Tips, Tools, and Techniques you can use-from the artists, animators and programmers at the epic software group.
The Woodlands, TX - August 30, 2003 - Welcome - the dog days of summer are upon us, and coupled with the heat and humidity, we have the business press loaded with all sorts of dreadful news. So is this really the best time to launch a newsletter? We think so. These days everyone is looking for ways to stretch their sales and marketing dollars. An idea or two might be just what you need. The dot com implosion put a number of companies out of business (many had no business being in business to begin with). The good news is those companies that survived learned a great deal about using new media (the Internet, multimedia CD-ROM's, and digital video). Once a quarter we will share with you some of the things we learned, and hope you might find this newsletter of value. But the internet is a two way street, and we would welcome hearing from you as well. Have a specific question? We are just a click away at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
PHA CD-ROM Guide PHA CD-ROM Guide - Touring an animation studio can be fun, so when we received a call from the local Chamber of Commerce to stop by with their Board of Directors, we welcomed the opportunity to meet our local business leaders. After the tour was over, one Board member stayed behind. Jack Stibbs, the President of The Woodland's largest law firm, asked for a few more minutes of our time. Jack explained that his eight-year-old daughter, Emily, had Pulmonary Hypertension (PH). Pulmonary hypertension is a rare blood vessel disorder of the lung in which the pressure in the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs) rises above normal levels and may become life threatening. Pulmonary hypertension is frequently misdiagnosed and the wrong treatment can lead to death. Doctors have now identified the gene responsible for (Primary) PH, and with additional research are confident a cure can be found.
Jack was also a Board member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, a patient advocacy group headquartered in Silver Springs, MD. He had a dream to one day have a resource available with all of the information on the disease instantly accessible. It would not take the form of a web site, but instead a CD that he could simply hand to a Congressman, a Doctor, or a Patient. It would be the Encarta of information on Pulmonary Hypertension.
We explained to Jack that producing this type of program was a big project and it would require a sizable budget. Jack said over the years he had collected most of the items we would need to produce the CD (video tapes, articles, technical information, etc.). He said he had a modest budget and would return the next day so we could talk further.
When Jack returned not only did he have the information we needed to begin work, he had Emily with him as well. After everyone at epic met Emily and immediately fell in love with her, it was clear we were going to do this project no matter what. We solicited in-kind donations from all of our vendors, and were able to produce version 1.0 of the PHA's Patient Guide, which was released in the fall of 2001.
The CD proved to be so successful, that Lorie Simmons, the PHA Director of Advocacy and Awareness had epic add new video clips, and additional information to produce version 2.0 released in June of 2002. Every two years the PH Association has a conference where Doctors, Researchers and Patients come together to discuss the latest finding and treatments for PH. The highlight of the conference is a dinner banquet. "This year we placed a jewel case with our PHA CD inside on the dinner plates of each of 800 attendees," said Ms. Simmons. "It was the hit of the evening, and we plan on going even further on version 3.0 of the CD planned for release later this year," continued Simmons.
If you would like to get involved in a really good cause, please visit the
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Dobson Joins epic software group - Please meet Ms. Crystal Dobson, a dynamo of a young woman and the newest employee at the epic software group. Crystal comes to us from Texas A&M and will be handling our Media & Client Relations work at epic. Crystal distinguished herself by being selected as a recipient of a coveted Business Marketing Association (BMA) internship award. You will find Crystal both a joy to work with and anxious to learn everything she can about the world of Marketing Communications.