Archive for May, 2010

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy in NYC

by admin on 26 May ’10 in Cool Stuff, Events, Squeaky, company culture, marketing with No comments

NYC summer must be just around the corner because wayfarer sunglasses are at an all-time high and people’s skin is the color of bronze.  Here at Squeaky we are looking forward to another glorious Summer of sizzling cocktails and pool parties. We invite you to find us at one of our go-to spots…

-  All aboard for a sea-brimmed happy hour! Nothing’s better than enjoying a few cocktails with friends and co-workers at the Frying Pan. On this salvaged historic boat right located right on the water you’ll find a laid back, yet energetic crowd looking to simply have a good time in the summers’ air.

-  Food connoisseur? Join us at Central Park’s ‘Taste of Summer’ held on June 2nd that will surely keep your taste buds buzzing. Top NYC restaurants come together under a single tent to display tables offering some of their finest menu choices. Vendors include, Asia de Cuba, SUSHISAMBA Park, BLT Market, and Ivy Bakery.

-  A fun twist on a dinner and a movie! With the warm weather secure under our belt take a stroll over to Bryant Park for their HBO Summer Film Festival held every Monday with the lawn opening for picnicking at 5pm. Dine al fresco with a yum-o sandwich from ‘wichcraft, BYO meal, or sit-back for a cozy meal at the Bryant Park Grill. Movies promptly begin at dusk so be sure to bring the popcorn.

-  Rooftop lounging in the ultra-chic Meatpacking District: Take a weekend night to indulge in the posh and eclectic nightlife setting of the Gansevoort or Standard Hotel where New Yorkers and visitors alike flock to enjoy the cool summer breeze and star-studded service.

What Makes a Good Intern Candidate?

by admin on 24 May ’10 in Enlighten Me, company culture, marketing with No comments

Many newcomers to the web space often ask us what we look for when hiring interns. We obviously want someone who is intelligent and a hard worker, but it’s the following characteristics that land people an internship at Squeaky (and many times lead to a full time position).

Carefully Craft A Cover Letter

This is the first step to getting an invite to the Squeaky loft for an interview. Do not position yourself as the potential intern from hell. Succinctly give us your value proposition. What can you bring to Squeaky that no other candidate can bring? Have you won a Nobel Peace Prize? Did you win American Idol? Etc.

Challenge Yourself and Squeaky Staff

At Squeaky we treat our interns as equals to our senior management. We look for individuals who are willing to push themselves and others around them. If  our Creative Director asks for one design direction for a web page, provide two. If our IT Director asks you to review code and you think there is a more efficient way of going about it, speak up.

Be Proactive

Don’t wait for someone to assign you work. If you finish a task, create a new task. We are in the digital space where things are constantly changing, so we can’t afford to be reactive. If you think there is a better way to market ourselves or our client, pitch us.

Be You

Squeaky is only as good as the company we keep. We are a diverse group made up of different personalities and backgrounds. We embrace all types of individuals. Do not be afraid to show us how you can add to the overall culture of Squeaky.

As always, if you feel that you meet and exceed the above criteria give us a shout. We love to hear from individuals who are just as passionate about the digital space as we are.

Diaspora: Open Source Social Network Could Take Down Facebook?

by admin on 17 May ’10 in Enlighten Me, Technology, facebook with No comments

There’s been a bunch of news lately regarding Facebook’s privacy issues and it’s only a matter of time before some people of genius create a platform that allows users to have complete control over the data they share within their networks. Well that time is now, with the development of an open source social network called Diaspora. Fully funded through Kickstarter, this platform will act as a “do it all, privacy aware social network.” Every single person will have the opportunity to install their own fully controlled existence within the network. In concept, this sounds amazing. It’s too early in the game to think Diaspora will create an immediate dent on Facebook’s global presence. We just think it’s this type of thinking and development that will help lead the charge to combat privacy issues, while still maintaining a high level of entertainment value for the user.

Internet Advertising and Marketing Law

by admin on 13 May ’10 in Enlighten Me with 2 Comments

The web can be a scary place for marketers. The global reach and anonymity of the internet has caused major headaches for brands facing a barrage of counterfeiting, defamation, and copyright infringements problems.

To give you a frame of reference, it is estimated that counterfeit goods sold online cost brands an estimated $137 Billion dollars a year (source: MarkMonitor). ICAAN, the nonprofit corporation responsible for IP address allocation, estimates approximately 8% of all registered domain name data was false (source: ICAAN). And perhaps most disturbingly, “global piracy of U.S. copyrighted works costs our economy around $58 billion each year, with 373,375 lost American jobs, $16.3 billion in lost earnings, and $2.6 billion in lost tax revenue to the government” (source: Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus).

Although Squeaky does not provide legal services to our clients, we do feel it is our responsibility to be aware of the various legal implications regarding promoting a brand online. So what can you do to protect your brand online?

We recently had the privilege of attending a seminar on internet advertising law at the New York office of Locke, Lord, Bissell & Liddell, and picked up some great points that we’ll leave you with:

-  Protect your brand by constantly monitoring its presence online. This can be as simple as equipping an employee with Google Alerts or other monitoring services, or as comprehensive as hiring a law firm that specializes in this oversight.

-  Register any products you sell with Ebay’s VeRO program to stop counterfeiters from selling.

-  Have a lawyer/law firm review your intellectual property and brand assets checking all logos, images, trademarks, and patents.

-  Put copyright notices on each web page.

-  Stay abreast with any major changes involving ICAAN, whos recent “historic” change allows web addresses to be registered in non-Latin characters (i.e. Chinese, Arabic, etc).

-  Make sure you have legal compliance with any contests, raffles, sweepstakes or promotions—especially via Facebook and Twitter.

-  Be careful with competitive advertising, especially via user-generated content on social media sites (see Subway vs. Quiznos).

    Barrels for Ghana

    by admin on 10 May ’10 in Cool Stuff, Squeaky with No comments

    Every year Squeaky receives two barrels to be filled with donations of books, school supplies, and clothes. Once filled the barrels will be sent to Ghana, Africa to help stock up a library as well as for different villages throughout the country. It’s a great cause and something that we hope others will enjoy being a part of. If you have anything you would like to donate please drop off or send to the address below.

    Thanks for your help!

    Squeaky Wheel Media

    640 West 28th St., 6th Floor

    New York, NY 10001
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