Apple’s new iPhone 4S’s Virtual Assistant, Siri, can tell me how to find the nearest Indian restaurant, remind me that it’s my brother’s birthday and even manage expense reports. It apparently takes on the role of philosopher as well, answering (or dodging) such questions as, “What is the meaning of life?”  Sure it’s a cool application! I mean, why pay a therapist if you can get free advice from your phone?

True story: back in the heady days of the .com and tech boom, the ad agency I worked for got a client who was going to revolutionize computer diagnostics and repair via the Internet. There were only a handful of companies offering this service and our client had been the first to market. Among their many other marketing goals, they wanted to establish their leadership, highlight their cutting-edge technology and portray themselves as innovative and entrepreneurial. They offered an exciting product and service, and it was a great opportunity for them to stand out in the industry.

If you asked me in May 2011 what my experience at Moiré would consist of, I would have answered, "You know, typical intern work with opportunities to get involved on client projects. Maybe an occasional happy hour, too." My time at Moiré is coming to an end, and it was much more than I could have imagined.

Dating! Some do it for fun and others do it in search of love. There’s a saying that you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you can find your Prince. Unfortunately, some of us have had to kiss more frogs than others, but regardless, dating is a necessary process when trying to understand what qualities you value in your search for a serious relationship.

GUEST BLOGGER: Matthew Gallizzi, CEO - NotixTech

Mobile-friendly websites and mobile optimized websites are two different types of websites. If a website is Flash-based, it falls into neither of these categories. As the mobile space continues to see unprecedented growth, the importance of understanding the difference is becoming crucial. It could mean the difference between winning or losing a prospective client.

I am on a quest to find the perfect pair of black sandals, and when I say perfect, I mean A-MAZING - comfortable, unique, versatile; a pair of shoes that invoke the green-eyed monster in every woman that sees them. This has been an endless process because for every pair of shoes I love, I start to think that maybe there is another pair somewhere I will like better. In many ways, the search for the perfect pair of shoes is very similar to the way professional services firms go about finding agencies who will help them with their brand.

Your firm’s website is the single most important component to your firm’s marketing communications efforts. Period.

It’s the lynchpin on which all of your other mar/com efforts rest, it’s your “first impression”, your opportunity to communicate with targeted clients on a regular basis via blogs, and hopefully it supports your firm’s business development efforts.

GUEST BLOGGER: Amanda Acevedo, Director of Marketing and Business Development - Niles Barton

Over six months ago, I moved from a global law firm with a marketing department of 20+ professionals to a midsized regional firm with a marketing department of just one: me.

We hear it all the time in blogs, white papers, newspaper articles and from industry experts. “….marketing budgets continue to be slashed, programs are being dropped and marketing staff are being laid-off.” This creates the challenge of strategically choosing the marketing tactics that make the most sense for your firm and your brand.

I was playing Scrabble the other day and it dawned on me that the same strategies I used while playing are applicable to the development of a marketing strategy for a client. In Scrabble, you have to create words with letters selected at random. You have to manage them carefully and decide which placement gives you the best competitive advantage. You might not always start out with the letters you want, and sometimes realize you are short one letter needed for the perfect word, but, in the end, your goal is to earn the most points with the tiles you have.