizon. Today, a company can develop a social media strategy that instantly lets the public know about upcoming ventures and changes. Sometimes, the company itself specializes in social media, and the promised changes look to affect the way that people connect with one another.
Meeting the Needs of Cancer Survivors in the Chicago Area
The exact definition of a cancer survivor may vary from person to person. For some, surviving cancer means getting the first clean results following aggressive cancer treatment. For others, they may wait five years without a recurrence before calling themselves survivors. Perhaps the most fitting definition of a cancer survivor is the simplest—anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer and continues to fight the battle with the deadly disease is a survivor.
Of course, using this definition allows for the recognition of various phases of survivorship, as survivors in the midst of initial treatment often face different challenges than those who are 10 or 15 years removed from the acute battle. At OVC, INC., we recognize that all cancer survivors deserve care and support from the moment they are diagnosed, and we are proud to partner with an organization like the American Cancer Society to help meet the needs of cancer survivors around the country.
Microsoft Claims That Cancer Will Be “Solved” in 10 Years
While most of us are using the wonders of technology to communicate with one another and for recreational purposes—think Pokémon Go—computers and the Internet were originally developed as tools to make solving problems more efficient. Over time, of course, computing technology has made its way in to just about every industry on earth. Harvesting combines are guided by GPS, manufacturing plants use CNC machines—CNC stands for “computer numeric control” to cut and process materials, and lawyers are able to reach prospective clients through social media and marketing campaigns.
Computers have also long been used in the fields of biology and chemistry for various purposes, but a recent announcement from Microsoft still has many wondering if the technology giant will be able to deliver on its promise. According to reports, Microsoft has begun work on a series of programs that has led to a prediction that cancer will be “solved” within the next decade.
Recognizing Newsworthy Efforts in the Fight Against Cancer
“You have cancer.”
Three simple words can cut straight through a person’s hopes, dreams, and confidence. It is a statement that more than 1.6 million Americans will be forced to hear this year alone. Being diagnosed with cancer is frightening, to say the least, and can be overwhelming not only for the patient but for friends and loved ones as well. At OVC, INC., we have all been touched by cancer in some way, either through a diagnosis of our own or by helping a parent, sibling, or friend through their fight with the deadly disease. That is why we have made it our mission to help the American Cancer Society provide much-needed resources to cancer patients and their families, as a well as funding cancer research.
With so many types of cancer, researching ways to fight and eventually beat the disease is a multi-front battle. Some of the finest minds in the worlds are cooperating in the fight, so let’s take a look at a few promising projects:
Partnership With American Cancer Society Seeks #OneViralCure
At OVC, INC., we are committed to providing the top-quality legal marketing services to attorneys across the country. We believe that we do our jobs well and that, with our help, our clients have been able to grow their firms and reach unprecedented levels of success. However, we are more than marketing professionals. Each member of our team is a unique individual with friends, family, interests, hobbies, and goals. Some of us are sports fans, some enjoy traveling, and many of us are active in various capacities within our local communities.
While we are all different, we all share at least one very personal experience: every one of us has been touched or affected by cancer in some way in our life. Obviously, cancer has hit closer to some than others, but each of us has felt the mix of fear, uncertainty, hope, and inspiration that accompanies the fight of so many every year. That is why we, as a company, are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society to raise money for cancer research and treatment throughout the month of September.
How to Handle an Employee Cybersmear
For many businesses and firms, meeting the needs and expectations of clients would be impossible without a dedicated team of employees working together for the betterment of the company. If you own a business, your employees are among your most important assets, especially those who are honest, loyal, and dependable. However, when circumstances or employee behavior leads to a termination, a disgruntled former staff member can quickly become a problem and a threat to your professional reputation. With countless internet forums available in which an angry ex-employee can post comments, rants, and veiled threats—actions collectively known as cybersmearing—the situation can spin out of control in just a few days. If you have recently parted ways with an employee that you think could be capable of such behavior, there are some things you can do to protect yourself and your business.
Smartphone Game Creators Use Facebook to Respond to Growing Criticism
Social media can be a powerful tool for businesses. Outlets like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and others can provide companies with direct access to their customer base and prospective clients at a level that was not possible prior to the digital age. For many business owners, social media provides the opportunity to take a proactive approach to customer communication. It can also offer a forum for a company that feels the need to speak out in its own defense. Such was the case earlier this week when the makers of the world’s most popular smartphone game took to Facebook in an attempt to address growing frustration by the game’s users.
A Worldwide Phenomenon
About a month ago, Niantic, Inc. released Pokémon Go, an augmented reality game for smartphones and mobile devices based on the Pokémon series created by Nintendo in the mid-1990s. The game encouraged users to get up and move about in the real world while looking for Pokémon creatures to catch, train, and battle. Utilizing GPS and each device’s camera, the app can make it seem like a Pokémon creature is hiding in the corner of your room or in your neighbor’s yard.
Marketing Lessons Learned From Pokémon Go
Pop culture trends and crazes come and go with alarming speed. Often, they are fun for a moment then quickly forgotten as the collective interest turns to something new. Sometimes, though, a cultural phenomenon can develop from the simplest of sources. Over the last several weeks, a seemingly innocuous smartphone app has taken the world by storm, as developers combined a video game concept that began two decades ago with current GPS and mobile phone technology. By now, you have almost certainly have heard about Pokémon Go, as millions of players around the globe have taken to the streets as they try to “catch ‘em all.”
While you may be tempted to dismiss Pokémon Go as another passing fad, the explosion of the app’s popularity provides a number of examples for those looking to grow any business, including legal practices. By incorporating some of these ideas into your firm’s marketing and planning strategies, you may find yourself positioned for a popularity explosion of your own.
Maintaining Your Online Reputation Ethically
Opening your own legal practice took years of hard work, dedication, and personal sacrifice, not to mention a significant financial investment. Your firm, in many ways, is an extension of yourself, and when an unsatisfied client or someone else has a problem with your practice, it is easy to take such issues very personally. Today, more than ever, consumers and customers are utilizing online review outlets offered by Google, Yelp, and others or simply airing their frustrations for all to see on Facebook or Twitter. This has led many law firms to look into online reputation management, which is a series of processes that can help keep your professional image intact. Reputation management, however, presents some concerns of its own, and many have questioned whether such practices are even ethical.
To address these issues, Attorney Melissa Smart, litigation manager and senior counsel for The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois, recently released a video that explains how attorneys can avoid making ethical mistakes with online reputation management. Ms. Smart offered three specific tips:
