• A Newcomer’s Guide to Drone Videography

    A Newcomer’s Guide to Drone Videography

     At this day in age, it’s amazing to think that remote controlled drones (or UAVs) are becoming a part of everyday life. They can be seen in search and rescue applications, lighting scenarios, and of course aerial videography. When it comes to other places it can be useful, the sky is the limit (pun intended).

     

    Let me preface this write-up by stating that I am still a newcomer to the drone videography world. My goal for a while has been to learn any video rig I can get my hands on, and this is the most logical next step. The value in drone videography is obvious as well; shots from the sky add an interesting perspective to your video that simply cannot be replicated.

    At first I was under the impression that someone can go out and buy one of these and use it freely, similar to a remote controlled car- boy was I wrong. Here are a few tips and other things you should consider when becoming a drone enthusiast

    1. Start Small: A drone big enough for a camera complete with all the necessary batteries, prop guards, gimbal, and controllers will set you back at least a couple thousand dollars. Before making such a purchase, I found that buying this $70 drone is a great stepping-stone before graduating to the bigger contraptions. It helps with getting a feel for the controls, air resistance, and aerial maneuvering. It’s also inevitable that you’re going to have a few crash landings, which won’t damage it because of the small size (the drone in the link fits in the palm of your hand).
    1. Take a Class: Flying a drone is not a “plug and play” solution. There are important details such as calibration, course setting, home lock, airport communications, and many other things you need to know that can’t be summed up in a brief YouTube video. I found that taking an in-person course really helped me get familiar with both the drone and the app. The instructors are all licensed helicopter pilots who can address any other questions you may have, and there’s a block of class time that’s used for flight practice.
    1. Stay Current with Government Regulations: The FAA controls all of the airspace in our atmosphere. Whether it’s a few inches above your head or 400 feet off the ground, they are the ones who make the rules. It’s important to read up on their current and proposed regulations, so that you don’t get ticketed or fined for flying illegally. Right now, in order to make money from flying you’ll need to obtain an FAA 333 Exemption, or be a commercial airline pilot. While this paperwork can be easily applied for, it takes roughly six months for it to get approved and sent back. I’m writing this blog in June, and it’s been rumored that the FAA will be coming out with a separate set of drone pilot regulations this month. We’re still waiting on that, which leaves a lot of us commercial drone pilot hopefuls in limbo.
    1. Practice, Practice, Practice: Similar to the first tip I covered earlier in this blog, you can never have enough practice. After all, a great aerial shot cannot be achieved without great aerial maneuvering. Setup a chair or trash barrel in your yard and practice orbiting around it, with the nose of the drone constantly facing the subject. Once you’ve mastered that, give these a try.

    To sum it all up, it seems like drone flying is a hobby/professional tool that is here to stay. It’s an activity that should be done with safety as the number one concern, and enthusiasts should not rush to the finish line. I’ll leave you with my three favorite drone videos on YouTube (1) (2) (3). Happy flying!

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    Matter

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  • An HR Perspective on a Successful Company Volunteer Initiative

    For an HR professional working at a PR agency, I’m embarrassed to admit- but I’m no expert on blog posts (this is actually my first one ever so I hope I do my colleagues proud!)

    I started at Matter six months ago and was asked to lead our Helping Hands Matter Initiative (aka our amazing volunteer program). I was already excited to take on my new role as HR Manager and to join Matter, but to be asked to lead such a great initiative was a bonus.  I’ve always enjoyed volunteering in some capacity, but never truly knew how passionate I was about giving back until I started working at Matter as it is engrained in the culture here.

    Throughout the Matter website, you can visually see that Matter is committed to making a difference to those in need. Our efforts are encouraged by the motto People in need matter. Helping hands matter.  To see this written is one thing, but to actually witness the dedication, support and enthusiasm across all five of our offices has been beyond amazing and quite frankly- heartwarming to see. Some of our activities have included (but trust me this is not an all-inclusive list): volunteering at homeless shelters, sponsoring and serving meals to local communities, donating time at animal shelters, organizing supply drives for local communities, to all five of our offices participating in a walk to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis.

    You might be wondering how all of our employees and all of our offices are involved in this program. Every employee is encouraged to submit suggestions to the Helping Hands committee at any time. Each office has an AWESOME lead for this initiative and they meet with the committee members on a monthly basis to discuss any submitted suggestions and approve what organizations we will be supporting and/or sponsoring for the upcoming months. Currently, we have events booked through July!

    We have an agency goal of 500 hours by the end of 2016 and I’m happy to report that with just four months into the year we crossed the 300-hour mark at the end of April.  For a company with approximately 120 employees, this is an incredible accomplishment and I am 100% confident we will surpass the 500-hour mark well before the end of the year (if we don’t, I will write another blog admitting I was wrong!).

    Month after month, I am blown away by the excitement and support that this program has received and am forever thankful to Matter and our employees (now this blog is turning into a love letter) for making me realize one of the things I am most passionate about in life- giving back and making an impact in the lives of those in need.

    As Dr. Loretta Scott once said “we can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”

    Matter

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  • Takeaways from the Innovation Conference for Boston Business Women

    A group of lovely ladies represented Matter Communications at the first annual Boston Business Women Innovation Conference last week on Monday, May 9. The event featured an impressive list of female speakers, who each took the stage to share their insight and experiences with the community, including Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post. When asked to reflect on their favorite key takeaway, here’s what our Matter attendees said:

    Be fearless.

    Whether it’s at work or in your personal life, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and ask for what you want: From going outside your comfort zone and being the first to say “hello” at a networking session, to taking on work that may be outside of your job description. In the end, it will position you for future success. In the workplace, don’t be afraid to show emotion, it demonstrates that you are presenting your true, authentic self to your colleagues instead of hiding behind a mask that is untrue. This authentic self is very important as we move from a technology-centered era to a human-centered era supported by technological innovation.

    Life is all about choices.

    Many speakers spoke about choice and the role it plays in creating our own paths. Kip Hollister, founder & CEO of Hollister Staffing, said, “We are all the creators of our own reality through our moment-to-moment choices.” Taking ownership over the choices we make at work, at home and in our everyday lives is very powerful and can contribute greatly to our overall well-being, happiness and satisfaction. Colette Phillips, CEO Colette Phillips Communications, said that when faced with a challenge, “You can choose to be bitter, or you can choose to be better.” This is an empowering way to take ownership of a situation that takes you out of your comfort zone, no matter where you are.

    Passion and purpose are key.

    Colette Phillips spoke about living life by the three “Ps”: passion, purpose, and plan. This simple motto is something we can all apply and live by when it comes to our careers, but it also beautifully transcends work into our daily lives. You must not only take what comes at you with determination, grace and positivity, but also have the confidence to shape your own outcomes in order to achieve true happiness and fulfillment. That is unique to each individual, so whether it means writing your own job description, asking for that salary adjustment, developing a more positive mindset or taking the first step toward a healthier lifestyle, we have the power to initiate the change we want to happen … we just have to have the courage to ask for it.

    Make time to think.

    Thinking is where the magic happens. The more time we invest in creativity and generating ideas, the more meaningful progress we’ll make toward 10,000 hours and “expert status” in our field. Beginning her career as a receptionist at Hill Holiday, Karen Kaplan, now CEO, worked hard to think clearly and become an expert in every position she held. She said, “Mind your time spent transacting—answering an email, cleaning your inbox—versus thinking. Thinking leads to creativity and ideas, and creativity and ideas level the playing field. They transcend age, gender, race, nationality, ethnic background, rich and poor.”

    Matter

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  • Boulder Start Up Week: Birthday Edition

    For most of the country, it’s just another week, but for us here in Boulder, Co, we have a lot to celebrate! This week spins up the sixth annual Boulder Start Up Week (and second year Matter is a sponsor!) during which thousands of entrepreneurs and their teams network and learn with other workaholic dreamers in the area. This event encompasses so much of our own company’s mission – giving back, community, professional growth—and are therefore once again proud sponsors of the event!

    Next, it is our birthday! One year ago, we opened this Matter office, and it has been a wild ride. A few splashes of paint and several team members later, we honestly couldn’t be happier with our new community. We’re working with some of the most innovative brands on the west coast and have found some incredible talent to further build our consumer and B2B expertise.

    If you’re in the area (or simply curious), take a moment to read about all of the fun things we’re doing this week:

    • Anniversary Party / BSW Startup Crawl: Tuesday, May 17, from 4-8 p.m., we’ll be enjoying drinks and hors d’ oeuvres with hundreds of our closest Boulder friends.
    • Job Fair: Wednesday, May 18, come by and visit our table if you’re interested in joining the Matter team! Grab some swag and tell us about you.
    • Marketing Meetup: Thursday, May 19, from 3-4:30 p.m., we are opening our doors once again to bring together some of the best marketing minds in the biz. Grab a drink and chat with us around the latest trends in lead-gen/nurturing, social and PR.
    • Sponsor videos: Our incredible video team will be shooting 15 videos throughout the week, donated as part of our BWS sponsorship. The videos will feature startups in the area and their founders.
    • Social: Join us on social (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) throughout the week to feel as if you’re there or share your own if you are! Hashtag #BSW16 …we’ll be posting photos, videos and live coverage all week!

    Matter

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  • Why our acquisition of video agency Skyscope makes sense

    Earlier this week, we shared news about Matter acquiring Skyscope, an established video services agency with offices in Cambridge and Worcester, Massachusetts, and I’m elaborating on this event and sharing a few reasons why this deal makes good sense – for our agency, our clients and for the dynamite gang at Skyscope:

    First, every smart and savvy marketing organization should deliver compelling visual content to the key audiences of their PR and social media initiatives, and the demand for this content will only increase in the future. My immediate point: we’re strengthening the already-strong suite of services offered by Studio-C, our in-house creative team. The combined Skyscope and Studio-C entity raises our creative profile and allows us to compete with larger, more established creative players who don’t have the flexibility to deliver sought-after projects at our budget level or operational efficiency.

    Second, the fit – including the chemistry between staff, the complementary services, etc. – is dynamite. I sat with a number of other great creative shops, but our philosophies weren’t nearly as aligned as they are with the Skyscope crew. They prioritize the quality of their deliverables in the spirit of working with a client on a repeat basis, and they shoulder the burden of getting the task done right. In addition, our organizations share a professional work ethic of rolling up our sleeves and getting things done, while also being certain we have ample opportunity to blow off steam and have fun.

    Third, the Skyscope staff is A+. Their professionalism is evident in the work they deliver to their high-profile technology and business-to-business clients on a daily basis, but you further realize the value of the organization when you get to know them personally. It’s extraordinarily exciting to welcome a team of top-notch people who happen to be great at what they do, which mirrors the description of the staff already on the team here at Matter.

    Fourth, the combined experience of our creative teams is on par with any creative agency, anywhere. You have a solid foundation on which you can build when you’ve worked on behalf of consumer and technology brands such as LoJack, Pinterest, CVS Health, FootJoy, Cuisanart, CloudLock and Dassault Systemes, to name only a few. Being able to leverage the experiences and success will go a long way for entities looking to get into video-supported marketing with gusto.

    And, finally, by acquiring Skyscope, our agency is addressing a number of key interests that we prioritized as part of a strategy to help our agency grow. This includes but isn’t limited to growing our in-house creative team, and expanding to the point where we will have creative representation in all of our offices nationwide. And, most importantly, acquiring Skyscope enables us to grow in a way that allows our staff to embrace new creative technologies that will be sought-after by clients in the years ahead, and letting all of our professionals continue to spread their professional wings.

    Watch this space. It’s going to be an exciting year.

    Scott Signore

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  • Does your PR Agency “Do” Video?

    The statistics are everywhere: people are hungry for online video. Overall, research estimates that the number of video views among Internet users grows north of 25 percent per year. If you think that number is going to recede any time soon, you’re likely also banking on the fax machine as the future of lead generation.

    So what has this to do with public relations? Here are three ways engaging video can help with any public relations efforts:

    1. On social channels, posting videos increases engagement by 100 percent or more, depending on which survey you read. So, if 50 people click on your text-based post, on average, then you can expect 100 clicks if you include video. More clicks means more chances to attract buyers of your products and services. More eyeballs is good PR.
    1. News outlets are always hungry for great video content that their readership will click and share. If you understand the media landscape for your company, and actively identify the sites and blogs that accept video, you can essentially develop a syndication network for your content. That’s powerful, but the key is that the video has to be entertaining or otherwise add true value. Sales pieces aren’t going to fly.
    1. Quality video can effectively humanize a brand by bringing the viewer “into the fold.” When fans, prospects and others are able to see your culture, hear your thought leaders talking and experience a slice of life from your company, they feel more invested in your success and are more likely to buy from you – or want to work for you.

    The key to all of this is the quality of the video. More is better, but quality always trumps quantity when it comes to using the power of visual imagery for public relations.

    What other ways do you use video for PR?

    Scott Signore

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  • Celebrations like St. Patrick’s Day Matter

    Few dates on the calendar mean more to the PR and social media experts at Matter Communications than St. Patrick’s Day. That Irish holiday represents an opportunity for deliberate merriment – as opposed to ad hoc happiness that occurs with tremendous regularity! – with colleagues and co-workers. Our agency heritage runs through a community with tremendous Irish roots, and many of our staffers have Irish in our blood (or in our hearts). We celebrated last night and we’re celebrating again today – and, we hope all of you are, too! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

    Scott Signore

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  • Why I Get Amped When Visiting Our PR and Social Media Office in Portland!

    Last week I shared some thoughts related to the experience that clients have when engaged with a PR and social media agency that has a national presence – and this week I had the opportunity to spend some time with my dynamite crew of professionals in one of our offices on the West Coast. Here are a few reasons why I get pumped when I visit Portland, and in particular, when I spend time with the smart, savvy and hard-working gang from Matter in that city:

    First, Good Lord – what a town. Portland has a terrific blend of people, culture, hobbies, and happenings. It’s a city that supports an active lifestyle – and please see our gang getting recognized for being so healthy! –while also offering more eating, drinking and merriment options than all other cities of comparable size and scope. It’s a vibrant community that’s fueled by solid and honest people.

    Second, speaking of those people, our office is jammed-packed with a group of outstanding locals – and those who are quickly becoming locals. There’s a great blend of local knowledge, balanced by perspective from the East Coast. Half of our crowd are born and raised in the great Northwest, but a number of staff have moved to this great city from Boston, Atlanta and other hot spots on the eastern seaboard. As a result, it’s so nice to be here in person to meet new people – but also to see some of the familiar ones who made a great life choice to add to their career experience by spending time in Portland.

    Third, it’s special to sit with the team here in Portland in person and be reminded about their capabilities and their PR savvy. I love hearing first-hand how they are working creativity into their client programs – in terms of imaginative pitch ideas for media relations, or highly visual content produced by the creative team. It’s terrific to hear them overcome media challenges, and celebrate successes. While improvements in connectivity have changed all of our lives for the better, nothing really compares to talking shop in the office or catching-up on life during a visit to a pub.

    Fourth, this town has a steady and growing technology buzz. Beyond its thriving start-up scene, in which Matter client Urban Airship is so active, a constant stream of established players, such as Google, Intel and eBay, have moved people and their gigs to the region in the past few years. There’s so much energy that results from having credible, thriving and opportunistic technology players side-by-side, and the buzz can be felt while walking in the Pearl District – or glancing quickly at GeekWire.

    I like spending time here in our Portland office – can you tell?

    Scott Signore

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  • Why selecting a PR agency with a national presence Matters

    The opening of our new and expanded office in Boston has me thinking about all of our office locations – 5 nationwide – and how we’ve situated our smart and savvy staff in regions that directly benefit our clients. Here are a few credible reasons as to why clients should consider PR and social media agencies with the depth and breadth of multiple geographies.

    First, it really does help to have team members sharing a time-zone with the writers and editors they connect with so frequently. Matter is as flexible of an agency as I know of – and constantly we speak of getting things done wherever the team or client may be – but it really does make the working situation better when you have the opportunity to react and respond to inquiries at a time of day that makes convenient sense.

    Second, it also helps to have the creativity that comes from varying geographies. What’s smart and savvy in the great northwest may be different than a noteworthy communications trend in greater Boston. Like the way we leverage the strategies and successes we experience when working with both consumer and technology clients, we have the opportunity to learn from happenings occurring in other local markets.

    Third, some prospects and clients gain a sense of comfort knowing the team working on their business “gets” what it’s like to do business in their region. When an agency is able to hire stellar professionals from the local market, they reflect some of the region – and what makes that particular region special – within its walls. They understand local habits and nuances, and ultimately those team members can strengthen the relationship with the client.

    Fourth, there’s opportunity for employees who have the freedom and flexibility to consider growing their career elsewhere – and the positive enthusiasm that comes with embracing a new city or town can positively impact performance. Here at Matter we’ve had a number of employees transfer from an East Coast office to our locations in Boulder and Portland, and their energy and enthusiasm is directly contributing to the positive vibe in each location. And, that positive energy is transferring to the work being done.

    And, finally, and this one is very tactical, having a national presence is extraordinarily helpful for social media monitoring and execution. There’s really no way around it, but starting the work day early – and having the opportunity to end it late – is necessary these days, and having someone in the agency and from the team involved will allow for timely social activity.

    Can you think of any other reasons as to why having a national presence Matters?

    Scott Signore

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  • Why Our PR Agency Just Went “All-In” in Boston

    I’m thrilled to spread the news that – with gusto! – Matter just expanded its footprint in the city of Boston! We’ve moved from our modest shared space to a custom-built location designed to encourage smart thinking, creativity, and which is conducive to generating results.  It’s a place where smart and savvy PR professionals want to hang their hats – and we’ll be supporting our growth by welcoming them with open arms!

    In case you aren’t already living the dream in the Hub, here are several reasons why having a substantial footprint in Boston matters:

    First, it’s about being among the movers and shakers – in our business, and in the categories we serve. We’ve experienced a noteworthy business benefit by sharing some space in the Seaport District, and we’re looking forward to leveraging our new-and-improved digs to shake more hands, share more thinking and do more business.

    Second, we’ve always prioritized having the best professionals anywhere, and now, from a recruiting standpoint, we’re able to welcome those who want to join our team – but are urban dwellers who would rather not leave the city during the work week. When you’ve been named a Top Place to Work by the Boston Globe two years straight, you are always considered as a potential employer by the region’s brightest– and now geography won’t interfere with destiny!

    Third, and related to the above, we’re giving those hard-working employees in Newburyport, Providence – anywhere, really! – an in-town location for collaboration with clients and colleagues. It may not be a day-to-day happening, but it’s filled with energy, enthusiasm and a familiar Matter vibe when needed!

    Fourth, we’re now even more easily accessible to clients and partners – important face-to-face meetings can occur, whether scheduled or on a whim. Discussions about creative PR and social programs can happen with limited travel commitment.

    And, finally, it’s directly aligned with a key tenet of our success: that quality of life is truly important. On Portland Street we’re positioned well for commuters by the T or commuter rail, and within walking distance of so many places to eat, drink and be merry. It’s an accessible office that’s within near reach to so much that an employee’s professional path can be complemented by activities far beyond the job.

    Drinks, anyone?

    (more…)

    Scott Signore

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