News & Opinion

The economy has seen better days, and with so many companies looking to save money, it’s become a common trend for employees to work remotely from home. Those who think working from home is ideal typically focus only on the upside – like “freedom” from scheduling – associated with this style of work. If you don’t have a routine set in place though, your dream job could become a nightmare.   Setting up a strategy and using tactics that are tailored to the way you work is critical for effective performance. Given the level of flexibility we have achieved at Bob Gold & Associates, we have become fully capable of working remotely if needed and have identified some methods you could use to reinforce good personal/professional routines if you work from home or freelance: 1. Start with the right business strategy. I identified how we could create a sustainable approach in building my “work routine”. Without this sustainability, you can work hard and still fail miserably. I started with a good promotional strategy, the strategy ensured that my efforts create more successes than failures, which translates to sustainability in the long term. 2. Create a work routine that maximizes energy level and time. This involves creating routines and tactics around time efficiency and mental energy management. Below are the steps taken to accomplish this goal. Establish a consistent schedule for recurring events. For us, this includes waking up around the same time every day, driving a child to and from school and to extracurricular activities and going to the rock-climbing gym two to three times a week. This creates "packets" of time so that you can then plan ad-hoc and semi-recurring project-specific events. We are not living by the clock, but have a general sense of where we need to be at a given time of day. Prioritize tasks based on personal effectiveness. If you are most effective after the first hour of waking, deal with less-demanding administrative items that first hour. Then tackle the tough projects or mentally demanding tasks. Concentrate. This means when working on a task, there are no more than five browser tabs/windows open (and only if most of these tabs are task-related), no email notifications of any kind (We learned to disable desktop email notifications more than a decade ago, and never looked back) and no chat or instant-messaging service turned on. Use time-saving hacks like autocorrect, hotkeys and auto-texts/canned responses. If you find that your constantly typing the same types of responses on email, set up a "canned response" email template that you can customize. You can create hotkeys for emails and links you frequent, as it takes less time for you to type two keys versus move your hand to the mouse, then find the bookmark and then click the link (you don't want to create a shortcut for any financial account information/links). 3. Create boundaries and find ways to keep yourself motivated. Yu have had to learn to say "no" to prospects that you know won't be good clients — even if the money sounds good. Ultimately, the mental angst will cost you elsewhere in productivity and personal happiness. Some of us keep electronic "kudos" files of positive feedback and comments we receive. This file keeps us grounded and reminds us what is meaningful work, and helps when we might feel disconnected or isolated. This file also balances the self-doubt some may occasionally feel about whether or not they are on the right path. So go ahead and try out some of these methods and let us know how they work for you. To read the original story click here:

Would you believe that business professionals send and receive an average of 120 - 300 emails per day? With so many messages going in and out, low-priority and redundant conversation messages can pile up in your inbox pretty quickly.  So what happens when your boss urgently needs you to resend an email chain from a month ago and your inbox is littered with 2,500 emails? Going through all of that clutter can be a challenge and even if you find what you’re looking for, just looking at your crowded inbox can cause anxiety. Most of our poor email habits have been built over time and it can take a lot of personal accountability to break them. The truth is that it’s easier for people to adopt poor habits than it is to develop good ones, so to help free you from the clutter that pollutes our inbox, here are some great tips to keep your email manageable: • Decide and delete daily. Make a rapid decision about each incoming email. It should quickly fit into one of three mental categories as soon as you read it: "Need to respond," "should file," or "delete." You don’t need to respond to every email you receive. • The monthly zap. Sit down at the end of each month and delete the emails you sent during that month. You’ll be surprised how satisfying it can feel. • Cut email in half. Of the hundreds of emails received each day, roughly half require no response from me at all. They usually get deleted right after reading them and commit the salient points to memory. Of the remaining half, most are responded to within 24 hours. To avoid redundancies, if I’m following a long, multi-email chain, only keeping the last email in the thread and ruthlessly delete the ones that came before it. • Be a power filer. Anything that is not urgent can be looked at later, but if it’s not filed, you’ll never do it. My strategy is to be "power filer." For instance, my “to read” folder contains links and articles that will take more than one minute to review. They’re not urgent, but they are important. I save these to be read on planes when I’m traveling on business. I also have a “how-to” folder to immediately file anything that has to do with instructions (how to request a vacation, how to open a PO, how to upload a performance review, etc.) so I don’t spend any time looking for things that should really take no time. • Chop the block. Some people swear that the key to email management is to only check email during specific times of the day. While that seems like a workable strategy for anyone whose email may not contain an urgent question, problem or decision point, many of us don’t have that luxury. Many of our responsibilities include management of a cross-functional, global team who may need counsel or a decision on a moment’s notice. Try checking email throughout the day at your desk or phone. Remember, an easily manageable inbox - one that is organized and free of clutter - can be any user’s personal oasis, so use these tips to help manage your inbox and enjoy your new found bliss. To read the original story click here:

New Slingbox M1 and SlingTV Will Delight Mobile and Home Entertainment Users with New Features Including Discovery and Navigation Enhancements, Cloud-Based Social Media Personalization, and Ease of Setup and Use FOSTER CITY, CALIF.—July 16, 2014—Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced the Slingbox® M1 and SlingTV™, replacing the popular and award-winning Slingbox 350 and 500 models. Both of these retail products are the only solutions capable of delivering a customer’s pay TV channels and programs (live or recorded) from the living room to the most popular mobile devices in up to HD quality with no restrictions. In addition SlingTV delivers the power of a Slingbox combined with new “Smarter TV” features designed to enhance the TV viewing experience in the living room. Slingbox M1 With a suggested retail price (MSRP) of $149.99, the new Slingbox M1 is the most affordable Slingbox that Sling Media has ever produced. Designed for the mainstream user who wants to have remote access to all of their home TV channels and shows as well as access to DVR content on personal computers, tablets and phones, the Slingbox M1 is offered in a compact, unassuming form factor that fits easily into an entertainment system. In addition, the Slingbox M1 integrates WiFi for simple network connectivity and utilizes the new Slingplayer for Desktop app for PCs and Macs. The new Slingplayer for Desktop app dramatically improves setup and configuration, allowing users to be up and running in less than 10 minutes. Furthermore, Sling customers will now be able to configure their new Slingbox M1 with a mobile device via the Slingplayer app for iPhone and iPad as well as Android-based phones. Slingbox M1 features include: Dual-band 2.4/5Ghz WiFi connectivity and Ethernet port Absolutely no monthly fees for the Slingbox M1 or SlingTV Watch and control live TV on a tablet, phone, PC or Mac Easy and quick setup and playback via PC/Mac desktop apps, as well as iPhone, iPad and Android phone apps Watch on a second TV anywhere via Apple TV® and Roku® Play and schedule DVR recordings Component and composite input/output SlingTV Powered by Slingbox 500 hardware, the new SlingTV gives customers a world class, exhilarating Slingbox experience in their living rooms that utilizes new tools to easily discover and navigate to TV shows, movies and sports in an elegant, seamless manner. SlingTV is a powerful Slingbox that gives customers access to their pay TV channels (live or recorded) on a laptop or desktop personal computer, tablet or phone at home or anywhere in the world a network connection is available. In addition, SlingTV is designed to make the living room TV experience more enjoyable and powerful by turning the television to which SlingTV is connected into a “Smarter TV” without having to purchase a new TV or pay for a set-top box upgrade. SlingTV has a suggested retail price (MSRP) of $299.99. SlingTV features a vibrant electronic programming guide (EPG) that utilizes cover-art tiles similar to Slingplayer for iPad’s Media Gallery. Customers can now discover more of their existing pay TV programming in an easy-to-navigate interface with SlingTV’s state-of-the-art programming gallery. This new interface provides recommendations powered by SlingCloudTM, the company’s cloud-based analytics platform that analyzes popularity, reviews and social activity. SlingTV features include: New on-screen TV main menu powered by the included SlingTV remote Soft remote built into Slingplayer for iPhone or Android phone apps Gallery View A visual interface to easily find and select a show to watch Filter by popular, favorite channels, sports, movies, kids programming, etc. currently airing, upcoming and in primetime Rotten Tomatoes® ratings for all movies in Movies filter Big screen TV scoreboard and channel guide. See all the scores and stats without changing the channel Find out who’s playing, the score and the channel it’s airing on in a visual, easily navigated interface Details View Get detailed game stats in real-time for fantasy fanatics Integrated Thuuz™ excitement ratings tell you when to tune into a game based on the score, the match-up, dynamic game momentum changes, etc. Movie and TV episode details “Once again, Sling Media is totally redefining the ‘TV Anywhere’ experience with the introduction of the Slingbox M1 and SlingTV,” says Michael Hawkey, senior vice president and general manager of Sling Media.  “Customers interested in a no-compromise entertainment experience using the most popular devices will be delighted by the affordability and new features of the Slingbox M1. SlingTV completely enhances the living room TV experience with a visually stunning on TV user interface that takes ultimate advantage of social media data activity.” Slingbox M1 will be available in retail stores, through Sling.com and online partners on July 20th.  SlingTV will be available in late August. Existing Slingbox 500 customers will automatically receive the SlingTV software upgrade for FREE at that time as well. Sling Media’s retail partners include Best Buy, TigerDirect and Amazon.com. About Sling Sling Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, is a leading provider of Multiscreen Smart TV solutions for consumers and television service providers. Sling provides the complete award-winning solution of hardware, cloud services and applications that gives consumers the freedom to discover, control and consume their live TV and DVR content anywhere in the world, on their preferred tablet, phone and computing platform.  Sling’s patented TV solutions are available directly to consumers or through service providers that have embedded Sling’s capabilities.  For more information, please visit sling.com. ###

Deluxe Dedicates Burbank Suite to Dolby Mastering Service BURBANK, Calif.—July 14, 2014—Deluxe, a global innovator offering comprehensive creative, media, distribution and asset-management solutions for media and entertainment, has been chosen by Dolby as the first facility offering state-of-the-art mastering for Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision is an end-to-end solution that helps content creators and TV manufacturers deliver images with greater brightness, color and contrast by augmenting the fidelity of Ultra HD and HD video signals for over-the-top online streaming, broadcast and gaming applications. Deluxe has dedicated an entire color suite in its Hollywood Way facility in Burbank, California, to Dolby Vision operations. “Dolby’s allowing us to launch the first Dolby Vision mastering service speaks volumes about its faith in the quality of work at Deluxe,” said Gray Ainsworth, executive vice president for corporate development & strategy at Deluxe Entertainment Services Group. “We are very excited to work with our customers to explore the creative possibilities of an expanded color palette and greater brightness and contrast.” The Dolby Vision mastering service will be used for episodic and long-form content for TV presentation. It will be conducted on FilmLight’s Baselight high-performance color grading system, which has already been optimized for Dolby Vision. “Creative teams can rely on Deluxe and FilmLight to make their stories come alive visually like never before,” said Roland Vlaicu, senior director of broadcast imaging at Dolby.  “They can use the full range of colors, peak brightness and local contrast provided by Dolby Vision, with the confidence that those will be reproduced faithfully on TVs with Dolby Vision technology.”  About Deluxe Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. is a global leader in media and entertainment services across film, video and online content from capture to consumption. Since 1915, Deluxe has been the trusted partner for the world’s most successful Hollywood studios, independent film companies, TV networks, exhibitors, advertisers and others, offering best-in-class solutions in production, post production, distribution, asset and workflow management and new digital solution-based technologies. With operations in Los Angeles, New York and around the globe, the company employs nearly 6,000 of the most talented, highly honored and recognized artists and industry veterans worldwide. Deluxe is a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. For more information visit www.bydeluxe.com About Dolby Vision Dolby Vision helps content creators and television manufacturers deliver more brightness, colors and contrast by augmenting the fidelity of Ultra HD and HD video signals for over-the-top online streaming, broadcast and gaming applications. Though most TV shows are recorded using camera technology that captures the colors and brightness of real life, much of that richness is lost by the time consumers get to watch. That’s because current TV and cinema color-grading standards are based on the limitations of old technologies and require that the original video content be altered—dramatically reducing the range of colors, brightness and contrast—before it can be reproduced for transmission and playback. Dolby Vision changes that, giving creative teams the freedom to use the full gamut of colors, peak brightness and local contrast. # # #

For the third consecutive year, Bob Gold & Associates is proud to serve as a sponsor for Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News-produced Next TV Summit & Expo San Francisco on September 10 & 11, 2014 at the Santa Clara Marriott. The Summit, a high-level conference, expo and networking event, focuses on the many changing aspects of broadcasting, content creation, technology, digital media and over-the-top content (OTT) shaping the industries of tomorrow. In addition to an always promising lineup of industry executives and thought leaders as keynote speakers, the Summit will debut several new programs including “Startups and VC Leaders Pitching Sessions” and “Consumer Electronics and Content,” ensuring that this will be an event that you won’t want to miss. You can find more information as well as register for the event at http://nexttvsummit.com/sf/  

Deluxe OnDemand™ to Encode Studio, Premium and Local Content for Multi-screen Delivery by Largest Cinema Chain in Canada  BURBANK—July 9, 2014—Deluxe Digital Distribution (D3) today announced that Toronto-based Cineplex Entertainment is using Deluxe OnDemand™ as a key technology partner for the company’s video-on-demand service, the Cineplex Store. D3, a unit of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc., will provide access to a catalogue of more than 7,000 titles, with new content being added each month. “The Cineplex Store is Canada’s one-stop shop for digital movie rentals and downloads,” said Pat Marshall, vice president, communications and investor relations, Cineplex Entertainment. “Deluxe OnDemand™ will help us deliver one of the widest selections of high-quality movie streaming to our customers’ devices.” Cineplex—Canada’s leading theatrical exhibitor, operating 162 theaters with 1,638 screens and welcoming more than 77 million guests annually—has expanded into digital entertainment as the only cinema-based movie store to offer such a wide breadth of titles for online purchase and rental. Cineplex’s online subscribers can stream or download content to iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows 8-supported devices. “We are pleased to support Cineplex’s strategy of engaging customers at each stage of a movie’s life-cycle—from theatrical release to home and mobile entertainment,” said Todd Collart, senior vice president and general manager of Deluxe Digital Distribution. Deluxe maintains the largest aggregated supply of high-bit-rate master source files, at up to 220Mbps. That results in a library of superior transcodes, which are optimized for streaming or download. About Deluxe Digital Distribution Deluxe Digital Distribution (D3) is revolutionizing digital home entertainment with its advanced cloud-based content supply, processing, and delivery services.  The solution makes it easier to move any video from any source to any screen and offers the largest library of premium content to simplify the access and delivery of titles across the multiscreen landscape. D3 is a business division of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. Please visit www.deluxeondemand.com for more information on D3. About Deluxe Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. is a global leader in media and entertainment services across film, video and online original content from capture to consumption. Since 1915, Deluxe Entertainment has been the trusted partner for the world’s most successful Hollywood studios, independent film companies, TV networks, exhibitors, advertisers and others, offering best-in-class solutions in production, post-production, distribution, asset and workflow management and new digital solution-based technologies. The company employs nearly 6,000 of the most talented, highly honored and recognized artists and industry veterans worldwide. Deluxe Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. About the Cineplex Store The Cineplex Store is Canada’s one-stop shop for digital movie rentals and downloads, Blu-ray discs and DVDs.  With more than 7,000 titles, CineplexStore.com offers Canada’s largest selection of UltraViolet movie downloads.  On Digital Tuesdays, customers can rent a standard definition digital movie for $2.50, or receive $2.50 off a digital download.  CineplexStore.com customers can also earn and redeem points with SCENE, Canada’s largest entertainment loyalty program. ###

Have you ever wondered how the terms you enter into search engines influence the results that are listed? Search engine optimization has two key elements that influence these results and how they are presented. There are on-page factors, which include site content, usability and accessibility; and off-page factors, including different inbound links that influence the degree of which search engines think websites are important. There is no evidence that social media has a direct impact on users search, as Google’s crawlers are unable to access password protected sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Similarly, users who share links on these social sites do not influence SEO page rankings. There is though a large indirect role that social media plays in the link-acquisition process and here’s why it’s important: Link-Building: The Old Way Acquiring inbound links has always been the hardest, most labor-intense tasks in off-page SEO. Because Google and the other engines prohibit publishers from soliciting links in exchange for monetary or other consideration, the only course open to a publisher is to provide original, link-worthy content, and then contact webmasters individually, usually using e-mail. While it's possible to get legitimate links this way, the process is inefficient. Link-Building: The New Way Social media changes the process for the better. While individual webmasters from which links are sought can still be contacted when a new article posts, the publisher's chances of acquiring links are vastly expanded. Publishers can now identify specific social media influencers and social groups relevant to the article topic, and notify them that a new page or article exists. While some targets of the notification may simply retweet, like, or favorite the notification (none of which convey any SEO value in themselves), some percentage of this audience may take the final, desired step of including a hard link to the publisher's article in their blog or site. Social Link-Building Tips 1. Identify appropriate online groups in your industry. The people most likely to respond -- and link to an item you publish are those in your own industry. Take some time to find such groups, join them, monitor the discussion, and post a link to your article when it fits the context of the discussion. 2. Identify Social Influencers with blogs. Because you’re ultimate goal is a hard link that conveys SEO value, don't chase after social influencers on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn who don't actively maintain blogs (not all of them do). 3. Go where the reporters go. Reporters love Twitter because its real-time nature lets them jump on news events and develop sources quickly. If you're doing something interesting (for example, releasing a new data-driven report), make sure you notify the groups where reporters are most likely to be lurking. 4. Resist the temptation to spam irrelevant articles into the conversational stream: any notifications you make must be relevant to the discussion at hand. 5. Think beyond articles. Articles you post on your blog may work as good link bait, but blog articles are pretty much a commodity today. Consider adding additional forms of content that provide more value, for example, e-books and slide share presentations.  Although you'll have to put more labor into these high-value content types, you'll be creating content that's more link-worthy. To read the original story click here:

Appointment Comes as Method Continues Work on High-Profile Projects Including “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Maze Runner” LOS ANGELES—July 7, 2014—Method Studios, Deluxe’s global visual effects company, has named industry professional Marc Weigert as its president. Weigert is a well regarded expert and innovator in his field having worked across many capacities in film production and post-production for over 20 years. Most recently he served as co-producer, visual effects supervisor and second-unit director on Sony Pictures’ 2013 release, “White House Down,” one of several Roland Emmerich-directed films on which he has worked. Prior to joining Method, Weigert was CEO of film production company Uncharted Territory, which he co-founded with effects expert Volker Engel in 1999. Here, Weigert was overall VFX supervisor and co-producer on “2012” and supervised VFX shots on Paramount’s Oscar-winning release, the Martin Scorsese-directed “Hugo.” He also won an Emmy award for the mini-series “The Triangle” and acted as project manager on “Independence Day.” He continues to be a stakeholder in Uncharted Territory. “I’ve been fortunate to work on some of the most challenging and rewarding visual effects projects around,” Weigert said. “I try to instill a sense of innovation into everything I do from both an artistic and technological standpoint. This ethos fits perfectly with Method’s goals and I’m excited to work with such talented artists, producers and support crew, and help build on all they have achieved.” “Having an incredibly accomplished visual effects pro such as Marc leading Method should prove of immense value to the company and its clients,” Deluxe Creative Services President Stefan Sonnenfeld said. “His vast experience in managing and supervising large scale VFX productions, as well as building up his own company, will help Method continue to grow in reputation and scale.” Method continues to work on top-flight film projects including “Jupiter Ascending,” “The Maze Runner” and “The Giver.” The company’s past projects include recent releases “Divergent” for Summit Entertainment and Marvel Studios’ “Thor: The Dark World.” About Method Studios Method Studios (www.methodstudios.com) is an award-winning international visual effects group with facilities in Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, London, Sydney and Melbourne. As an artist-driven company known for its creativity, Method services high-end feature film, commercial and motion graphics clients in the global marketplace. Post production offerings include conceptual design, look development, 3D animation/CGI, motion graphics, matte painting, compositing and finishing. Credits include the films “Divergent,”  “RoboCop,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “White House Down,” “Iron Man 3,” “Cloud Atlas” and “Argo” and commercials General Electric “Childlike Imagination” (AICP Award for VFX), DirecTV “Troll” (AICP Award for Animation) and Chevy “2012 Silverado” (VES Award and HPA Award winner). About Deluxe Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. is a global leader in media and entertainment services for film, video and online content, from capture to consumption. Since 1915, Deluxe has been the trusted partner for the world’s most successful Hollywood studios, independent film companies, TV networks, exhibitors, advertisers and others, offering best-in-class solutions in production, post production, distribution, asset and workflow management and new digital solution-based technologies. With operations in Los Angeles, New York and around the globe, the company employs nearly 6,000 of the most talented, highly honored and recognized artists and industry veterans worldwide. Deluxe is a wholly owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc. For more information visit www.bydeluxe.com. # # #  

When browsing through your newsfeed on Facebook or Twitter, you may notice that more and more brands are using videos to reach their followers. Video marketing is becoming a popular tool for brands across the globe because it engages consumers on a deeper emotional level, ultimately encouraging viewers to spend more time on a company’s website in hopes that a purchase will be made. While this strategy has been proven successful for big brands, there’s a lot of compelling data which suggests video marketing can be tremendously beneficial for smaller businesses too. For example, according to Forrester Research, one minute of video has a value of 1.8 million words which is the equivalent of 3,600 typical web pages. Still not convinced though? Just take a look at some of these other statistics and we’re sure you’ll be swayed! 45.4% According to comScore, which measures online engagement and use, that’s the percentage of Internet users who view at least one video online over the course of a month. The average user is exposed to an average of 32.2 videos in a month, increasing the chances that your marketing message will be seen. 100 Million That’s the number of Internet users who watch online video each day. Granted, a lot of those are watching the latest viral video with a goofy cat or a cute kid, but an awful lot of them are looking for advice on how to do something or how to make something work better. And a whole of them are looking to buy a service or product. 64% That’s how much more likely website visitors are to buy a product on an online retail site after watching a video. In addition, visitors who view videos stay on the site an average of 2 minutes longer than those who don’t view videos, comScore says. 59% According to Forbes Insight, that’s the percentage of senior executives who’d rather watch a video than read text. About 65% of those who view a video click through to visit the vendor website, 50% look for more information and 45% report that they contacted a vendor after seeing an online video ad. About 50% of those who viewed an online marketing video went on to make a purchase for their business. 51% One online marketer reported a 51% increase in subscriber-to-lead conversion rates when video was included in an email marketing campaign. Effective video marketing has to be engaging right from the start, but how do you know where your video is going off the rails? That’s where video analytics comes in. Detailed video analytics will tell you who’s watching your video, how long they stay engaged and exactly where they click away. Armed with this information, you can sharpen your message and target it more precisely. If you haven’t started your own video marketing campaign, isn’t it about time you jumped in with both feet? You can find out more here