October 2009

As a HOLDCOM client you already know the value and ROI of having a Message-On-Hold program playing to your callers on hold.  Many of  you subscribe to multiple programs and coordinate the content with traditional marketing promotions.  But did you know the holiday season, which runs from the begininng of November through New Years, is one of the best times to update your message? 

When polled, clients have indicated that doing a Holiday program is not only the MOST cost effective Message-On-Hold program, but it also resonates with their clients.  Year after year, customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive from clients who have implemented a Holiday version of their regular Message-On-Hold program.  Best of all it can be tailored to your taste with holiday greeting and appropriate holiday music...from generic "winterland", appropriate for any audience, to traditional or religious.  The choice is yours.

Ring in the holidays this year and let your clients know you appreciate their patronage, especially now during these tough economic times.  Contact Client Relations at cr@holdcom.com and let them know you want to mix-it-up for the Holidays.

As we turn the page to October, we welcome the wonderful season of Autumn and all that comes with it including football, Fall weather, changing foliage, and of course (and unfortunately) the flu season.   Heightened by all the buzz around the H1N1 virus (aka Swine Flu), hospitals and medical facilities are bracing for a busy season.  One of their biggest challenges is to get the word out about Flu shots, proper cleanliness routines to reduce the spread of the flu, and other seasonal information.

This year, more that years past, HOLDCOM's Healthcare clients are taking advantage of the built-in communications tools available to them by updating their Auto-attendant announcements, IVR (Interactive Voice Response) and VRU (Voice Response Unit) with important timely information.  Client Relations Representative Donna Pompeo noted, "One of my Healthcare Organizations is updating ALL seven of their hospital announcements.  It's really the best way to make sure EVERYONE who calls the hospital is aware of the special programs they are offering.  This year, many hospitals have programmed an option into their system that allows callers to hear specific information about flu shots and other frequently asked questions".

Hospitals and Healthcare facilities have long been a strong proponent of Audio Marketing.  In addition to seasonal information, many healthcare facilities utilize Message-On-Hold to promote programs, classes, and clinics that do not receive any marketing budgets.  HOLDCOM President Neil Fishman explained, "Many of the new things happening at a hospital are promoted through traditional marketing channels.  If a hospital has made significant investments into a new technology, they will set aside marketing dollars to promote the improvements to the community.  But many times smaller programs and improvements just don't warrant the marketing investment.  That's where our services really shine and help the public relations departments get the word out on EVERYTHING that's going on at the facilities.

If your business has seasonal information, and you don't have the budget for more expensive traditional advertising, talk to a HOLDCOM representative about why audio marketing is the right prescription for your business.

Celebrating Our First Hope University Graduate: Stacey Caropreso 

People all over the globe get involved in Relay For Life for different reasons. For Stacey Caropreso of West Milford, NJ, her reason was that 17 years ago, a friend insisted she come hang out and take part in Relay For Life. Stacey recalled, “I did and immediately knew it was something I had to be involved with.” She joined his team – Night Crawlers – which they have now had for 18 years, with most of the original members still involved. And that “friend” is now Stacey’s husband, Tom, a 25-year cancer survivor. Stacey said, “We truly love being a part of Relay For Life!”

When asked about her favorite Relay moment, Stacey shared, “I have been a Relay For Life volunteer for 17 years. I have a lot of favorites, including my husband being recognized as a survivor year after year and my 1-year-old nephew being recognized as a survivor for the first time. I love looking out at the participants and seeing a sea of purple (the Relay's official T-shirt color for survivors).”

Stacey has played many roles in Relay For Life. At her home event, Relay For Life of the Highlands in West Milford, NJ, Stacey was the Luminaria Chair for three years, Registration Chair for two years, and the Event Vice Chair for one year. She has also volunteered as the CPS-3 Chair (Cancer Prevention Study 3) at the nearby Relay For Life of Glen Rock, NJ. Her involvement doesn’t stop there; Stacey has been a member of the Eastern Division Relay For Life Leadership Conference Planning Committee for the past two years, and is the Conference Chair this year.

One of things that makes Stacey such an outstanding volunteer with the American Cancer Society is her ability to see the big picture. In addition to her dedicated involvement in Relay For Life, Stacey volunteers her time as the Registration Chair for her local Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, and as the Registration Chair for the George Washington Bridge Challenge.

And most recently, Stacey became the very first graduate of the Eastern Division Relay For Life Hope University program.

Hope University is a training and certification program that was created by volunteers, for volunteers. It is a self-paced, experiential learning program that allows Relay For Life volunteers to hone their leadership skills, as well as to learn about the American Cancer Society and about Relay For Life. As Stacey explains, “I enrolled in Hope University to experience different opportunities I may be missing and to become more knowledgeable. This is a course that committee members should definitely take. The more you know, the more you tend to share.”

As a graduate of Hope University, Stacey looks forward to new and greater opportunities to continue in the fight against cancer. Stacey said, “My experience of being a volunteer is extremely rewarding. I love being a part of this international movement in the fight against cancer. My hope is that more people volunteer and join me in the fight against cancer. I have met many people along the way that otherwise I wouldn't have, and I am honored to now call them my friends.” One of Stacey’s favorite quotes is quite appropriate: "Volunteers don't get paid – not because they're worthless, but because they're priceless."

For more information about Hope University, please visit Relay Central at http://www.RelayForLife.org/NYNJ and click on the “Hope University” link in the left navigation bar.
 
     

Read the full report

Breast CancerBreast cancer death rates have been on the decline since 1990, with larger decreases in women younger than 50. Researchers attribute those declines to early detection through screening, such as mammography, and improvements in treatment. The number of breast cancer survivors is growing – as of January 2006, there were approximately 2.5 million women in the US living with a history of breast cancer, the report shows. However, the report highlights disparities among populations. White women have higher incidence rates of breast cancer than African-American women overall, but while incidence rates have stabilized among African-American women, they've declined steadily in white women since 1999, at about 2% per year. And as of 2006, breast cancer death rates were 38% higher in African-American women than in white women. African-American women are also more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, when the cancer is less treatable.

Early Detection Is Key To Minimizing Risk

The good news is that researchers now know more about the major risk factors for breast cancer, and many, like how much you exercise and how much you weigh, can be controlled.

“We’ve now identified major risk factors for breast cancer, many of which are modifiable," said Otis W. Brawley, MD, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. "For instance, we’ve seen a drop in incidence associated with less use of postmenopausal hormones. And while that is gratifying to see, we remain concerned about obesity’s potential to offset that drop, and lead to an increase in the incidence of breast cancer in the future.”

Mammograms can find breast cancers earlier, when they are easier to treat and the chances of survival are higher. The American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms and breast exams for women 40 and older. Women at high risk – those with a known family history of BRCA gene mutations, for example—should talk to their doctors about getting an MRI.

In addition to getting a yearly mammogram, there are steps women can take to reduce their risk of breast cancer:

•     Eat a healthy diet to help control weight, since being overweight or obese may raise breast cancer risk.
•     Get regular physical activity. The American Cancer Society recommends 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week. Forty-five to 60 minutes a day may be even better for reducing breast cancer risk.
•     Limit the amount of alcohol you drink to no more than 1 drink per day. Alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

And perhaps most important, be sure to talk to your doctor if you notice any changes in your breasts or have any other concerns.

Excerpts of this article has been taken from ACS website.  Click here to read the full article by Rebecca Viksnins Snowden.

My daughter, the youngest of my three children by almost 10 years, started her career as a 6th grader in Middle School this year. A special back-to-school orientation was scheduled, and, having experienced my share of these "dog and pony shows" for parents, I must admit I was not overly enthusiastic about attending yet another. After all, how much can one really expect to learn about the faculty, curriculum and the educational process in general, while shuttling from class to class through hallways filled with parental panic and stress, exacerbated by a schedule that allocates precious few minutes for each session? It’s really quite an exhaustive and chaotic process, in spite of the teachers’ preparations, plans and best intentions. I started to feel much empathy for my daughter as I attempted to simulate her daily routine. And that didn’t include having to schlep a backpack full of books, pencils and papers!

But I’m not writing to hurl criticisms or complaints. On the contrary, I’m writing because during the orientation I was introduced to a classroom development that represented a major change in how teachers could communicate with their students. This paradigm shift in teaching came as big news for me! Sometime during my 10-year hiatus from back-to-school nights, the omnipresent blackboard (a.k.a. "chalkboard) and chalk, the staple of every classroom I had ever frequented, the source of dust that could choke a horse and high frequency screeches that could bust an eardrum, just upped and disappeared. I don’t know exactly when this vanishing act occurred, but Wikipedia assures me the technology leading to its extinction originated during the 1990’s. Dubbed the "Smart Board" (a.k.a. Interactive Whiteboard), this touch- sensitive, computer-inspired blackboard killer has found its way into many of our public and private schools, ranging from elementary to college.

With touch screen sensitivity and Internet access, an endless number of multi-media and web-based resources are literally at the teacher’s fingertips. Blackboard penmanship is no longer a requisite…"surfing" is. And I’ll bet that speech recognition will soon (if it hasn’t already) be a featured component of this technology. Perhaps for the first time in our history, this virtual teaching tool will serve to usher in a new age of education, one that relegates the role of "teacher" to the back of the class. After all, the Internet and associated advances in information management and scholastic technologies have already set the stage for self-service education. Personally, after spending a hefty six-figure nest egg on college tuition for my two sons over the past five years, I welcome this virtual TA and its potential impact on the brick and mortar classroom. Question is…will the Smart Board be eligible for pension, tenure and mental health days?