• Matter Accelerates Diversity + Inclusion Initiatives in 2020: Joins MassTLC’s Tech Compact

    Matter Accelerates Diversity + Inclusion Initiatives in 2020: Joins MassTLC’s Tech Compact

    With so many racially divisive events and tragedies dominating the news cycle, taking over social media and transforming our conversations, it’s worth restating that diversity and inclusion is exceptionally important to us at Matter. As this summer marked two years since Matter’s D&I initiative and Diversity Committee kicked off, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and – more importantly – recognize that we still have work to do. 

    In the continued execution of our D&I committee’s five-year strategic plan, we’ve made great strides toward our goals of recruiting a more diverse workforce, introducing more inclusive benefits for religious/cultural observances, expanding our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and ensuring we give real leadership opportunities to all employees equitably and responsibly – but we refuse to rest on our laurels. 

    Back in February we talked about the importance of diversity and Black History Month, and the work our industry and our organization must do to close the gaps. Since then, like much of the world, we’ve taken a harder look at everything we’re doing to make progress and challenge ourselves to do more. In these first two years, we’ve seen a 250% increase in the number of employees disclosing they self-identify as something other than White/Caucasian. Continued representation and diverse voices are crucial in our ongoing commitment to ensuring a more inclusive workforce as Matter continues to grow. 

    This summer, we kicked off a series of D&I training workshops to ensure we’re more mindful and deliberate about the language we use with each other, with our clients, in interviews and in marketing communications. And we made additional commitments to further expand upon our diversity efforts, including specific recruiting goals with built-in metrics, like a baseline objective of increasing our diverse workforce by at least 10% next year.  

    As we’ve shared resources and anecdotes with colleagues and encouraged clients to implement programs like our own, we’ve also been inspired to make sure we’re not only holding ourselves to the existing goals we’ve established, but adding new ones along the way. 

    This month, we joined MassTLC’s Tech Compact for Social Justice program. The Tech Compact was created as a way for the tech world to come together and create a more inclusive industry on a scale greater than any one company could enact. From startups to international conglomerates to rapidly growing disruptors, tech companies make up a huge part of our agency. That’s why we’re excited to be a partner in this program. As part of the pact, we’re focusing on three areas where we will take immediate action: 

    • Introducing and/or expanding educational programs/opportunities for diversity, inclusion, racial inequality, unconscious bias, managing diverse teams and/or creating a judgement-free culture.
    • Achieving greater racial diversity in hiring, leadership development and/or board composition.
    • Attaining greater racial diversity in talent pipeline development programs, such as our internships.

    It’s important to mention that although MassTLC is based in Massachusetts – where two of our offices are located – we’ve decided to make this an agency-wide commitment. It’s initiatives like this that make me proud to be a part of Matter, because it shows our leadership and our staff are taking on this cause the same way we do everything: going above and beyond, wherever and however we can. 

    Matt Mendolera-Schamann

  • 4 (MORE) TIPS FOR RECORDING PRO QUALITY IPHONE VIDEOS

    4 (MORE) TIPS FOR RECORDING PRO QUALITY IPHONE VIDEOS

    If you’ve already torn through our first batch of smartphone shooting tips and are itching for more ways to wow your prospects and pals with your filmmaking prowess, read on!

    #1: How to Shoot Sweet Slo-Mo

    Nothing says “epic” quite like a slick slow-motion (slo-mo) shot of an action-packed scene. But it’s important to understand why and when you’d choose to shoot slo-mo over regular speed video in the first place. 

    Slo-mo is great to use when the action is fleeting and fast paced, and pumping the brakes on gives viewers a fresh, exciting perspective. If you’ve been spellbound by those “super slo-mo” videos of water balloons popping or tank shells firing, you know they give us a window into a world we could never see without the camera’s help. While you might not be firing heavy artillery any time soon, here are some more relatable situations where slo-mo is a good choice:

    When to Film in Slo-mo

    • Spicing up the Familiar – high-fives, team collaboration on the white board — a little slo-mo can bring new life to the old and familiar. Try experimenting and see what captivates! 
    • When You’re in For a Bumpy Ride – One nice benefit to slo-mo is it reduces unwanted camera shake and wobble. If you’re filming from a plane, train or automobile, slo-mo wil help smooth out the action considerably. The scene you’re shooting will retain greater detail, too.
    • Things You’re Physically Close To – Almost anything can be interesting in slo-mo as long as you’re close to it. A simple close-up of your child blowing bubbles is going to be a lot more epic than a speeding race car shot from a million meters away. Whatever you want to film in slo-mo, get as close as possible to accentuate the grandiosity of the moment.
    • Sports – From the crack of a bat to the swish of the net to the splash of diving into the pool, it’s deeply satisfying to see normally fast-paced sports slowed down.  
    • Animals – Your dog jumping for a frisbee or a hummingbird hovering at your feeder are both times where you’ll see the world in a new way through slo-mo.

    When Not To Film in Slo-mo

    • When There’s No Movement  – For slo-mo to look cool, there has to be, well, some motion to slow down! When there’s barely any movement at normal speed (like landscapes or people sitting and working) you won’t gain anything in slo-mo.
    • When the Lighting is Dark – Slo-mo requires much more light than normal video for a clean image. Avoid shooting it after the sun goes down or in dimly lit spaces if you don’t want a soft, grainy picture. 
    • When Sound is Important –  Never film talking-head content in slo-mo — if your footage is slo-mo, so is your sound! While slo-mo audio can lead to some eerie and interesting sounds, you don’t want to rely on it for clean audio.

    How to Film Slow-motion

    Finally, right? Choose your frame rate on the iPhone in Settings → Camera → Record Slo-mo. Available frame rates will vary depending on your device, but 120fps (frames per second), which slows real life down by 5x, is plenty most of the time. If you want to get really crazy, 240fps will slow down your scene by 10x. If this is sounding complicated, all you need to remember is that the higher the fps, the slower the slo-mo.

    Once your fps is set,  jump into your Camera app. On an iPhone, you’ll have to slide to the right to go from “Video” mode to “Slo-Mo.”  Only hit record when you’re ready for the big moment so you’re not stuck editing out minutes of worthless footage.

    Bam! You got the epic shot. Even though you were careful, there’s still probably some extra time you want to trim off the front and back ends of the clip so you can get that perfect money shot. Press “Edit” and drag the start and end of your clip to your desired in and out points, as below. Decide if you want to modify the length of the original clip (“Save Video”) or click “Save Video as New Clip” to create another copy. Most of the time I’ll just “Save Video” to avoid unnecessary clip confusion and duplication.

    #2: Crystal Clear Audio

    If you can get these two audio elements right, you’ll be ahead of 95% of the talking heads out there!

    If your audience can’t hear you, they won’t watch you.

    The biggest thing you can do to help is minimize the distance between your camera and your subject. Audio quality falls off rapidly the further your phone is from the person speaking, so don’t be shy (while maintaining social distance, if necessary)! This is a win-win really, since standing about 6’ feet from your subject is optimal for a good, balanced composition to your image.

    If your audience can’t see it, they shouldn’t be able to hear it.

    When we say this, we’re talking about distracting off-screen audio intrusions, like computer alerts, your neighbor’s lawn mower, or your upstairs neighbors throwing their kettlebells around. When your audience hears such disturbances, they’ll be momentarily confused and probably lose track of what you were saying. And if this happens repeatedly, they’re liable to click out entirely. 

    On the other hand, if you’re filming in your garden, birds chirping and light traffic is easily overlooked by your audience, and can even heighten the realism, since the noises match the environment they’re seeing.  

    The key to avoiding both of these issues is to choose a truly quiet place and time to film. This is, of course, easier said than done, but simply taking stock of your surroundings when you film can help immensely – temporarily turn off the air conditioner, tell the kids to play in the other room, or wait for your next open block to film if the landscapers just showed up next door (ugh, not again!). 
    If you can’t avoid filming in a noisy environment, consider purchasing an external lavalier microphone, like the Rode smartLav+, that plugs directly into the iPhone with a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter. The quality will be noticeably better than the iPhone alone in almost every scenario.

    #3: Add Polish with Color Corrections

    Who wants footage that looks just like everybody else’s? Give your clips some unique personality by modifying the color — subtly and tastefully of course! Let’s make a quick mention of the powerful, clip-specific color changes you can make in the “Edit” panel of each clip of your Camera . 

    The Filters Panel

    If you’re just looking for a quick “look” to apply a la Instagram, you’ll find plenty of filters to swipe through, from warm and cold versions of “Vivid” (which will increase the contrast and saturation) to a few different B&W (black and white) versions. Get a feel for what they look like below:

    The ADJUST Panel

    If you’re ready to really get under the hood, you can make a ton of changes to the clip’s color, exposure and much more in Adjust. (Or, just hit “Auto” to get a pretty reliable improvement). The best way to get a feel for what each parameter does is simply by spinning the dial.

    If you’re preparing a number of clips for the montage mentioned below, just remember that you’ll likely want to apply similar effects across all of them for visual consistency. If you ever forget what you’ve done to a clip, you can always dive back into Edit to see your modifications.

    #4: Automatic, Magical Video Montages

    While much of the time you’ll be uploading single clips to social media, YouTube or your intranet, there are times when creating quick montage with music is just what you’re looking for:

    • Event/Conference Recap Videos
    • Product/Service Sizzle Videos
    • Personal Vacation/Trip Highlight Reels

    And good news: There’s an easy built-in way to do that on the iPhone you might not know about. Best of all, it doesn’t require any special editing expertise.

    But it does require a few non-intuitive steps, so follow along with the sequence below.

    Open the Photos app and go to the albums button on the bottom of the screen. Next, tap the plus symbol in the upper-left hand corner to create and name your new album. Think of this as your “movie folder,” and name it appropriately. 

    A window with all of your recent photos and videos will pop up. You can select a combination of photos and videos depending on your needs. If you want to narrow your view to your available videos, tap Albums in the bottom right and navigate to Videos under Media Types. Select all of the videos you want to include in this montage (you need to select at least 9 files in my tests for it to work), and press Done in the upper-right. 

    Your new album is now, you guessed it, in your Albums. Tap to open it and double check that every piece of media you want is in it. 

    Here’s when the movie magic starts to happen. Press the tiny grey arrow or “>” symbol in the upper-right. Now, tap the play icon to preview your automatically created video montage!

    Since you’ll probably want to make some adjustments, tap the Edit button in the upper right and “Add to Memories” to bring up some additional settings.

    From here, you can customize your soundtrack with royalty-free music, pick a new title image and adjust the montage length. Have fun playing around! All of your edits are non-destructive, meaning you can always go back later if you change your mind.

    Once it’s to your liking and ready for the world, click the Share icon in the lower  left to post it to your social media accounts, save it to your Drive, send it in an iMessage or do whatever else you need.

    We hope these tips aid you in your efforts to produce high-quality, self-shot video content. If you’re looking for some extra hands and expertise, fill out the form below to schedule a free strategy call with our team.

    Gabe Gerzon

  • Matter Health Achieves Record Growth: Top Healthcare Practice Adds 13 Recent Client Partnerships

    Integrated PR Agency’s Dedicated Healthcare Practice Sees Positive Growth While Continuing to Elevate Diverse Organizations Across the Healthcare Industry.

    BOSTON – August 18, 2020 – Matter Communications — a Brand Elevation Agency specializing in PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy — announces the continued momentum of its healthcare marketing practice, Matter Health, highlighted by the recent addition of 13 new client partners from across the healthcare continuum. The Matter Health team combines robust industry knowledge with the larger agency’s full range of capabilities to deliver comprehensive, integrated campaigns for healthcare industry clients, including frontline combatants in the fight against COVID-19.

    “We are fortunate to work with a multitude of amazing organizations that are contributing directly to the fight against the ongoing pandemic,” said Ryan Lilly, Vice President of Matter Health. “We could not be prouder to partner with healthcare organizations that are doing such important work as we continue to grow and adapt together in the ever-evolving environment. We’re grateful for the opportunity to tell their stories and help spread the message about the many ways they are advancing medicine.”

    With talented professionals across Matter’s seven nationwide offices, this fast-growing group holds experience and expertise across a diverse range of healthcare disciplines – including health tech, consumer health, medical devices, payers and providers, pharma and bio-pharma, and nonprofits. In addition to a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, clients working with Matter Health gain complete access to Matter’s innumerable resources, including skilled videographers, designers and digital marketers. 

    “Matter just gets it,” said Brennan Mason, Chief Marketing Officer at Bridge Connector. “They conquer the challenges of boiling down complex, game-changing technologies while understanding and appealing to healthcare audiences.”

    The Matter Health team recently added several notable clients to its roster, including:

    • bioAffinity Technologies, an oncology-focused company developing non-invasive diagnostic tests and targeted therapies for early detection and treatment of cancer. The initial product, CyPath® Lung, is a non-invasive, fast and accurate test for early stage lung cancer, a disease that claims more lives than any other cancer.
    • BioStar Capital, a value-add investment firm focused on transformational medical device technologies in cardiovascular and orthopaedic medicine. The firm has invested in more than 30 med-tech companies, many of which have been acquired by a major medical device manufacturer. 
    • Bridge Connector, a healthcare interoperability company changing the way healthcare communicates. With a suite of vendor-agnostic integration solutions and a full-service delivery model, Bridge Connector empowers vendors, providers and payers with the ability to easily integrate traditionally disparate, mission-critical platforms, such as electronic health records (EHRs), patient engagement solutions and more. 
    • HMS, a healthcare technology company and leading provider of payment accuracy and population health management solutions. Founded in 1974, HMS is a publicly traded company with more than 3,100 employees in 25+ offices across the country, helping its customers save billions of dollars each year. The organization has signed a multi-year agreement with Matter.
    • LeadingReach, a care coordination technology vendor transforming the way healthcare institutions communicate and exchange patient data by building an industry-leading, connected provider communication network coupled with customizable clinical workflow management tools aimed at preventing leakage.
    • Panalgo (formerly BHE), a software provider that streamlines healthcare data analytics by removing complex programming from the equation. The company’s Instant Health Data (IHD) analytics software empowers pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device teams, payers and other healthcare organizations to answer their most pressing scientific, business and regulatory questions faster and more easily.
    • Proscia, a software company that is changing the way the world practices pathology to transform cancer research and diagnosis. With the company’s Concentriq digital pathology platform and pipeline of AI-powered applications, laboratories are leveraging new kinds of data to accelerate discoveries and improve patient outcomes. 
    • SilverCloud Health, a leading virtual mental health company, enabling health systems, health plans and employers to deliver clinically validated, on-demand digital health/therapeutic care that improves outcomes, increases access and reduces costs.  The company’s multi-award-winning mental health platform is the result of over 17 years of clinical research with leading academic institutions.

    The team was also recently recognized for outstanding client work and distinguished team members: 

    For more information about Matter Health, visit our website. 

    About Matter Communications

    Matter is a Brand Elevation Agency unifying PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy into content-rich communications campaigns that inspire action and build value. Founded in 2003, with seven offices spanning North America, Matter works with the world’s most innovative companies across healthcare, high-technology, consumer technology and consumer markets. For more information, visit https://www.matternow.com.

    Contact

    Matter 

    Ryan Lilly, 978-518-4533

    [email protected]

    matternow.com

    Matter

  • The Retail Roundup: COVID-19 Gives 2020 Holidays a Reality Check

    The Retail Roundup: COVID-19 Gives 2020 Holidays a Reality Check

    COVID-19 continues to disrupt the retail industry from all angles. New challenges are arising for retailers as stores continue their reopening process, bankruptcies force tough decisions and we move closer toward major annual shopping events, like back-to-school, Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

    And with many experts assuming we’ll still be in some version of lockdown for the foreseeable future, retailers are anticipating and trying to plan for a year-end shopping season like no other.

    With these challenges in mind, here are three prominent themes we’re seeing across publications:

    Bankruptcies Continue + Retailers Reorganize

    In our last post, we highlighted how major retail brands – including Neiman Marcus, J.Crew and J.C. Penney – filed for bankruptcy as a result of continued struggles that were exacerbated by the pandemic. The list of bankruptcies has only grown since then, adding Lord & Taylor, Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank, as retailers continue to grapple with the current reality.

    As retailers reorganize their operations to stay afloat, many are being forced to make tough decisions. For instance, Neiman Marcus decided in July to vacate its extravagant new location at Hudson Yards in New York City. In barely a year since launching, the Hudson Yards location no longer made sense from a profitability standpoint, given its foot traffic relied so heavily on restaurants and office space.

    Back-to-School Creates Uncertainties for Retailers and Consumers Alike

    As parents and students prepare for a new school year, uncertainty looms around how it will look in 2020. Some schools plan to continue with remote learning programs while others are returning students to their classrooms, albeit in a much different format than previous years.

    Retailers are feeling this uncertainty. Many parents are not only unsure when they’ll shop for back-to-school, but also expect to buy fewer traditional school supplies this year. That said, according to a Deloitte study, virtual class formats are also driving up sales for electronics as all students – not just those in college – now require personal computers. The study found that technology spending for K-12 is expected to rise 28% this year.

    Retailers Plan for an Unusual Holiday Season

    July is usually when retailers prepare for major shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

    However, Walmart has made the decision to close its doors on Thanksgiving this year, ending the company’s 30-year tradition. Other retailers, such as Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods, followed suit, announcing similar plans soon after. These announcements point to an industry shift in which retailers are prioritizing customer safety and e-commerce over their in-store doorbusters.

    Additionally, Black Friday – a shopping holiday traditionally focused on getting as many shoppers in the door as possible – will see significant changes. Many retailers are already talking about limiting store hours, creating temporary product displays outside and enhancing curbside pickup – a far cry from the long lines and early mornings we’re all accustomed to.

    What headlines stood out to you this month? We’ll continue to closely monitor the media and market sentiment amidst the COVID-19 crisis and share our insights. In the meantime, message me or send me an email ([email protected]) if you’d like to receive our weekly summary and insights!

    Andrew Petro

  • Signing on for the CES 2021 All-Digital Experience?

    Matter’s Live and Remote Capabilities Can Help Expand Digital Experiences and Participation.

    Matter Communications — a Brand Elevation Agency specializing in PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy — offers live video and remote capabilities for consumer technology brands looking to create inclusive, digital experiences and reach key audiences as traditional events, such as CES 2021, continue to shift to virtual platforms. 

    Check out our studio in the video!

    Equipped with a state-of-the-art video and audio production studio at its headquarters in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Matter’s in-house creative team of award-winning audio, video, graphic design and animation professionals serve clients looking to leverage virtual broadcasts, including:

    • Live or Virtual Events
    • Product Showcases and Launches
    • Satellite Media Tours (SMTs)
    • Internal Communications
    • Remote Video Production
    • And more

    “The way brands share information and interact with customers is evolving,” said Executive Producer and Vice President of Video Services, Tim Bradley. “Amidst the pandemic, we are actively working with clients to pivot their brand experiences and participation to digital formats through a combination of remote production, motion graphics and live video. We provide the creative and technical know-how as well as the targeted distribution needed to elevate brands and help them reach key audiences.” 

    As global events — including CES — embrace digital platforms, it’s more important than ever for companies to create inclusive, genuine human interactions to connect with their audiences. Distinct from pre-produced content, live video encourages viewers to participate in a conversation as it takes place, incorporating real-time storytelling, broadcast-quality production and targeted social distribution to maximize impact for the brand.

    Looking to make your next digital event more interactive and effective? Matter’s creative group can help you take your experience to the next level. 

    About Matter Communications

    Matter is a Brand Elevation Agency unifying PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy into content-rich communications campaigns that inspire action and build value. Founded in 2003, with seven offices spanning North America, Matter works with the world’s most innovative companies across healthcare, high-technology, consumer technology and consumer markets. For more information, visit https://www.matternow.com. 

    Contact

    Matter

    Tim Bradley, 978-358-5838 

    [email protected]

    Matter