A vamped-up me!

It seemed very important that to truly conduct vampire research I should 'vamp myself up' over at the True Blood site. Much fun...

Climate Chief Lord Stern "Go Veggie to save the planet"

Next time I'm at a dinner party feeling bad for being the 'difficult vegetarian', or when I'm having to defend myself against comments that I'm not observing the 'circle of life'...or even the next time I'm being chased around the room by a friend with a slice of ham, I shall remember this fact...

That meat production is responsible for about 18% of global carbon emissions.

That is a serious amount. Methane (emitted by livestock with each bottom burp) is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas.

Lord Stern said that a successful deal at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December would lead to soaring costs for meat and other foods that generate large quantities of greenhouse gases. He hopes that over time, as people begin to feel more responsible towards climate change issues, we will soon regard the consumption of meat in large quantities as unacceptable.

I really hope so. Not only will it help reduce methane emissions, with reduced demand the conditions for livestock should improve (which will make Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall very happy). And since most people eat way too much meat as it is, our general health should improve too. It'll also reduce the destruction of forest land for cattle ranching and the production of animal feeds such as soy. Yippee!

However, considering how frequently I am verbally abused, chased by ham + served the vegetarian staple of Mushroom Risotto, I cannot see this happening overnight.

This thought-provoking?! image was borrowed from queenofheartss @ deviantart.com - thanks!

86% of brands plan to engage with original content

Good news!

An article over at at e-marketer shares the results of a survey undertaken by King Fish Media which reports that 86% brands are planning on creating original content with which to engage their audience, with 74% believing it to be more effective at generating ROI than traditional advertising.

In addition to this, brands now believe the best ways to communicate with prospective leads + customers are their corporate website (75%), social media (73%), custom content + media (70%) + face-to-face events (69%).

And in line with this, e-marketer + almost everything else I've read today (in particular) seems to talking about the importance of measuring the ROI of social media. And not just the non-financial intangiable return, or even against digital sales; but most importantly how we can measure its impact on offline sales.

Olivier Blanchard talks about this at length over here. And Coca-Cola's Carol Kruse shares a little about their aggressive digital plans for the future + how they plan to measure its affect on sales over here.

Eastenders online spin-off targeted at 'yoof'

The BBC is to launch an online spin-off of EastEnders in the new year in line with the show's 25th anniversary. EastEnders: E20 will be broadcast online 3 times a week immediately after the main show. Its 6-12 minute long episodes will show Albert Square from a different perspective, focussing on a group of sixth-form students trying to escape from “family problems and crises of their own making."

They say they're going after the Hollyoaks demographic but want to create a feel different to the Channel 4 show + other shows such as Skins. I like that it's storylines will overlap with those of the main show + that the whole thing will be flipped so that we'll see the characters from the main show in the background while this new cast lead the online version.

I also love that the BBC is working with a team of 13 young writers aged 17-22 to create the storylines (chosen through a competition run by the BBC). What a unbelievable opportunity for these kids...and hopefully by doing this, it *might just* mean that its storylines will actually connect with its audience.

You can't deny that this will benefit from a huge existing audience + that EastEnders is a well established brand. But how many young people watch EastEnders by choice*? I'm just not convinced that it being linked to EastEnders is really going to do it for these grumpy** teens who wouldn't want anyone to think they were into the same things as their parents? I get the whole Hollyoaks / Hollyoaks After Hours thing. They're targeting the same audience - with the later show giving the audience a slightly 'naughtier' version of the main show. Got it. Not sure if 'teen version of ya mum's favourite show' is really gonna cut it?! I might be wrong..

* my 17 year old bro has little choice in the matter. Since birth, 7.30pm has always been Mum's slot in the TV viewing schedule. Thank goodness for the internet.

** they're not all grumpy!

Source: Broadcast

Measuring the ROI of social media

Some nice tips here on how to achieve the impossible - to measure the ROI of social media activities. Now we just need to get sales data from our clients...possible perhaps, but certainly not easy?!

The original post shares all sorts of other helpful articles + presentations on this matter.

Kthxbye...

Olivier Blanchard Basics Of Social Media Roi

View more presentations from Olivier Blanchard.

Source: We are social

Dust off your wooden spoons people - it's National Baking Week

Just this weekend I was trying to find a reason to bake spiced apple cake + I couldn't find one. I looked everywhere. Then this morning Twitter told me that it's National Baking Week. Yippee..reason indeed.

It appears from the website that a number of food + cooking brands have come together to invite us to not just bake, but to 'bake and share'. Ahh. Share our recipes, share the baking process + of course share our baked loveliness with those around us at home, at school + at work. They're also offering a free baking booklet if you fill in their little form.

In our office we have become quite excited + competitive over a little tradition we started a year or so ago whereby we bake for each other's birthdays. So in recognition of National Baking Week I've challenged my office chums to a bake-off on Friday. Spatulas at twelve o'clock..

CLICK HERE to tell global leaders you're ready to commit to a global climate deal

tcktcktck talks about all things climate change + in the run-up to COP15 (the United Nations Climate Change Conference), it's asking us to submit our names to say that we're ready for the global leaders to sign an ambitious, fair + binding deal that means the world is committed to a plan which will hopefully turn the climate change problem around.

Please take a few mins to leave your name + then tell all your friends.

They're currently at 2.2m names + have until December to get as many names as possible. Go, go, go!

Source: You Might Like This

Rory Sutherland's TED talk

Rory Sutherland of the IPA reminds us about perception, lateral thinking + the importance of helping people see the value in the intangiable things in life. Topical, inspiring stuff delivered with wit + fun.

But most importantly, where can I buy Diamond Shreddies???



Source: Punk Planning

Lovely lovely Lordship Lane illustration

Local artist Vic Lee has created a series of limited edition prints focusing on some of London's traditional hamlets. This illustration of Lordship Lane was the first in the series + was followed by Dulwich Village + Maida Vale.

The prints range from £35 to £50 + come with a very special numbered certificate. You can buy them over here if you would like.

I might add that Vic is a very nice man with a GSOH - I know this because he didn't mind at all being mistaken for a stripper when delivering a print to my friend's rather raucous birthday dinner party last week.

OMG how much fun stuff!!

Having today received a good few of the newsletters that kindly drop into my inbox to tell me about all the fun stuff that this great city has to offer on a weekly basis, I feel compelled to share a selection of their contents. There really is some incredibly exciting stuff happening (if you like what I like..which frankly is unlikely)..

First up and by far my favourite...

Be badly behaved @ The Underground Rebel Bingo Club

The Underground Rebel Bingo Club will host their version of granny's Housie at a secret location in Angel this Friday night (9th). This is how they describe themselves at their Facebook group:

We don't care what people think. We like to dance. We like to drink. But most of all we like to play dirty hardcore muthafuckin bingo on the down low. The Underground Rebel Bingo Club is a secret organisation that meets weekly to party hard and get our bingo on. If you don't like loud music, shoutin and dancin, don't come.

..sounds like f-u-n

Source: Flavorpill

On a softer + more glamourous note, I wish I could go to this, but I can't.. :0(

Bordello's Retro Hair + make-up masterclass

What an amazing idea! Next Thursday (15th) you + your friends can pay £45 to hang out at Bordello's lingerie boutique + learn the techniques need to achieve the 'ultimate in golden-age glamour'. The professional hair + make-up artists that will be sharing their secrets with you have worked with the likes of Amy Winehouse + The Scissor Sisters.

How cool to enjoy a lovely evening there, transforming yourself into a vintage princess or 50's pin-up starlet, before hitting the streets of Shoreditch with your favourite gals. I just hope they do it again. Soon! More info here.

Source: Flavorpill

The Museum of Everything

Opening on Weds 14th October in Primrose Hill, The Museum of Everything is London's first ever space for art by the 'untrained, unintentional and unseen creators of this, our modern world'. Its first exhibition has been selected by leading artists, curators + cultural figures. This is what they say:

In tiny crevices and under dusty beds, there lies a secret creativity by the unknowns of society. Unexpected, delicate and profound, this democratic work has inspired the world’s greatest artists.

In Exhibition #1, the museum presents over two hundred drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations, selected by leading contemporary artists, curators and cultural figures.

And if that's not enough, their site plays the rather appealing + slightly hypnotic sound of baa'ing sheep.

Naughty life-drawing @ 'In her room'

Go to David Carter's boutique Spitalfields hotel '40 Winks' on Weds 14th October and you will find a number of subjects in the various rooms of this 18th century house wearing Bordello lingerie + posing as aristocrats + flapper girls. Included in the price of this erotic life-drawing class you'll get wine, nibbles, pencils and paper.

Source: Flavorpill

Get creative @ Shoot Shoreditch

Shootexperience.com holds photographic treasure hunts mainly across the UK. And the next one, taking place this Sunday, will send teams off across historical Shoreditch to solve clues + provide their answers in photos. Quite simply, the best most creative shots win.

Source: Run-Riot