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It’s technically winter in Texas but we know that Houston doesn’t have a true cold season.  It’s early March and the temperature this week has been in the 70’s.  Unlike other parts of the country, winter and spring are perfect times to spend some time enjoying the outdoors.  This blog will touch on how outdoor cabinetry can help you create the perfect outdoor kitchen. (more…) (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   If you’ve ever watched a video online, you’re familiar with Flash.  Flash is the software provided by Adobe that allows you to watch a video on your device.  If you’ve used Flash, you are also familiar with the constant need to download updates and new versions of the software.  This is not due to constant innovation on the part of Adobe.  It’s due to the frequent bugs and other errors that make patches a necessity.  Along with several other heavy hitters, Google has announced that it will no longer support Flash.  This blog will explore the (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   One of the aspects of Twitter that has made it so iconic and different from any other social media platform is its 140-character limit.  Along with creating the use of hashtags, the character limit has become synonymous with Twitter.  It has also had a major impact on how users and brands communicate on the platform.  Due to the character limit, you have to be concise and brief in getting your message across.  All of this is set to change.  Twitter has announced that it will axe the character limit and institute a new character limit of (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   Ali vs. Frazier.  McDonald’s vs. Burger King.  Wal-Mart vs. Target.  Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi.  Apple vs. Amazon?  It’s safe to say that you’re probably not human if you’ve never purchased anything from Apple or Amazon in your life.  The retail giants have become so large that they now compete in some of the same circles.  One of those circles is streaming media.  Competition breeds competition and neither heavyweight wants to lay down.  This blog will discuss Amazon Prime’s omission from Apple TV. (more…) (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   The movie Nightcrawler stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Louis Bloom, a struggling man who stumbles into a career as a cameraman breaking crime stories.  With the new app Current, you can become a “nightcrawler” and earn extra cash by reporting the news.   This blog will introduce Current and discuss its impact on how news organizations disseminate and break current news. (more…) (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   Pinterest is viewed by many as an up-and-coming social media platform.  Over the past several years, platforms with a visual focus have had the most success: Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat to name a few.  While the folks at Pinterest have focused their efforts on increasing the popularity of the platform, 2016 brings a new focus.  Developing Pinterest in a viable ad platform that will one day be able to compete with the likes of Facebook.  This blog will discuss Pinterest’s strategy surrounding their Promoted Pins and what the future might be for the direction of the (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   Twitter recently introduced conversational ads that “make it even easier for consumers to engage with and then spread a brand’s campaign message.”  Historically, polls have been one method that marketers use to conduct market research.  From the consumer’s perspective, polls and quizzes are often a fun activity.  Who hasn’t taken one of BuzzFeed’s fun quizzes at some point or another?  Twitter’s conversational ads take aspects of polls and adjust them to the social media setting.  This blog will discuss the framework of conversational ads and how they can be of benefit to brands. (more…) (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   February 7, 2016.  Only a couple of weeks away, this is the date when the AFC Champion and the NFC Champion will face off in the Super Bowl.  As I grew up in Boston and Tom Brady went to my alma mater, I have no qualms in saying that I hope the New England Patriots will be taking part in this year’s festivities.  Regardless of the teams participating, the Super Bowl is truly a spectacle.  Commercials are almost as popular as the game itself.  Companies such as Anheuser-Busch, Doritos, GoDaddy, and many others pay exorbitant fees (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   Google, always the innovator, recently launched two interactive ad formats for mobile: Trial Run Ads and Interactive Interstitial Ads.  Both ads take customization to a new level by giving advertisers a more immersive way to reach potential consumers.  This blog will explore the features of each type of ad and the companies that would benefit from using these new offerings as part of their marketing mix. (more…) (more…)

By Vlad Vidaeff   The history of Google+ has been an interesting one.  The social media platform’s importance as a benefit to your SEO is unquestioned.  However, Google+’s aspirations to be a direct competitor to Facebook have been a mixed bag.  This blog will explore Google+’s history and the recent changes made to the platform. (more…) (more…)