May

May was a busy month here at The Media Zoo. We added quite a few fresh faces to our actor page. You might want to hop over there and check out all the new talent!

That's not all we've been doing though! In between shooting videos for new actors we've also been shooting videos for clients.

Now that summer is here and it's travel season, don't make your friends and family get up early to take you to the airport. Before you call on friends that you'll likely owe favors to for driving you to the airport...you may want to check out the Fort Lauderdale Airport Shuttle website and watch the video we just completed for them!

Are you feeling a bit wrinkled? Well, if you've been thinking about sprucing up your look this summer, check out the informative video on The Best Program's website.

Maybe you're just thinking it's time to spruce up your image and save gas with a new, more economical car. Wait! Don't jump the gun! Before you trade that old car in, check out Mobile Car Buyer. They'll pay you cash for your car and even pick it up from your location! How cool is that?

Janeane and I had a great time shooting the video for Nodoro. Dale, the actor they chose, pulled it off without a hitch and left Janeane and I in tears. Now, I'm not going to tell you why or what it's all about...just go here to see it for yourself!

That should give you lots to see for now! Make sure you check the blog often...I'll be updating again very soon!

U.S Department of State Website Winner!

We recently received word that Pier 2 Pier, one of the websites we produced a video for, won the U.S. Department of State's 2008 Doors to Diplomacy Award! We are excited for Jamie Aquino and the kids of Pier 2 Pier for their accomplishments. The Media Zoo Team would like to extend our congratulations! We are very proud to be part of an amazing website created by Weblady Bug.

Why Advertise With a Website Video During a Recession?

It seems that one of the first things companies cut from their budget in times of recession is their advertising dollars. This may seem like a logical place to cut expenses however, the opposite is in fact true.

According to Greg Mazurkiewicz, author of Advertising Throughout a Recession, "companies that stop advertising, or sharply cut back their advertising, during a recession are being shortsighted. While they may save money in the short run, they are shooting themselves in the foot for the long run."

Joy Gendusa, author of Does the Economic Slump Mean Small Business Disaster?, says "There is a consequential effect that marketing has on your business 1, 2, 3 years and more down the line if you don't market during a recession. And while the cost of living increases along with inflation and other factors, you will be losing sales and income down the road when you will really need it if you cut back on marketing during times of recession."

The American Association of Advertising Agencies, or AAAA (4A), reports the following findings in a commissioned study, Advertising in a Recession by Bernard Ryan, Jr:

• "In 1947, Buchen Advertising tracked advertising dollars vs. sales trends before, during and after the recessions of 1949, 1954, 1958, and 1961. Not only did it find that sales and profits dropped off at companies that cut back on advertising. It also found that after the recession had ended, these same companies continued to lag behind those that had maintained their ad budgets."

Ok, so what does all this mean about advertising in general? Well, in a nutshell, in an article titled Marketing in a Recession, Renee Fellows states: "what research and history have proven is that businesses who are keen to strategic marketing can experience tremendous growth both in brand awareness and profitability during a recession."

Companies can spend thousands of dollars for a 30 second broadcast commercial that runs for a limited time or, for a very reasonable price, they can get a 30 second website video from The Media Zoo. A website video adds impact to your website, making it more personal, and includes your call to action. With a website video, you can have a 24 hour salesperson deliver your message correctly, each and every time. To try a website video on your site for free or just to learn more, visit The Media Zoo.

Media Zoo Actors

We have updated the look of our actors page. It still needs a little tweaking but overall we are very happy with the new design. In our opinion, it will make a huge difference when trying to choose an actor and view their video! Take a look at our actor page and leave us a comment to let us know what you think!

BCC visits The Media Zoo

Last Monday, The Media Zoo was proud to have an informative r&d session with six staff members from Broward Community College. They came to get a tour of The Media Zoo studios and find out how we can help them integrate video into their website. Rumor has it that BCC will be completely redesigning their site. As a past and present student, I'm excited to see the new look and The Media Zoo is excited to potentially be a part of it.

Excititng News

In case you don't know...The State of Florida recently held a contest for a new state song. Jan Hinton, a teacher from Pine Crest School won the contest with her song: "Florida, Where The Sawgrass Meets The Sky." Jan hired The Media Zoo to shoot, produce, and edit a video to go along with the song. Watch the video here and also check out the featured article in the Sun-Sentinel.

Brainstorming

We've been busy brainstorming here at The Media Zoo this week. We're forming partnerships with multiple companies in the area and around the country. On Wednesday, we met with Bob from Sign-A-Rama and we'll be shooting a video for him today. Yesterday, Vince and I met with Gary from D2F, a multi-channel marketing service. We had a great meeting and are looking forward to forming a fantastic relationship with them.