A thought or two about branding

What is a lawyer's brand? Many of us resort to consultants or marketing professionals to help us address this basic question. In some ways it is an annual problem when it comes time to update a website or renew an ad in the Yellow Pages.

According to this article, it takes more than just frustration with your current situation or a bucket of money to throw at the problem.

"You see it in professional spin-offs all the time… Two or three key architects in an established firm leave with a few clients, just knowing they can do it better on their own. But then they go out and start a company that’s cut from the exact same cloth as the last place they worked. They use the same accounting software, the same processes, the same fee structure, and even the same spiel in their pitches. The only thing that’s changed is the location and the letterhead."

Author Michael Gerber, in his book "The E-Myth," tackles this problem head on.

If you are looking for a holiday gift for a lawyer with a branding issue, consider this easy to read, but thought provoking book.

Receive Levi's Calls by Text

News from Keep Georgia Safe shows how technology helps with alerts like a Levi's call:

What is a Levi's Call? - Georgia's AMBER Alert

A Levi's Call is an emergency bulletin that is issued whenever a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger of harm or death. The goal is simple: To locate the child and the abductor expeditiously before any harm comes to the child. In Georgia, this alert is known as "Levi's Call" in memory of 11 year old Levi Frady.

Get a real-time text of alerts:

To receive real-time notification of Levi's Call, Georgia's AMBER alert, Mattie's Call, elderly or disabled missing person alert, and Kimberly's Call, dangerous fugitive alert, via text on your cell phone, go to their site and enroll. You can read more about the other types of alerts on their site.

With your help, you can become a part of the Keep Georgia Safe wireless network.

Recall Alert: Infant Gas Relief Eye Drops

Johnson & Johnson and Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Company announce the voluntarily recall of approximately 12,000 units of Infants' MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops (simethicone-antigas) non-staining sold in 1 oz. plastic bottles that were distributed after October 5, 2008 nationwide.

The company is taking this action in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall was announced as a precaution after determining that some bottles could include metal fragments that were generated during the manufacturing process. If any medical events were to occur, most are expected to be temporary and resolve without medical treatment. Parents who have given the product to their infant and are concerned should contact their health care provider immediately.

Lot numbers are: SMF007 and SMF008.

Consumers who purchased Infants' MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops non-staining included in this recall should immediately stop using the product and contact the company at 1-800-222-9435 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST) or via the internet at www.mylicon.com for instructions regarding how to dispose of the product and request a replacement or refund.

Source.

Recall Alert: ReliOn Syringe Recall

The FDA reports this week that ReliOn syringes have been recalled. Here is the report from the FDA site:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is notifying health care professionals and patients that Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Covidien) is recalling one lot of ReliOn sterile, single-use, disposable, hypodermic syringes with permanently affixed hypodermic needles due to possible mislabeling. The use of these syringes may lead to patients receiving an overdose of as much as 2.5 times the intended dose, which may lead to hypoglycemia, serious health consequences, and even death.

The recall applies to the following lot number and product information:

-- Lot Number 813900
-- ReliOn 1cc, 31-gauge, 100 units for use with U-100 insulin

Only ReliOn syringes from this lot number and labeled as 100 units for use with U-100 insulin are the subject of the recall.

These syringes are distributed by Can-Am Care Corp and sold only by Wal-Mart at Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs under the ReliOn name. Wal-Mart requests that all users of ReliOn 31-gauge, 1cc syringes return those labeled as 100 units for use with U-100 insulin from Lot Number 813900 to their local Wal-Mart store or Sam's Club pharmacy. Customers will be provided with replacement product.

The FDA urges patients and health care professionals to check their syringe packaging carefully for syringes labeled as 100 units for use with U-100 insulin from Lot Number 813900.

Consumers and health care professionals who suspect they have the recalled product may also contact Covidien at 866-780-5436 or www.relion.com/recall for more information.

ReliOn Insulin Syringes consist of a syringe barrel, a plunger rod, and a hypodermic needle attached to the tip of the syringe.

During the packaging process for this lot, some syringes labeled for use with U-40 insulin were mixed with syringes labeled for use with U-100 insulin, then all packaged individually and in boxes as 100 units for use with U-100 insulin.

The manufacturer has distributed 4,710 boxes in the recalled lot, which equals 471,000 individual syringes. Wal-Mart sold the syringes at Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs from Aug. 1, 2008, until Oct. 8, 2008.

Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Covidien) voluntarily recalled this lot of syringes on Oct. 9, 2008, asking that any units of the affected product be removed from inventory and placed in quarantine. Wal-Mart posted the recall announcement in Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs, as well as on its Web site, and sent letters to more than 16,500 customers notifying them of the recall.

The manufacturer has received one adverse report related to a syringe from this product lot.
Health care professionals and consumers may report serious adverse events (side effects) or product quality problems with the use of this product to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax or phone.