Climate Change.

Having a boyfriend who works in sustainability and a close friend who is an incredible skeptic of the Climate Change proposal; this rap reminded me of some of the debates I sit through on our little social 'put the world to right' occasions.

The cost of experimentation is approaching zero

And we've only just started...

Home.

Having lived in Sydney for 2 years now, I must admit, its easy to begin to detach yourself from the motherland. However, there are charms of English life that I appreciate more than ever.

So I'm dedicating this post to Englaland showing my appreciation and pride in my heritage (albeit with little inclination to go back - just yet).

One can't deny, the curse of the stiff upper lip has quite a role in the English culture. All this suppression of human emotion and we wonder why we have an alcohol problem!?
The proverbial corner store. Don't live anywhere without one. Note: they sell alcohol too. Sigh...[Australia has special bottle shops, candidly places out of strolls reach at 9pm on a Friday night]
England has the best festivals. Well perhaps. May be its the sheer determination to make good out of a bad situation that ensures there's an atmosphere to feed on. You share tea and biscuits with strangers, camp in horrific conditions and witness some of the best live acts in the world under English sky. Of course, there is the rain which tries relentlessly to put a dampener on things - we need something to complain about!
Cows. Oh how I love cows. They are cute, aren't they?! When I was younger my back garden was in fact next to a massive field so I got familiar with these animals, admittedly at times after a bottle of cheap cider, a stolen packet of mother's menthols and an ambition to tip a sleeping one over...Ridiculously good comedy. The Mighty Boosh, Shameless, Skins, Black Adder, Red Dwarf, The Office, Young Ones, Only Fools and Horses, Peep Show, Morcambe and Wise. Love.
Weather in England sucks big time. There's no denying it. You'll depend on an umbrella and will come to accept the fact that the weather lady lies to you. There are times though, when you can love English weather, especially when it snows (and you don't have to catch the tube). I remember the South African guy in my class nearly crying and sighing "fluuuff" in disbelief as he looked out the window and expressed sheer delight at the white stuff falling from the sky.
When I lived in London, Hoxton was the place to be. I loved living in East London where people wore ridiculous hair and would sing aloud to their ipods. Its got a charm about it that I can't put words to. Like when you walk down a cobbled street or look at an old building and realise that you're merely a speck in its life's story.Squirrels are awesome. I love them. In Hyde Park you can hand feed these little cute furry rats. I don't care what you say, they are not pests.I suppose this reminds me of where England is now. Corrupt banking system. Money troubles...

Well its been a while, might have to prepare for a 2010 visit next year for a proper cold and log fire Christmas.

Falling Polar Bears

Well as someone who loves loves loves Polar Bears - some girls collected Barbie Dolls, I collected Polar Bears - I must admit this new cinema ad from Plane Stupid (written and commissioned by creative agency Mother and made by production company Rattling Stick. Director Daniel Kleinman) made me shudder.

However, I understand 1. It sends a valuable message and 2. The bears aren't real. So with those two facts in mind, I must admit I admire the guys at Mother UK for their audacity and the message is very clear: Your flight has an impact.

Plane Stupid explain on their site: "Like you, we're worried about climate change. Like you, we don't think the Government can be trusted to do what needs to be done".

They're a network of grassroots groups that take non violent direct action against aviation expansion. Their three demands:

• End to short haul flights and airport expansion
• Stop aviation advertising
• A just transition to sustainable jobs and transport

Interesting. Whilst I know aviation isn't the sole cause of greenhouse gas emissions, I'd be interested to learn more about the impact. As you know, after watching The Final Choice documentary I certainly reevaluated my eating habits.

Clean water initiative on Mt Kilimanjaro

I love this idea. Props to Goodby Silverstein & Partners & Unit 6 who have built a website proportionately the size of Mt Kilimanjaro.
The sites in support of a charity-infused campaign that HP have brought to life by inviting celebrities and musicians to climb the mountain and in doing so post blogs, tweets, images and videos of their climb from their HP notepads - the contents tagged along the pix-elated climb of the website (at 16,709,709 pixels).

In addition to hearing the stories of the brave mountaineers, visitors can also 'sponsor a foot' of the journey by donating some dinero via UNHCR's clean water program. Every dollar donated provides 100 litres of safe clean water to people without.

I suppose what I like about this is its pushing the boundaries on and offline by thinking BIG - literally. It brings to life a cause through the adventures/stories shared online. No doubt some of these mountaineers having celebrity status will help push things on the PR front. I wonder what the impact would have been if the opportunity to climb Mt Kilimanjaro was open to everyone initially? Akin to what Coca Cola did recently through Expedition 206.

People can connect to the program and unlike a reality tv show where one can watch idiots rolling over one another saying controversial things and playing spin the bottle (Which reminds me, has anyone watched Dead Set - Absolutely hilarious, in a sick and twisted Zombie way, anyway I digress); here there's an opportunity to respect mountaineers and go on the journey with them virtually.

Its socially led integrating offline and online in a pretty slick way even down to the detail of pixel proportionality! Obviously a smart move for HP who get to facilitate the program, demonstrate their product whilst align themselves with a positive cause without overtly branding anything. I'd like to see how interaction between site visitors and the climb team works out which would be the natural expectation for conversation, whether we'll be able to have a webchat to a makeup-less Jessica Biel at 17,000 ft is questionable.

Still there's some amusing webisodes to keep people entertained which is meant to be behind the scenes footage of the mountaineers training footage.



Well, launch is January 7 2010 and includes the tallest banner ever created, a TV spot and web films. Watch this space or their space even.

Facebook Aps for charities

I thought I’d share with you a couple of interesting aps that charities are using on Facebook to amplify word of mouth harnessing peer to peer communications by pin-pointing, recruiting and rewarding an army of dedicated fans who openly represent their causes within their social network.

Causes Ap

Check out this interesting ap used to promote and recruit friends to join not-for-profits online via “Causes” http://apps.facebook.com/causes/ or www.causes.com

Its very clever.

First step, click on link, see the campaign’s progress and invite your friends.

Next, give them your email address to stay up to date. If you want.
Then check out their page, browse other members and see what impact they’re having.



The Hall of Fame shows profiles of those making the biggest impact (i.e. Spreading the word) and you can send them props/note/thank you etc.



You can also pledge your support whereby you commit to inviting 300 friends to the cause (not 100% sure of this commitment considering I don’t have that many friends!) and you can also donate.


Finally, show your friends what a good Samaritan you are by having your cause feature on your FB profile page and track your progress.


I’d say the one limitation to this is it acts independently from a fanpage/group so users need to accept the ap and go through the above process as opposed to a one-click conversion to becoming a fan. That said however, its still a fantastic integration with the platform.

Super Badger

Another innovative ap is the Super Badger
With Super Badger you can send prewritten emails straight from your profile to the people making the decisions - whether it is badgering politicians about climate change or badgering supermarkets to stock more Fairtrade products.

Here you are rewarded points for “Badgering”

You choose what you wish to “Badger” and you can send a prewritten email to politicians/decision makers, donate your status and sign up to receive Global Action emails.

Once the email gets sent, you get your points and your profile is updated for all your FB friends to see. Once again there’s an element of social kudos, especially when you start ranking up the leader board.


So what do you think?

Today. I like.

Harma Heikens makes disturbing, perverted mash-ups of children’s toys, dolls, and figurines — all life-sized for extra creepiness.

"The Bouquet" by Linn Olofsdotter. Stunning illustration.


Grzegorz Domaradzki aka Gabz

In the life of... a Community Manager

I don't usually discuss my real life "work" in my blog, however, seeing as I am getting consistently inconsistent in terms of my blogging genre... I figured; why change now? Besides, I realised there are some key learnings that I've found as a Campaign/Community Manager that are probably worth sharing...

1. Content is king.
   I probably don't need to dwell on this however, I think its important to appreciate that content leads when it comes to nourishing a community. Its easy to digest, offers entertainment and provides the audience with a piece of social currency for them to share to their friends. My colleague Zoe Scamen has written a great post on this here. So do develop a content schedule and maximise it!
   
2. Timing is everything.
   OK, I know that's not necessarily true but I think its easy to rush something to get a box ticked without putting timing in to consideration. I like to think upon it as "Contextual Marketing" i.e. think about what people are doing at that moment in time when your message is read and try to make it as relevant as possible. So for example; its lunchtime - don't start talking about night caps. Its obvious really. Also be opportunistic with the time of day; Tuesday and Wednesday circa 11am is the optimum time to email folks for example. I'm sure there are better insights out there but I think its always important to consider time as it won't always be on your side.
   
3. Use http://bit.ly/ to death.
   It provides great insights. So for example any media that I seed a community can be “bit.ly’d” before distributed. That way with anything shared is tracked: simple really but easily overlooked.
4. Analysis
   If you can, set up Google Analytics on any pages you create or sites you are sending people to. How are you going to measure engagement unless you track and measure the stats? There is a science to it, but at the end of the day, there's a big risk in running around blind - even if it is in the right general direction.
   
5. Video hosting - help spread
   In terms of video content suppliers, I feel if you want to spread a message: think Youtube. There's an audience that already exists, its aligned with google search (another audience to tap in to) and its the most popular platform for users to search for videos on. Plus it offers great insights as part of the package. Oh and I forgot to mention, its free! But don't forget your video channel may become a community in itself so its imperative that you manage this and respond to commentary on this forum also.
   
6. Video hosting - VIPs only
   There is an awful lot of benefit in giving a community exclusivity and an element of that might be first opportunities to view video content. In these instance, I feel Vimeo offers great affordable hosting software, I really recommend getting a Pro account for aprox $55 a year. You can manage it to a point where Vimeo branding is removed, its better quality, there's control as to which sites its viewed on, one can limit its shareability (even on Vimeo itself) and has all the nice to have’s like bespoke sizing/colours etc. Bonus: this will save a fortune in hosting.
7. Bloggers?
   Why not team up with bloggers as an outreach program? Invite relevant influential bloggers in to the community so they too have access to exclusive content and brand insights plus use it as an opportunity to share relevant content to that category by sharing blog posts via "status updates" for example. Its a win (the blogger) win (the community) win (you) situation.
   
8. Get stuck in
   Get stuck in to the forum/message board and ask people to use it. I've worked on a project where people were invited to post their thoughts on the community page, guess what?! It worked!
   Remember that members of your community may be active on other social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube... etc. Set up Google Alerts, search on your Tweetdeck and just keep your ears to the ground and eyes pealed for any commentary outside of the community. Social media is a fantastic opportunities for brands to gain insights as to consumer sentiment and also an opportunity for these brands to respond to these individuals.
9. Make them feel special
   This community is special, its a collective of individuals who deserve your love. They've invested their time, make sure its worth it for them. Be responsive. Listen to feedback whether its good or bad and make them feel an integral part of the community, because at the heart of it, they are.
   

Well that's me. Hope somebody finds this useful while I continue to learn more and more about the world of community managing :)

PS. Lastly, don't forget to consider an Exit Strategy...

Connected By the Pocket

Connected By the Pocket from sam reynard on Vimeo.

I like the sentiment of this short, its easy to find ourselves too caught in the present moment that we don't think of the journey a dollar, an opshop purchase, even a brand new pair of trainers has gone on before it arrives in to your possession. I used to wonder in London, where the "chip on the shoulder came" from. I remember a half empty bus driving straight pass me on a cold winters night leaving me to wait another 20 minutes in the chill, I was so annoyed that I got on the next bus and took out my frustration on another stranger on the bus, who I am sure; would've passed it on to another.

Anyway, the guy who directed this Sam Reynard is my best friend's brother and so I guess I can't help but support it but I'm genuine when I say, this guy is one to watch; I can see him doing more cool things in the future.

Quite simply - things I like

Found on Third Draw Down, go have a wonder.

Wiring a web for global good

Its amazing the opportunities we have right now, we really are in the day and age of true interconnectedness. Where we can instantly inform and amplify, share and respond to digital content.

I think this is something we're going to see more of. In countries where oppression is rife, where media is biased and where access is limited we're going to see more harnessing of social media as a tool to create awareness. Action Aid Australia have made a very forward thinking move with Project TOTO in recruiting a blogger to teach people from developing countries how to use these tools so that people can have insight into the realities they face day to day.

Gorgon Brown talks to this very enthusiastically at his talk at TED last month.

the final choice

Everyone should watch this documentary. It provides valuable insight on the state of our planet that we can all learn from. Sit down, crack open a bottle of red and get your noggin stuck in to this.



After watching this, I very much reconsidered a lot of decisions I had made about my lifestyle and what I consume. It also makes one realise what a small cog one really is without meaning that your choices, where you place your focus and what you choose to spend your money can make a difference, I'd be interested to hear how you found it.

How to find out the truth...

Baloney Detection from Richard Dawkins, writer of The God Delusion.



Its so difficult to know what piece of information is true or false. I find myself instilling so much faith in to the ideas of my friends and family because I trust them, but its always important to remember that not everyone finds the "truth" through science and we all know what happens when you play Chinese whispers.

I like this idea, I don't apply this massively to some of my ideas, admittedly, sometimes I feel driven by instinct. But I think that's a fundamental characteristic of human beings and I like learning from my own experience too.

The new short film by Blu

I love this.
The new short film by Blu; an ambiguous animation painted on public walls.

Made in Buenos Aires and in Baden (fantoche)
www.blublu.org

Music by Andrea Martignoni
Produced by Mercurio Film
Assistant: Sibe

Swine Flu - What about the poor?

The first question I asked when Swine Flu came on to the agenda was: I wonder what support the developing world is going to get? This was my status on Facebook for a short while but no one had any answers. Not that I expected them.

I mean if its killing people; unhealthy and healthy people, then who are going to be in the most vulnerable position one wonders? Well those without access to medication obviously aren't in a good place, what about people who are malnourished, who are born with diseases such as tuberculosis or HIV and suffer from malaria and pneumonia? And those in densely populated areas, especially slums, where disease could spread quickly? Yup. Not looking great for those in developing countries right now. Especially those in the Southern Hemisphere.

According to the latest totals by the WHO; over 4oo people have died of swine flu and over 100,000 have been infected. Experts fear this figure is higher, the U.S believe many flu victims have gone unaccounted for due to mild symptoms.

Poor motherland (UK) has been flu ridden big time. To be honest, London is a hive for viruses, I was sick constantly when I lived there and seriously couldn't understand why there weren't dry soup dispensers at every tube station.

(Status 1 July) Image source: http://blogs.nature.com
For a better interactive map of the spread go to BBC website

Anyway it was announced earlier this week that The United Nations will need more than $1 billion this year to help poor countries fight the global swine flu epidemic, according to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (earlier on Monday).

"The funding has not been flowing as we have been expecting," Ban told reporters. "We are now mobilizing all resources possible."

Apparently countries within the developing world have enough vaccine to cover the whole population, yet WHO have a small stockpile of Tamiflu donated by Roche (the company who create the anti-vaccine) for developing countries.

Is it me? Or does it seem once again these poor countries are desperate for our help, and although our governments are happy to take their oil, for them to make our clothes, consume their natural resources; they're less willing to donate a medicine that if not received the consequences are fatal? I guess the irony being that the disease is being spread by the movement of people in developed countries. As Indian health secretary Naresh Dayal explained last month "We have so far 30 cases which have been laboratory confirmed. Out of these, 28 are those who came from infected countries in the West. I would like to say that the developed countries would do a great service to the developing countries if they could contain and check the spread of infection in their own countries. I would, therefore, urge them to take action to stop the spread of the infection."
In May, the U.N. asked vaccine producers to reserve a portion of their pandemic vaccine production for poor countries. Some companies have agreed to help. GlaxoSmithKline PLC offered to donate 50 million doses of pandemic vaccine to WHO for distribution to developing countries.

"We hope to mobilize some funds to procure commodities, including antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines to countries," WHO chief Margaret Chan said at a donor's conference in Geneva earlier this week.

"Many developing countries actually go into this pandemic what I call empty- handed," Chan said "They don't have antivirals. They don't have vaccines. They don't have antibiotics."

As much as I like to have faith in the W.H.O, when I went to see Dr Beat Richner (right) who is the founder of KANTHA BOPHA Children's Hospital in Cambodia (an absolute legend for the record) he explained that W.H.O apply the levels of standards in the context of the country: “The belief that poor medicine is good enough for poor people in poor countries is still alive and kicking, “ says Dr Richner.

Lets hope this isn't the case this time round.

By the way, I promise to lighten up soon. Two consecutive non-entertaining posts is always a worry. I think its because I have a bad cold - lets hope its not the flu.

Please forgive (and wash your hands after reading this)