Saturday, September 29, 2007

Sudden Death Pool - Week 4

It’s Week 4 and it appears that nobody is giving any ground in the breakaway pack. This is the first week that we might have a winner. If San Diego and Dallas are both upset and the Eagles win, Ben will be our winner. However, that is a lot of ifs.

Donald Griswold - San Diego
Amy Griswold - San Diego
Akiko Kakuta - Dallas
Charlie Patric - Dallas
Samir Pancholi - San Diego
Ben Carmen - Philadelphia
Mark Collins - Dallas
Jenn Zickefoose - San Diego

Jason Lim - Out in Week 2
Jennifer Jens - Out in Week 2
Barry Williams - Out in Week 2
Mischa Gorrell - Out in Week 2

Monday, September 24, 2007

Major Web Site Release: CosmeticSurgery.org

That’s right, we have completed the first phase of working with the staff and Communications Committee of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery to develop a new look and feel for their web site: CosmeticSurgery.org.

AACS members and regular visitors to CosmeticSurgery.org will immediately notice that the site is now Flash. The established style has been preserved and enhanced with the smooth animations of this more advanced style of presentation.

It is our pleasure to present this as our latest site release. Special thanks go to Charlie Baase, who guided the project’s content, AACS President Dr. Ed Lack and Communications Committee Chair Dr. Robert Burke, who gave the project momentum, former Dog Star Art Director Julie Teasley who nailed the design on her first attempt, Dog Star web designers Charlie Patric and Akiko Kakuta for all the magic they always do and Mark Collins, without whom we could not make this site function. If you are so inclined, give these folks some praise for their work on this major project.

More is to come as we develop the site with AACS. For all of you who are watching, the benchmark is here. I hope this inspires some cosmetic surgeons to reconsider how they are presenting their practices on the web. Please email me here if there is anything Dog Star Media can do to help.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Sudden Death Pool - Week 3

It is only Week 3 and NFL parity is taking its toll. Some big names went out this week and one inside competition was settled. Jenn Z topped Jenn J in Jenn vs. Jenn, battle of Donald’s personal trainers. That is a major upset but Jenn Z’s brother does work for NFL Films. That may have played a factor... but I warned Jenn J about her Saints pick. Meanwhile, Akiko steps up her role as the dark horse by picking the Colts. The way I see it, there are no safe picks this week; apparently Ben has openly embraced that fact by picking Dallas.

Donald Griswold - Baltimore
Amy Griswold - Pittsburgh
Akiko Kakuta - Indianapolis
Charlie Patric - Indianapolis
Samir Pancholi - New England
Ben Carmen - Dallas
Mark Collins - Baltimore
Jenn Zickefoose - Pittsburgh

Jason Lim - Out in Week 2
Jennifer Jens - Out in Week 2
Barry Williams - Out in Week 2
Mischa Gorrell - Out in Week 2

Winners advance. Losers are out.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

FINALLY! Watch The Cosmetic Channel here!

Yes, The Cosmetic Channel™ launched on time... actually, we launched it early on September 14. Reviews have been excellent and I think we hit our mark on delivering video content like no one has ever seen for the cosmetic market.

You can visit these sites to see The Cosmetic Channel™. They are part of a group of about 30 practices that joined us in our soft launch. Just click the buttons labeled The Cosmetic Channel™ on any of these sites to see a variety of shows.

For Cosmetic Dentists:
http://www.LoveYourNewSmile.com
http://www.aNewYorkSmile.com

For Cosmetic Surgeons:
http://www.tulsasurgicalarts.com
http://www.metropolitanmds.com

So, the presale is over and the full pricing structure has taken effect. You can see your choices for shows and episodes here:

http://www.dogstarmediapreview/thecosmeticchannel/dentistsubscription.pdf

http://www.dogstarmediapreview/thecosmeticchannel/surgeonsubscription.pdf


I hope that the many of you who were waiting on seeing the video and how it works will consider signing up for Season 1. Regardless of when you start, you will start with the first shows of the 12-month Season 1.

The Cosmetic Channel™ adds fresh, topical video to your web site each month. The immediate improvements we are planning are custom colors for the buttons for subscriber web sites and a roll-over-to-play 10-second opening video. Episodes begin changing next month, meaning your web visitors will get the chance to see more, new content with each visit.

How does this benefit you?
For those of you who may be questioning the value of excellent content on your web site, consider the amount of time people spend on your site is time they are not spending on competitor sites. Also, consider what brings people back to your site? The same way, I recall you to my blog each week with the promise of new content and ideas for your benefit, The Cosmetic Channel™ will do the same for your site. It will even be more effective when combined with email marketing.

When the content, in this case video, is new, fresh and informative, it recalls web visitors to your site. It also causes people to refer the site, passing the link along.

Not everyone can afford to make improvements to their site on this scale on an ongoing and timely basis. That is why Web Service is becoming a major part on the next big wave of Internet trends. Web Services allow you to subscribe to content providers for new, fresh, timely content for your site. Usually, this is text. The Cosmetic Channel™ provides your content in video. Thus, The Cosmetic Channel™ is a web video service… and it is the first of its kind.

Dog Star Media has been building a video team of professionals who know how to make more than the talking head videos that are so common in cosmetic medical and dental services. We are filmmakers who know how to tell a story concisely in many different ways with many levels of impact. With degreed Radio, TV and Film graduates from three generations of video production, our team is uniquely qualified to make better video… that is what will make The Cosmetic Channel™ shows a unique draw for your web site. You heard it here first before someone tries to produce a knock-off. The battle on the Internet fast becoming about who can produce better video. Put your money on that.

In the coming months and years, the amount of fresh, timely, interesting content on web sites will separate the sheep from the goats on the web. The sheep will have the best content and the goats will be unchanging web sites. You can combat that now or later with The Cosmetic Channel™. It is the first way you have seen to make your web site more like a TV network in term of programming.

It is simply the most inexpensive and highest quality way to add great video content to your site on an on-going basis. The Cosmetic Channel™ subscriptions begin at $300/month. We can add it to any web site, even if DSM did not design it.

Now that you have seen it, why not sign up today?

And, of course, there is more coming…

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Sudden Death Pool - Week 2

Everyone advanced in Week 1. This week, at least one will fall. Good luck to everyone. I think most of you will need it. Week 2 is traditionally the hardest week of the season to pick.

Donald Griswold - Denver
Amy Griswold - Denver (she came up with this on her own.)
Akiko Kakuta - Tampa Bay
Jason Lim - New Orleans
Charlie Patric - Jacksonville
Samir Pancholi - Dallas
Ben Carmen - Indianapolis
Mark Collins - Chicago
Jennifer Jens - New Orleans
Jenn Zickefoose - Jacksonville
Barry Williams - New Orleans
Mischa Gorrell - Carolina

Winners advance. Losers are out.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Sudden Death Pool - Week 1

Every Friday of the NFL season, we will be playing our Dog Star Media Sudden Death Pool. You’ve met the contestants (see previous blogs). It’s time to play. The rules are easy. Pick one winner each week and you cannot pick the same team twice.

Donald Griswold - Pittsburgh
Amy Griswold - Minnesota
Akiko Kakuta - Minnesota
Jason Lim - Seattle
Charlie Patric - New England
Samir Pancholi - Seattle
Ben Carmen - New England
Mark Collins - Pittsburgh
Jennifer Jens - Seattle
Jenn Zickefoose - Minnesota
Barry Williams - Detroit
Mischa Gorrell - Pittsburgh

Winners advance. Losers are out.