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Celebrate Twixtmas

Over at GREEN we are working with five leading charities on a campaign to put a new name on the holiday calendar - 'Twixtmas' (December 27th -31st) - and transform the time between Christmas and New Year to encourage everyone to do at least five things to change their world.

The 'five days of Twixtmas', campaigners argue, is an ideal opportunity for the estimated 3 million people in the UK who will be on holiday throughout the period to overcome time poverty and do something positive instead of scoffing, shopping and slothing in these credit crunch times.

Getting behind the Twixtmas call are leading charities the Foundation for Peace, Global Action Plan, Jumble Aid, the National Autistic Society, and World Vision.

The Twixtmas campaign has been devised by Wakefield-based GREEN communications for its client, the Flexible Thinking Forum, a not-for-profit organisation promoting flexible and creative thinking skills in business and the community, encouraging people to challenge set ways of thinking.

Each of the five days of Twixtmas is themed to offer a way of making the most of each day where people are invited to celebrate themselves, do something unselfish by celebrating others, and do something for a friend, for the planet, or for their future.

To spread the Twixtmas cheer people are being encouraged to give their friends and family a ‘Twixtmas High Five’ hand greeting and share their Twixtmas pledge - the five things they are doing to change their world - to let them know about Twixtmas and what it stands for.

The campaign is also providing a range of valuable tips and advice from leading experts in personal development and well-being to help everyone make the most of the opportunity of the Twixtmas period on the campaign web site www.twixtmas.com. Visitors can also download their own Twixtmas Pledge form.

Commenting on the launch of Twixtmas, Andy Green of the Flexible Thinking Forum said: “Most of us live in abject poverty when it comes to a key part of modern day life – we are incredibly time poor.

“The time between the Christmas and New Year holiday is a fantastic opportunity to take the Twixtmas Pledge and do at least five things to change our world for the better covering the spectrum of caring for people, peace, poverty, passing things on, or the planet. Who knows, Twixtmas could become as recognized as the other festive holidays.”

For further details about the Twixtmas campaign visit www.twixtmas.com.

Happy Christmas everyone

The card above is believed to be one of the first mass-produced Christmas cards - dating back more than 160 years - and can be found among the extensive special collections of Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology.
The lithographed card caused a controversy in some quarters of Victorian English society when it was published in 1843 because it prominently features a child taking a sip from a glass of wine. Approximately 1,000 copies of the card were printed but only 10 have survived to modern times. Bridwell Library acquired its copy in 1982. The card was designed for Henry Cole by his friend, the English painter John Calcott Horsley (1808-1882). Cole wanted a ready-to-mail greeting card because he was too busy to engage in the normal custom of writing notes with Christmas and New Year's greetings to friends and family.
The card pre-dated color printing so it was hand-colored. The card is divided into three panels with the center panel depicting a family drinking wine at a celebration and the flanking panels illustrating charitable acts of feeding and clothing the poor.
Cole, who also wrote and published Christmas books, printed more cards than he needed so he sold the extra cards for one shilling each.
Widespread commercial printing of Christmas cards began in the 1860s, when a new process of color printing lowered the manufacturing cost and the price. Consequently, the custom of sending printed Christmas greetings spread throughout England.
Now we can just stick them on the internet… have a good Christmas.

Mostly for them...

Coming to terms with a disabled parent is hard. Mostly for them

Crap snow man

My daughter, who is old enough to know better, has just spent the last ten minutes in our back yard making a snow man - at 8.10 in the evening.
I love my daughter but this is a crap snow man.

OpenCoffee comes to Sheffield

Following the success of the OpenCoffee networking events we have held in Bradford, bmedi@ are running another event on Thursday 4th December 2008 in SHEFFIELD.
The emphasis of OpenCoffee is very much on the internet and new media industries etc. These free events are informal and see a range of technology entrepreneurs, designers, bloggers, developers, geeks, investors and anyone else who’s interested in digital media and technology exchanging ideas and striking up relationships that would otherwise never have flourished.
The philosophy of OpenCoffee is very much of an Open House of ideas and people.
OpenCoffee SHEFFIELD, is being sponsored by bmedi@ and the Showroom Sheffield. The event will take place on Thursday 4th December 2008 at The Showroom Sheffield from 10am to midday. The Showroom is located at Paternoster Row, Sheffield, S1 2BX.
Please note it is only a two minute walk from the train station to the venue and various car-parks are available in the area.
The event is open to anyone who is interested in the region’s digital, creative and new media industries. You’re welcome to enjoy the coffee, bacon butties, the cakes and the company. We do however need to have an idea of numbers for catering, so please book your place by contacting Steve Ding either by e-mail steve@bmedia.org.uk. or ring 01274 747400. You can also register at Upcoming.
We look forward to networking with you.

Project your self

GREEN Communications has been appointed to create a launch PR campaign for a new generation of pocket projectors. So this week I have been messing around with one of the pocket projectors being distributed by Personal Projector.
The Aiptek projector takes a bit getting used to by luckily Personal Projector offer a one to one service and were able to talk me through any problems. So much so that I will be using it in a couple of weeks to present a pub quiz at my rowing club.
Personal Projector retails a range of new projectors which provide professional presenting and display technologies without the need to use traditional large projectors or even a laptop.
The devices, which are about the size of the Apple iPhone, can display document files such as PowerPoint, Excel, Word and PDF’s, photos and slideshows and even video files, and can produce a high contrast quality display up to 50 inches.
Shiny Media have already done a review which you can find here. My verdict is that if I wasn't given one I would probably buy one - perfect for a mobile sales team, or anyone pitching new business, or showing family holiday snaps and videos - or even doing a pub quiz.

Fancy a job with GREEN Communications?

GREEN Communications is recruiting again. This time we are looking for a talented Account Manager with a sound knowledge of the consumer, lifestyle and business sectors to join our highly motivated team.
You will need to hit the ground running and have a passion for creative media relations, a desire to deliver outstanding coverage for your clients, the ability to think on your feet and manage an executive team.
The ideal candidate will need a broad spread of media contacts across consumer, lifestyle and business within the broadcast, national press, consumer press, online as well as freelancers.
An interest in social media is also desired. There will also be scope to develop a role at GREEN’s in community relations and public consultation.
The work you will be required to undertake will have a broad business and consumer focus and will include working as part of a team to help implement high profile campaign activity.
Further information visit call Ian Green on 0845 4503210. Send CVs with covering letter to Ian at Green Communications, Wakefield Media Centre, 19 King Street, Wakefield, WF1 2SQ or email: ian@greencomms.com.

Talking at the Art of Marketing

I'm getting ready for a gig in Gateshead tomorrow as I am speaking at this years’ The Art of Marketing Conference at The Sage.
The Art of Marketing is organised by Business Link and the Chartered Institute of Marketing takes place on Monday, November 10. The event has been designed to appeal to anyone with a marketing remit, whatever their company size, whether they be regional businesses, marketers or PR professionals.
With a mix of workshops and presentations, the event will act as a forum to share knowledge and best practice and will help attendees inject new direction and creativity into their marketing plans.
I will take part in the Digital Dialogue in an open discussion about the impact of digital media on marketing on communications – in particular focusing on Social Media and the impact of blogs and social networks.
Other speakers include: Ian Gibbons of Mobious; Ki Media’s Kev Price and Paul Asensio from Robson Brown.
Full Disclosure: The Chartered Institute of Marketing is a client of GREEN.

Testing time for Azor

Through FuelMyBlog those nice people at King of Shaves, where CEO Will King is a very active corporate blogger, have sent me a Azor razor and some of there excellent shaving gel.
I already use the King of Shaves gel, having been introduced to it by my son, and it works very well.
Anyway I presume they sent me the Azor to test it out and see what I think about. Let me make one thing clear I am like Esau - I am a very hairy man. I shave every morning and by lunch time I usually have a 5 o'clock shadow.
The closest shave I have ever had has been with a cut-throat razor - but that was done by a professional barber and I don't think I would ever have the skill or courage to do it myself.
As for the Azor, it gave me the best shave I have had for ages - and while I generally use Gillette disposable razors (they're blue - don't ask me what they are called) I would be tempted to convert full time to Mr King's razor.

Gold award for GREEN

Congratulations to colleagues at Green which won gold at this year’s CIPR PRide Awards for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for a campaign it ran on behalf of Graduates Yorkshire - the dedicated website for matching employers in Yorkshire & Humber with graduate talent from the region’s universities.
We ran a campaign informing businesses and local authorities the importance of investing in graduate recruitment to achieve economic regeneration. It was based on a report by Geoeconomics, commissioned by Graduates Yorkshire, which claimed Yorkshire and the Humber’s long-term ambition to become a successful knowledge economy is threatened by its failure to retain more graduate talent in the region.
The Graduates Economies in Britain report provided a snapshot of the region’s position in the graduate intensive “knowledge economy” and highlights the crucial role that graduates have in supporting and strengthening the knowledge intensive sectors.
Graduates Yorkshire Chief Executive Martin Edmondson, said: “This campaign was successful because the report is vitally important to the region’s future and Green Communications found a way of making an in depth report accessible and relevant to people in Yorkshire.”
“The findings are even more relevant in these economic conditions. Companies need to keep investing in graduate talent to improve efficiencies, become more productive and achieve high value returns.By investing in the future, Yorkshire firms will become more robust against the downturn and be in a position to achieve real growth when the business climate improves.”
Thomas Atcheson, Senior Account Manager at Green Communications, said: “Just like the CIPR Awards for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, The Graduates Economies report recognises the talent and potential we have in the region. We are proud and delighted that our hard work has paid off with an effective campaign and this award is the icing on the cake.”
And the judges said: "Green worked hard to gain standout in this campaign. A very nice balance of online and offline activity to reach stakeholders and keep momentum going. Tangible results generated interest, drove traffic to site; and sign up of employers meant that the core objectives were met. All the judges felt this campaign stood out in the category."
Fair doos the picture shown here is from Pic-Biz.

Payment-by-results PR: Jury’s still out

pr,We’ve had an interesting debate today at GREEN about the pros and cons of offering payment-by-results (PBR) PR.
The debate has been interesting, because we really didn’t reach any firm conclusion on the pros and cons. However, we do know of two agencies which offer this service – one is doing very well (mainly because we suspect they quickly convert PBR clients to retained clients on a fixed monthly) while the other is struggling.
So what is PBR? Basically for every column inch generated by a PR company the client pays a success fee. So, for instance, GREEN in one month might generates £40,000 worth of coverage in national, regional and trade press then the client agrees to pay us 33% of that value. In other words at the end of the month we are at liberty to issue an invoice for £13,000.
Fantastic! So then, how do we value the client’s three-minute slot on BBC Radio 4, or The One Show on BBC TV, or a five minute piece of ITV? All of which we have achieved for clients in the past. That’s worth… erm thousands?
However, if the client gets tough we agree a 25% rate which means £10,000 fee for us. If the client is unhappy with that then perhaps we can reset the matrix.
Okay, so we say we will charge £200 for every £1,000 of coverage generated. On this model, and based on the above scenario, where we have generated £40,000 worth of coverage in a month that would justify us issuing an invoice to the client £8,000.
Oh Dear! Still too rich for the client? Okay we cut a deal and we say £150 for every £1,000 of coverage generated. Monthly fee: £6,000. Still too much? Okay let’s say £100 for every £1,000 generated. Monthly fee: £4,000.
Damn! The client only has a budget of £3,500 a month – which is probably what we would have agreed as a monthly retained fee anyway.
The reality is that communications consultancies do work on payment by results even for a client on a retained monthly fee – because if they don’t deliver they get sacked. What do you think?

The world backs Barack Obama

As The Economist points out all democratic systems have their quirks, and America's is no exception. The electoral college is a 200-year-old institution. According to its rules, Americans do not vote directly for their presidents. Instead they cast a ballot to decide who wins their state's electoral-college votes.
Stuart Bruce put me on to this. According to The Economist the number of these votes in the electoral college is fixed by the number of people the state sends to Congress, which in turn is based on its population. All states have a minimum of three votes and there are 538 electoral-college votes up for grabs in total. The presidential candidate who secures the most electoral-college votes ends up in the White House.
Critics of the electoral-college system say it can produce a president who has lost the popular vote, as happened in 2000. They also complain that the winner-takes-all system employed by most states leads candidates to focus on a small number of "swing states" and ignore more reliably partisan ones.
There have consequently been many attempts to reform the electoral-college system - over 700 so far - though until now nobody has suggested that the entire world be included.
Now The Economist has. If we could all vote McCain would be toast and Obama will be in power come November 5. Check it out.
Interestingly the only nations in favour of McCain are Macedonia and Georgia.

Ian's inside view on Insider

Many happy returns to Yorkshire Business Insider – which is 10 year’s old this month. Current editor Peter Baber, who is sadly leaving to enter the work of corporate recruitment asked me to write a retrospective as back in the day, I was launch editor of Insider which has since emerged as one of the business stalwarts of the Yorkshire business scene.
Here it is what I had to say for himself:

Going back to your old school is always a salutary experience.
It serves to emphasise how much has changed and how little has changed. Yes, we might be a bit thicker around the waist, thinner around the hair line and prone to make involuntary noises when we bend over but we are all still pretty much the same.
It’s ten years now since I had the privilege of editing the first issue of Yorkshire Business Insider and looking back at how the region’s business scene has changed during that period one struggles to identify any defining moment. And the telescope of time offers a different prospect and perspective to the one you might imagine.
True, when Insider first launched Yorkshire had the biggest number of companies listed Stock Market after London and the south-east. Many of those businesses were taken to market during the 1980s by a new breed of uber corporate financiers in the region. Today, after the flight from public to private during the 1990s, there are 75 companies, the bulk of them listed on the smaller Alternative Investment Market.
Many of those companies that are no longer listed on the stock market still exist albeit in the portfolio of a private equity fund or as part of a larger group, probably foreign owned. Incidentally it was probably the same lawyers, accountants and brokers who advised on the reversal out of the Stock Market, with consummate fees, one presumes.
Old industries have disappeared – does anyone still make shoddy in Yorkshire? And new industries have emerged – don’t forget the origins of the commercial internet where in Leeds with Freeserve and Planet.
But then some things get bigger while others diminish. Back in 1998, the year Britain was introduced to Viagra, Furbies and Pokémon, the Yorkshire and Humber economy was valued at £55bn. Since then the region’s Gross Domestic Product has risen to £80bn. But then all things are relative – the North-West economy is worth £109bn.
All this has happened under a Labour Government, so the Noughties have been pretty good to Yorkshire so far – Leeds, Sheffield and York have thrived. Hull and Bradford less so. By and large John Prescott’s Regional Development Agencies have delivered.
As Chancellor Gordon Brown laid down two strict fiscal rules. The Golden Rule that over the economic cycle, the Government would only borrow to invest and not to fund current spending and the Sustainable Investment Rule which dictated that net public debt as a proportion of GDP will be held over the economic cycle at a stable and prudent level.
Now, after ten years those rules are looking a bit shaky. The world credit crunch, dodgy deals by some of the UK’s biggest financial houses and declining GDP in all of the world’s developed countries are beginning to have an impact.
And Yorkshire is not immune – as a region we are still a major exporter operating in a truly global economy. It used to be the case that when the US sneezed the UK caught a cold. Now decisions made in Shanghai or Delhi or Moscow have a direct impact on the region’s economic well being.
However, Yorkshire and its business people continue to have a sense of purpose and there is still a tradition for entrepreneurialism – a legacy of the Victorian industrial inventiveness and Yorkshire cussedness. I am often puzzled when commentators suggest that the region is poor at developing home-grown entrepreneurs but our track record is rather good as illustrated by Insider 42 Under 42 feature which annually highlights the entrepreneurial talent of the future.
No doubt the next 18 months are going to be tough and as the region begins to find its stride in the 21st Century there is much to reflect on but it is important to remember that the Broad Acres of Yorkshire has never been one for relying on past glories and has always been conscious of the dangers of becoming complacent and self-satisfied.
The region has emerged, as Insider has chronicled over the past decade, as a place which still welcomes and fosters new entrepreneurial talent whilst understanding that the crucial driver of progress is innovations and change.
It is significant that when the then Newsco Managing Director Nick Jaspan decided to launch a second Insider (the first was based in the north-west) the only viable region which we believed could support a monthly business title was Yorkshire. Nick is now running How-Do which I highly recommend.
With its intelligent readership, depth of businesses from professional services to steel manufacturers, Yorkshire emerged as the only viable option to support a publication like Insider. Indeed, when the Yorkshire Post launched a so-called spoiler monthly business glossy aimed at shutting us down we remained unconcerned.
Insider has now been in the hands of five different editors and continues to go on from strength to strength. I will always take an interest Insider, in spite of the fact that many of the people I knew there have now moved on.
And at a time when regional newspaper journalism is in decline with circulation falling across the board and jobs under threat it is heartening that Insider’s future looks assured for the next ten year.
It’s a real asset to Yorkshire business.

Next Bradford OpenCoffee

Following the success of bmedi@’s previous OpenCoffee events, we are running another event on Thursday, October 16.
The emphasis of OpenCoffee is very much on the internet and new media industries. The free events are informal and see a range of technology entrepreneurs, designers, bloggers, developers, geeks, investors and anyone else who's interested in digital media and technology exchanging ideas and striking up relationships that would otherwise never have flourished.
The philosophy of OpenCoffee is very much of an Open House of ideas and people.
OpenCoffee Bradford(Shipley), is being sponsored by the YoYo Bar & Restaurant as well as hosting the event here.
The event is open to anyone who is interested in the region's digital, creative and new media industries. You're welcome to enjoy the coffee, the cakes and the company :) To book e-mail steve@bmedia.org.uk or register at Upcoming here.

The Emperor's new clothes?

The excellent Brendan Cooper has posted a compelling piece de-bunking at least three of the Holy Grails of social media: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, The Long Tail by Chris Anderson and Blink also by Malcolm Gladwell.
For the full post go to Blink: It's the Tipping Point for the Long Tail.
Brendan has discovered some compelling "scientific" data and commentary which rather debunks some of the concepts which first propelled most of us to jump of this bandwagon in the first place.
Before you decide to have a go at Brendan he does point out that he is simply the messenger and having discovered some rather vigorous research on the matter which undermines the thoughts and anecdotal narrative of Messrs Gladwell and Anderson.
For my own part I am always rather suspicious of these sort of self-help, philosophical, business books. I read them of course and become convinced that they are right. But a couple of days afterwards I am always puzzled and struggle to remember what the hell the are talking about and whether it does stand up to reality.
I've attended many conferences over the years where the key note speaker has been a so-called "business guru". You sit there with the rest of the delegates, listening open-mouthed as the build their proposition, thinking: "My God! This man is a genius!"
Afterwards, less than ten minutes later, you discuss his speech/presentation/spiel with fellow delegates and realise you can't remember a damn thing he said. Nor have any of you taken anything concrete away from the performance that you could apply to your own business etc.
It's simple entertainment. All style over content.
If I could recommend two books about what real business is about they would be Liar's Poker and Barbarians At The Gate. Enjoy!

Some thing to think about

Local newspapers: Use them or lose them

I took a phone call from an old newspaper colleague a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to know if I could help a former work mate find a job after being made redundant by a major regional newspaper publisher.
I seem to be getting a lot of these calls recently - and this issue was neatly addressed by Peter Wilby in today's Guardian.
Since 1989, circulation is down 51% to 12,549 for the Birmingham Post; 49% to 70,028 for the Leicester Mercury; 43% to 50,256 for the Northern Echo (I used to work there); 62% to 32,874 for the Argus in Sussex; 38% to 38,844 for the Echo in Southend; 38% to 36,516 for the Herald in Plymouth; 49% to 20,976 for the Oldham Evening Chronicle; 46% to 19,956 for the Halifax Evening Courier. North, south, east, west, large, small, morning and evening, the story for Britain's local papers is one of unremitting gloom.
Obviously, blogs, the internet, YouTube et al are having a huge impact on regional newspaper journalism and they are not going to go away. The main problem is that, certainly with the dailies is that they are pretending to give local, regional and national news.
But parochialism is everything - and regional newspapers seem to have forgotten that. In my part of the world, what makes news in Bradford doesn't make news in Leeds (ten miles distant).
Indeed, regionalism may have been deemed dead in some respects certainly at a local political level where people are not interested in what the councils of Hull, Leeds, Bradford or York have planned for their citizens. In spite of this I still love the Yorkshire Post and buy it every day. Similarly, as a resident of Barnard Castle I bought the Teesdale Mercury every week when I lived there.
Local is so important in regional newspapers. Back in the day when I was still a journalist - that meant covering the Women's Institute meeting, the Parish Council and the local art competition.
Curiously, I was in Alnwick in Northumberland a couple of weeks ago to grab a meal off the A1 on my way to meet with friends in St Andrews, Scotland. In the car park I found a purse. It obviously belonged to a lady of more mature years and, touchingly had a picture of her husband and about £22.00 in it. It had a receipt from the Post Office and that is where I handed it in.
Later, after our meal, I headed back to the Post Office to buy the local newspaper. The woman behind the counter recognised me and informed me that the lady had retrieved her purse and informed me: "She didn't have your phone number because you wouldn't give it to me. But she said she was going to write a letter to the Northumberland Gazette about it."
Bless! That's what local, regional newspapers are all about.

Next Bradford Open Coffee

Following the success of bmedi@’s first two OpenCoffee events held in May and June, bmedi@ are running another event on Thursday 21st August 2008. Full disclosure: I am a non-executive director of bmedi@
The emphasis of OpenCoffee is very much on the internet and new media industries. The free events are informal and see a range of technology entrepreneurs, designers, bloggers, developers, geeks, investors and anyone else who’s interested in digital media and technology exchanging ideas and striking up relationships that would otherwise never have flourished.
The philosophy of OpenCoffee is very much of an Open House of ideas and people.
OpenCoffee Bradford(Shipley), is being sponsored by the YoYo Bar & Restaurant.
Bradford’s third OpenCoffee event will take place on Thursday 21st August at YoYo’s Bar & Restaurant (Shipley) from 10am to midday. Alas I am holiday so won’t make it.
The event is open to anyone who is interested in the region’s digital, creative and new media industries. You’re welcome to enjoy the coffee, the cakes and the good company. To book a place just e-mail steve@bmedia.org.uk or go to Upcoming and register. We look forward to networking with you.

Social Media and T-Shirts

Sign up to Adbuster's Media Carta

When will we reach the breaking point? Our minds have become a virtual dumping ground of pollutants - manipulative ads, distorted news, untold violence, spin and hype. We can cope with the media onslaught to a degree. But all signs suggest that the cumulative effects of this toxic culture - on our stress levels, our moods, our relationships, our world views, even our mental health - could become one the most pressing issues of our generation.
This online activist network - 30,000-strong - is working to rethink our broken media system. We invite you to join by signing the Media Carta manifesto.
Media activism is still in its infancy and is currently fragmented into dozens of different agendas.
Sign up to the Media Carta now!

The difference between the West and China

Get ready for another BarCamp

It's nine months days since Leeds' first BarCamp back in November...but rather than wait a whole year, we wanted to catch the Summer Sun, so come join us at Old Broadcasting House again, this time for two days of geekery and (hopefully) great weather on the 16th and 17th of August 2008!

What is BarCamp Leeds?
BarCamp Leeds is the city's second 'unconference', a event where the folks that attend create the programme of sessions themselves. BarCamps are open, participatory, democratic, 'workshop' events; the organisers and sponsors simply provide wireless broadband, a venue, beverages and food! The attendees provide the content - and the buzz :)
BarCamps are a great opportunity to network, lean and share...plus generally a lotta fun too. We're hoping our stack of Nintendo Wiis will break the ice and we know Old Broadcasting House will be a fun and inspiring venue.
We'd love for you to come - if you're a creative, an artist, a writer, blogger, technologist, or a developer, geek, entrepreneur, academic researcher, gamer or investor please join us. If you're just curious and interested in digital culture or social media - we'd love to meet you too :)
Come and demo, talk, share or just hang out!

UK sets the pace for Twitter

Just back from a stay with friends in North Yorkshire and slightly distracted by the number of “tweets” I have been getting from Number 10 – the PM, Gordon Brown’s Twitter account.
Also, the BBC Tech Team, The Guardian and other have been twittering too. I love Twitter – but I don’t know why. Admittedly it’s a great way of staying in touching and monitoring what other people are up to … so far so good.
But it looks like Twitter is finally going mainstream and it’s being led by the Brits according to recent stats by Hitwise. "Twitter is more popular with Brits than Americans. Last week the site's share of UK Internet visits was 70% higher its share of visits in America," writes Hitwise's Robin Goad.

"UK Internet visits to www.twitter.com have increased by 631% over the last 12 months, with 485% of that growth coming this year."
Down with the yoof, my son uses Twitter as do his friends and the general view on the interweb is that the UK will be the region that will prove the tipping point for the platform.
I’m not convinced as most people I speak to have never heard of it but then they have never heard of blogging, Facebook, MySpace…
Any thoughts people?

bmedi@ is holding a re-branding competition

Over at bmedi@, where I am a director, they are holding a Rebrand Competition.
How good are you with words and pictures? Enter the competition and you can bask in the glow of creating a new brand for bmedi@!
bmedi@ is eight years old. Since it was launched as a thriving network of media and digital-related companies and professionals, the company has evolved beyond its original Bradford remit.
Today it has members from across West Yorkshire and beyond and has emerged as a network operating across the North of England.
With this in mind, and to maintain bmedi@’s success to date, the company is seeking to re-brand with a new name that reflects its diverse member network and its vision for the region.
In the spirit of bmedi@’s collaborative remit with its members and, with the current interest in social networks, they are throwing open the re-naming and re-branding of the network to competition – the winner will receive prominent credits on the bmedi@ website and all promotional materials, including press coverage. They will even throw in a new iPhone.
Criteria for entries:

• The new brand and name should reflect the collaborative nature of the bmedi@ network of creative and digital professionals.
• Its remit for sharing ideas and best practice in the creative, digital and media sector.
• The “northern” nature of the network.
• Our values of community, co-operation, optimism and openness
• Be web proof with an appropriate URL

To enter simply send us your new name and brand in the form of a graphic logo (as a jpeg, pdf, etc) and you could win a new iPhone. Those entries short listed by the judges will be published on the bmedi@ website and members and non-members will be invited to vote on the winning entry.
Send your entry to newbrand@bmedia.org.uk. Entries will close on July 31, 2008.

DISCLAIMER: The new logo and name will be secured under a Creative Commons Share-Alike License

Want to work for a top agency?

GREEN Communications is recruiting again. This time we are looking for an Account Director or highly talented Senior Account Manager with a sound knowledge of the consumer, lifestyle and business sectors to join our highly motivated team.
You will need to hit the ground running and have a passion for creative media relations, a desire to deliver outstanding coverage for your clients, the ability to think on your feet and manage an executive team.
The ideal candidate will need a broad spread of media contacts across consumer, lifestyle and business within the broadcast, national press, consumer press, online as well as freelancers. An interest in social media is also desired.
The work you will be required to undertake will have a broad consumer focus and will include working as part of a team to help implement high profile campaign activity. You will need to be a hot shot communicator and demonstrate your media knowledge to ensure you stay ahead at this agency.
Further information visit call Ian Green on 0845 4503210. Send CVs with covering letter to Ian at Green Communications, Wakefield Media Centre, 19 King Street, Wakefield, WF1 2SQ or email: ian@greencomms.com

We are doing OpenCoffee again!

Following the success of our first OpenCoffee event held in May, bmedi@ we are running another event on Thursday 19th June 2008.
The emphasis of OpenCoffee is very much on the internet and new media industries. These free events are informal and see a range of technology entrepreneurs, designers, bloggers, developers, geeks, investors and anyone else who's interested in digital media and technology exchanging ideas and striking up relationships that would otherwise never have flourished.
The philosophy of OpenCoffee is very much of an Open House of ideas and people.
OpenCoffee Bradford, is being sponsored by (WOW Hub) and the YoYo Bar & Restaurant.
Bradford's second OpenCoffee event will take place on Thursday 19th June at YoYo's Bar & Restaurant (Shipley) from 10am to midday.
The event is open to anyone who is interested in the region's digital, creative and new media industries. You're welcome to enjoy the coffee, the cakes and the company :- ) To book a place just e-mail steve@bmedia.org.uk. We look forward to networking with you. You can also register at upcoming

Back in the saddle

Have been too busy to write recently. What with work, family and travel. Normal service will resume shortly...

Open Coffee comes to Bradford

Following in the footsteps of Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield, Bradford is the latest to join the 82-city strong global OpenCoffee new media networking community.
The emphasis of OpenCoffee is very much on the internet and new media industries. The free events are informal and see a range of technology entrepreneurs, designers, bloggers, developers, geeks, investors and anyone else who’s interested in digital media and technology exchanging ideas and striking up relationships that would otherwise never have flourished.
The philosophy of OpenCoffee is very much of an Open House of ideas and people.
bmedi@ is sponsoring the inaugural OpenCoffee Bradford, using its role at the hub of Yorkshire’s commerce, academia and technology to leverage its a network of new media, companies, organisations and individuals.
Bradford’s first OpenCoffee will take place on Tuesday 20th May at YoYo’s Bar & Restaurant from 10am to midday.
The event is open to anyone who is interested in the region’s digital, creative and new media industries. You’re welcome to enjoy the coffee, the cakes and the company - register your plans to attend the event at Upcoming.

We're having a party

Facebook Chat fuels the conversation

What a great Web2.0 PR job.
1. Launch an instant messaging (IM) service on Facebook
2. Tell no one about.
3. Wait until users log on
4. Sit back and watch the conversation go viral
All Facebook users around the world can now use the social networking site’s integrated IM (instant messaging) chat application, which the site made available without so much as an official announcement.
While Facebook Chat went live in the UK today. The chat function appears as a bar on the bottom of the screen and indicates to users when a friend is online and allows the option of appearing offline if needed.
The chat bar also displays the user’s status message, as well as recently received notifications. Facebook said it is working on integrating other site features into the real-time chat application in the near future.
I think this great as I have always advocated that social network and Web2.0 PR is all about fuelling the conversation. This takes it to the next level.

GREEN in the awards again

Congratulations to the GREEN team for their recent success in the annual public relations awards run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
This time we were at the Grand Prix finals in Birmingham after winning three golds in the regional finals for our work on Wensleydale Creamery and Beat Blue Monday.
At Birmingham, were we shared a table with client Northern Gas Networks and some lovely people from Devon County Council, we picked up a Highly Commended Award in the Not-For-Profit category for the work we did for beat Blue Monday.
The picture shows, Ian Green (left) with Account Manager Thomas Atcheson. The picture was taken by Alison Marks from Devon County Council who attended the event with the lovely Clare and Irene. Thanks Alison!

PR Students: The Kids Are Alright

Curious! Three phone calls from PR undergraduates, writing their thesis on PR and blogging asking me my views on how blogs and Web2.0 works in the marketing mix (WTFDIK?).
Hard to answer when I haven't posted here for weeks. But what I found comforting - especially as I was judging a student enterprise competition recently - was how keen these young people were. And not just from the point of view of buttering up a prospective employer but because they were genuinely interested in the subject.
So what did they ask?:
Should all companies have a blog?
My Answer: No - depends on the company, product and the people. Blogs don't work for everyone, or every business. But if they have something to say - consistently a blog is good way to communicate it.
Is the press release past it's sell by date?
My Answer: No - but its means of distribution have changed. I'm still not sure about the SMR as most journalist don't know what to do with it.
What do you do if a blogger says bad things about your company?
My Answer: Thank them for the feedback , then add some thoughts to the conversation.
What do you do if a blogger says good things about your company?
My Answer: See above and offer to send them some product.
Should Web2.0 be regulated like newspapers?
My Answer: God No!
Should we forget about print media?
My Answer: No - print (and broadcast) is still king for now. Who reads the Telegraph or the Times online every day? Not me, or my son. He reads the Guardian, then checks stories out on the web.

Not that insightful I know. But at least the kids are asking the right questions. And The Kid Are Alright.

Chocs, chimps and Web2.0

Now here’s a funny thing…
A year ago, Cadbury's UK chocolate business was in the shit but according to a recent article in The Guardian by Simon Bowers they turned it all around thanks to a gorilla, a drum kit, Phil Collins and Web2.0. Okay…
Knackered by a salmonella-related product recall that had wiped £30m off sales, which also provoked a £1m fine that damaged the group's reputation the company has come out the other end smelling rather sweet! Thanks to an ad campaign that required an actor to dress up in a gorilla suit and drum along to Phil Collins' 1981 hit Coming In The Air Tonight – the company is thriving.
The resulting television campaign boosted sales of Dairy Milk by 9% from when it first aired in September, and helped Cadbury's UK market share in chocolate to enjoy a strong bounce back.
CEO Todd Stitzer gets it but doesn’t get it. He said recently: "For the Chinese, 2007 was the year of the pig. For Cadbury, it was the year of the gorilla… I am a 55-year-old person who has lived through a different advertising experience ... In the end, I trusted in the young and talented people who came up with the idea."
Not only did the ad work well on traditional media - television and posters in particular - it also set a new standard in the viral world, becoming an internet phenomenon. On Facebook there are more than 70,000 people signed up to about 100 Cadbury gorilla-inspired groups. "Why you would want to join one of these, I don't know," Stitzer said, "but 70,000 people do." Of course they do!
The gorilla clip has become the most watched commercial ever on YouTube, spawning a string of spoofs.
For me the trick is how do we do it for GREEN’s smaller clients. Any ideas?

We're planning a BarCamp in Bradford

Over at Bmedi@ - the network for the creative, new media and digital industries in Yorkshire - we are planning BarCamp Bradford as the city's first 'unconference', a event where the participant who attend create the programme of sessions themselves. BarCamps are open, participatory, democratic, 'workshop' events; the organisers and sponsors simply provide wireless broadband, a venue, beverages and food! The attendees provide the content - and the buzz ;- )
Full disclosure - I am a board member of Bmedi@.
An unconference is a conference where the content of the sessions is created and managed by the participants (generally day-by-day during the course of the event) rather than by one or more organizers in advance of the event.
The term BarCamp is primarily used in the geek community. Open Space Technology is an energizing and emergent way to organize an agenda for a conference. Those coming to the event can post on a wiki ahead of time topics they want to present about or hope others will present about. The wiki can also be used as an attendee list and to manage the organization of the event from food through to the provision of wifi etc.
We're anticipating sessions on social media, blogging, 3D printing, digital film making, Augmented Reality interfaces, mobile technology trends, Drupal, games design, co-creation, public relations and marketing in the digital age, an SEO clinic as well as talks from some of the bug digital players of the North.
We'd love for you to come - if you're a creative, an artist, a writer, blogger, technologist, or a developer, geek, entrepreneur, academic researcher, gamer or investor please join us. If you're just curious and interested in digital culture - we'd love to meet you too!
Come and demo, talk, share or just hang out!
We will shortly set up a wiki which will tell you more about the format, our venue, the people who're coming and speaking and the ideas for sessions and what people are thinking about.
The event - venue to be agreed - starts with an introduction by the organisers rearticulating the purpose of the event, the guidelines for conduct during the day, parameters and health and safety.
Parameters explain the start and end time of the event, duration of the sessions, breaks for food, how to access the network etc.
The Rules of Bar Camp?
Rule 1: You must talk about Bar Camp Bradford.
Rule 2: You must blog about Bar Camp Bradford.
Rule 3: If you want to present, you must write your topic and name in a presentation slot.
Rule 4: Only three word intros.
Rule 5: As many presentations at a time as facilities allow for.
Rule 6: No pre-scheduled presentations, no tourists - we might break this rule with a key note speaker
Rule 7: Presentations will go on as long as they have to or until they run into another presentation slot.
Rule 8: If this is your first time at BarCamp, you HAVE to present. (OK, you don't really HAVE to, but try to find someone to present with, or at least ask questions and be an interactive participant.)
Here - I am just seeding the idea and would love some feedback so please do leave a comment. We are thinking of a date in April or May... would that suit?
GREEN for one will be getting involved.

Let's Beat Blue Monday

Right then! Today (Monday, January 21) is the most depressing day of the year. So I suggest you all start making a protest and make it the most wonderful day of the year. In other words blog about what is making you smile.
I, for one, will go into work with a Hiawian shirt and Fez! They always make me feel good about myself.
For a start you can blog about what makes your day - for me I will be in London (after 6.00) so anyone who fancies a beer and curry get in touch with Ian Green (greenboy106@hotmail.com) and we can all meet up for a pigout. Please recommend venues!
By the way please tag your posts with: "beatbluemonday" and let's get people smiling.
What else can you do to Beat Blue Monday? Try these
Try something new
Be creative, or learn something new to get your brain active and start thinking of new things instead of dwelling on the old.
Get physical
By changing your physical state, from a simple shoulder-shake at your desk to a full work-out at the gym, you can change the way you feel.
Contact a friend or relative
Get in touch with someone you have not heard from in a while; thinking of someone else takes your mind off you.
Take a break
Go somewhere different, whether it’s a coffee bar you have never been into, or a faraway luxury holiday; by changing your physical location, you change your perspective on the world.
Be nice to a stranger
Do a random act of kindness; doing good for others is the best form of self-satisfaction.
Help the planet
Be a good ancestor in some way; the planet will be here long after you are gone.
Pamper yourself
Spoil yourself, from a small indulgence to a luxury you have been promising yourself. You can even dye your hair blue to create a stunning eye-catching change.
Plan something new
Whether it’s planning a holiday for later in the year or deciding what to do at the weekend, looking forward to something new or different can be uplifting and refreshing.
Create your own carnival or go to the beach
By turning a bit of your home or office into a carnival or a beach you can pretend your somewhere relaxing and help us create world’s biggest virtual beach party!
Share you thoughts
A problem shared is a problem halved. Visit the Blue Monday blog to see what ideas people have come up with for dealing with life’s little problems.
You can get involved in a range of activities that are taking place across the UK.
Also watch this space - I think we need to have an online party tomorrow - check out the blog at... BeatBlueMonday.

Old Mother Riley - Queen of the Cannibals

The kids are alright

As I sit here my son is playing Beat On The Brat by The Ramones as he gets ready for bed. We’ve just come back from a "Parent’s Evening".
For US readers a Parent’s Evening is an opportunity to go to your child’s school and hear how your off spring are amazing teaching staff with their genius or how they are into hard drugs and attacking classmates in the common room.
Ours is not a genius - nor, I think is he a crack addict, but he is bright and, if he gets the grades for university, is planning a career in journalism. As a former journalist, with no money or pension I have tried to push him in another direction (Note to All Parents: Never, ever push your children in a direction).
But I was intrigued by a recent post by Sacred Facts on the three ages of media and what a career in media means - or what it meant and what it might mean in the future. It goes like this:

Media Career 1.0 (1950s - 1990s)
Go to University, preferably Oxbridge, and take an arts degree to develop your mind. Join a local newspaper or radio station. Blag your way in. Work your way up to a national newsroom or production department. Find an organisation you like and dig in for the long haul. Specialise in print or radio or TV. Climb the vertical ladder step by step, grade by grade. In the 1980s independent production companies open a few more opportunities. It's important to read newspapers, listen to the radio, watch lots of TV. Your employers will even pay you expenses to do so. In the 1990s managers start to talk about "multiskilling". This is obviously a ruse to get you to do two jobs for the price of one and should be resisted. As should any steps to take away your desk/office/locker. You worry content is becoming a mere commodity - it used to be a vocation. Don't panic about the introduction of computers and "emails" - they are just electronic memos. You read "Three Blind Mice" about how the TV networks failed to spot the threat from cable. If you are lucky you may occasionally be asked to go to a conference in another country - airports are exciting. Someone talks about a new idea of "working from home" - sounds like a good way to get a long weekend and avoid dull meetings.

Media Career 2.0 (1990s - 2015)
Take a media studies course that will teach you digital production - or computer science that will teach you how to build web pages. Blag your way in. Move from job to job trying to find interesting projects to build out your CV. Don't specialise in one skill - you need at least two or three. You're your own person and have no interest in a career ladder. If your employer is too restrictive - freelance or, better, offer yourself as a web consultant. Live out of your (Mac) laptop. Your last boss offered you a corner desk to get you to stay - wtf? You never sit at one anyway. You will need Twitter, Facebook, IM as well as email accounts to keep in touch with your peers and find out where the next opportunity may be. You will find yourself watching less and less TV, but radio (or rather audio) is good because you can stream it through your Mac while you work. Don't bother with newspapers - too analogue. What matters are ideas that can be monetized. You read "The Cluetrain Manifesto" about how markets got smarter than business. Make sure you regularly get to one of the many conferences where the digital clan gathers for its global campfire summits. If you can't get a ticket there are lots of social media drinks and breakfasts to go to instead. Airports are a hassle - no free wifi. When you're stoked and on a great project you work 24/7 to get it done - then take 3 weeks off. They can always get you on your mobile and you'll avoid dull meetings.

Media Career 3.0 (2015 - ?)
Take a series of highly vocational courses to give you the widest set of skills you can manage - coding, video, business, psychology, economics, law, web science, marketing. Blag your way in. Network constantly and aggressively. It's all about who you know. The successful ones sit on a beach in Australia and run the website for a European magazine or run an automated digital service which purrs away and earns them money from micro-payments while they sleep; some Californian guy pings you on your all-service IM (which you have open 24/7) to get you to do for his site what you did for the contract before last. Your functionality delivers higher returns than most of your colleagues - so the work chases you. If it doesn't - switch careers. You have to have a network of contacts to thrive - there is no distinction between home and work. TVs? What was the point of those? You watch video on your phone. Print? Too niche. Audio is good because you can stream it on your Mac while you work. You read Lawrence Lessig's latest book on how internet governance failed to keep up with technology. Your mobile screen is your office - you've never met your boss and don't know where he works. Meetings are virtual - video links. Some of the older guys still get on planes to go to conferences and eat together. But airports are hell and since the cost of flying trebled, it hasn't been worth it. You don't do dull meetings.
Yep! I agree with that. And it is already happening.

I agree with all this. But I think Sacred Facts is being a bit too timid. Master Green Gathering Junior, and all his friends, has all this going on:

• A Facebook profile
• A Myspace profile
• A blog
• A wiki - which he shares with his schoolmates
• Has spent time in London in the Sony Playstation House doing cool stuff - which they paid for
  
• A network of friends from China, Russia, US, Asia, Australia, New Zealand etc who he plays games with online
• His blog is regularly sent "free games" for him and his friends to review
• Networks online like his life might be in peril
• Creates his own podcasts
• Is completely mobile
• Plans to live in Japan when he has graduated
• He reads print - but also uses RSS and other online media
• He talks to people online he doesn’t know - but at least they are having conversation

Sigh! That’s just the tip of the iceberg. When I was his age my world was confined to home, people I knew in the street, a pen pal or two and that was it. I think the kids are all right…
What do you think?

Countdown starts to Beat Blue Monday

Yes it’s coming up to that day again – the most depressing day of the year is on Monday, January 21.
Blue Monday is the most depressing day of the year according to a mathematical equation was first devised by Dr Cliff Arnall, former lecturer at Cardiff University and founder of No Pills, a consultancy specialising in confidence, motivation and happiness. Blue Monday marks the start of the final full week in January when people experience a series of combined depressive effects. The mathematical equation is:The model was broken down using six immediately identifiable factors; weather (W), debt (d), time since Christmas (T), time since failing our New Year’s resolutions (Q), low motivational levels (M) and the feeling of a need to take action (Na).The equation calculates that Monday, January 21, 2008 is officially the worst day of the year, when the Christmas glow has faded away, New Year’s resolutions have been broken, cold Winter weather has set in and credit card bills will be landing on doormats across the land - whilst the January pay-check is still one week away.
However, with the Samaritans, the team at GREEN is looking to Beat Blue Monday with a range of feel good activities - we are even going to create a beach party in our offices in the UK.
Here’s some thing you can do to Beat Blue Monday:

Blog - Write a blog about what you are doing to Beat Blue Monday. Make your readers smile. If you do write a blog post on Monday 21 - make sure to tag it: "beatbluemonday".
Try something new -Be creative, or learn something new to get your brain active and start thinking of new things instead of dwelling on the old.
Get physical - By changing your physical state, from a simple shoulder-shake at your desk to a full work-out at the gym, you can change the way you feel.
Contact a friend or relative - Get in touch with someone you have not heard from in a while; thinking of someone else takes your mind off you.
Take a break - Go somewhere different, whether it’s a coffee bar you have never been into, or a faraway luxury holiday; by changing your physical location, you change your perspective on the world.
Be nice to a stranger - Do a random act of kindness; doing good for others is the best form of self-satisfaction.
Help the planet - Be a good ancestor in some way; the planet will be here long after you are gone.
Pamper yourself - Spoil yourself, from a small indulgence to a luxury you have been promising yourself. You can even dye your hair blue to create a stunning eye-catching change.
Plan something new - Whether it’s planning a holiday for later in the year or deciding what to do at the weekend, looking forward to something new or different can be uplifting and refreshing.
Share your thoughts - A problem shared is a problem halved. Visit the Blue Monday blog to see what ideas people have come up with for dealing with life’s little problems.

"Bloggers don't have our ethics"

Interesting item on BBC Radio 4 last night called New Kids on the Blog (geddit!?) – about the rise of citizen journalism in the US and how the political bloggers in particular are becoming more influential.
The main argument of the programme is that the public is becoming increasingly disillusioned by traditional media as the main thrust of most “news media” is led by an adversarial approach.
This involves a tough interview with a key anchor man or simply putting two people together in the same room with contrary views and lighting the blue touch paper. And I do have some sympathy with this view. Operating in public relations and reading the newspapers as an occupational hazard news is increasingly a mean now to express an opinion – particularly in the field of political journalism.
Indeed, some newspapers like the Daily Mail have a agenda on virtually every story they do.
But one of the key issues that the “traditional journalists” – including Dan Rather – raised was the issue of truth and ethics echoing an earlier rant but the former “Dean of the White House Press Corps” Helen Thomas, who claims that “bloggers and everyone…with a laptop thinks they’re journalists…They don’t have our ethics.”
Given that journalism never established itself as a true profession with a governing body, licensing procedure, or an official code of ethics, it’s fair to ask what exactly are the ethics that journalists practice that the rest of us don’t? FULL DISCLOSURE: I was a journalist for many years.
Thomas is wrong. Most bloggers do adopt an ethical stance I found – mainly because if you diss the readership you are going to create a shit storm. At the most basic level bloggers are ethical because they are nice, decent human beings.
And if they do transgress they are quick to admit it, correct, and apologise for errors immediately and publicly.
Now when did a newspaper last do that?

GREEN are recruiting... are you the one?

Yes, we are now recruiting again - we need an account manager with a few years experience who is not afraid of leading from the front.
As a fast-growing, award-winning, public relations and communications agency GREEN is seeking to appoint a new Account Manager/Senior Account Manager to support a wide range of clients.
If you want to work alongside some of the most talented people in the business and you’re passionate about public relations - with relevant previous experience - we want to talk to you.
Our blue chip clients operate in a wide range of sectors from business-to-business, consumer, regeneration and government.
The company currently employs several communications professionals who are specialists in PR, social media, creativity, journalism, design, internet, copywriting, brochure management and events management. GREEN has a wide client list in the corporate, professional services and public services sectors.
We help our clients win the reputation they deserve through intelligent creativity and passionate delivery.
For an informal chat contact via email at ian@greencomms.com and andy@greencomms.com or give us a bell on 0845 4503210.

Banksy at work again