Nmedia Supports Institute for Truth in Accounting

A recent article in USA Today reported something that our client, the Illinois-based Institute for Truth in Accounting has maintained for a long time--the U. S. has under-funded by trillions promises it has made for the future.  Just take a look at these facts from the article:

The government added $5.3 trillion in new financial obligations in 2010, largely for retirement programs such as Medicare and Social Security. That brings to a record $61.6 trillion the total of financial promises not paid for.

This gap between spending commitments and revenue last year equals more than one-third of the nation's gross domestic product.

Medicare alone took on $1.8 trillion in new liabilities, more than the record deficit prompting heated debate between Congress and the White House over lifting the debt ceiling.

Social Security added $1.4 trillion in obligations, partly reflecting longer life expectancies. Federal and military retirement programs added more to the financial hole, too.

The $61.6 trillion in unfunded obligations amounts to $534,000 per household. That's more than five times what Americans have borrowed for everything else - mortgages, car loans and other debt. It reflects the challenge as the number of retirees soars over the next 20 years and seniors try to collect on those spending promises.

Nmedia produced a series of public service announcements for the institute which highlight the consequences of making decisions without good information.

So what can you do to stop the use of political math?

1) Educate yourself about federal and state revenues and spending -- ask your legislators for the real numbers.
2) Help bring F.A.C.T. based budgeting into your governments.
3) Support the Institute for Truth in Accounting by volunteering with us or providing a donation.  We need funding to help calculate true state deficits, and to provide the resources needed to spread the word about F.A.C.T. based budgeting and accounting.

Our lawmakers need the facts before they make decisions.  That's a key reason Nmedia has proudly supported the efforts of  Truth in Accounting.  

Truth in Accounting is a nonpartisan effort.  They are not affiliated with any special interest groups or any political party, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Please go to their websites to learn more about on how you can get involved in Truth in Accounting and Sign up today for e-newsletter updates.  

Video Insider: What Marketers Need to Know About Using Web Video

Most online marketers are aware of the value of online video to promote services and products. Whether used to as an online commercial, product education, or to provide online support in order to reduce customer service calls, online video is an exploding and very useful solution.


But the question is, how can you make an effective online video?


Number one - keep it short. On the web everyone has a short attention span. Videos need to be kept under five minutes in length - preferably even shorter. If you have a complicated subject or the process you are demonstrating requires numerous steps, it might make sense to break the video up into a series of shorter videos.


This is especially true if you want your audience to share and redistribute the video. The essence of all successful viral videos is brevity.

On Line Video: What do Brands really want?

Just about every day, new press accounts reinforce the exploding demand for online video content by marketers.

With this consensus seemingly in place, it begs the question: What are brands really looking for in online video? Here are the responses from about two dozen marketers from Fortune 100 companies when asked that question:

The responses reinforced that yes, marketers want MORE online video, and they don't want to have to pay a lot.  That's why Nmedia can help your business.   And here's what the Fortune 100 marketers say they're looking for, in order of importance:

Online video advertising - Brands want traditional commercial videos for use in pre-rolls or social media placements; expandable banner ads with videos embedded; etc. These are typically 15 or 30 seconds in length, and can also find their way onto TV screens.

Viral Videos - Yes, marketers are still asking for "viral" videos, although when queried, all knew that predicting "virality" is next to impossible, and for the most part they are looking for videos that have pass-along characteristics. A handful of marketers did say, however, that the C-Suite is continuing to chase after this "bright shiny object."

Videos for social media pages - This is the fastest-growing area of demand from my own clients, and the marketers echoed this interest. One marketer said she is looking for "relevant, friendly, appropriate Facebook ads that fit into a social environment naturally. " The greatest level of interest focused on Facebook videos that can enable a persistent video presence on their corporate pages.

Online versions of national TV spots - There was a surprisingly high level of interest to obtain videos that are basically "clones" of currently running national TV campaigns. One marketer commented that once the national TV spots have run for a long time, and are pretty "worn out," they'd like to switch spots with an online version using the same creative brief and approach as the original TV work - all for online airing

Consumer Engagement Videos - Marketers are still interested in enabling their consumers to engage with their brands through the production of videos. These contests, like recent ones by Doritos or Pepsi Max, are still very popular with marketers as part of total PR and marketing programs. In most instances, these produced videos don't end up getting a lot of TV air time, and are much more grounded in building awareness from running the contest itself, rather than from heavily playing the winning video on-air.

QR Code Videos - There is growing interest in QR Code Videos, segments produced by manufacturers to match up to in-store displays that feature QR Codes. Consumers snap a picture of the QR Code and it takes them to a short video that describes the product referenced in-store. The customer will then instantly learn everything they need to know about using the product. This is a relatively new need, but at least a half dozen marketers mentioned interest in videos to link to for customer education purposes.<

We hope you'll consider engaging the highly-experienced production team here at Nmedia for your On-Line Video Advertising, Viral Videos, Consumer Engagement Videos, Videos for Social Media or QR Code Videos.

Nmedia Holiday Hours

In observance of the Presidents Day holiday, Nmedia's offices will be closed on Monday, February 21, 2011.