Mo Money, Mo Infographics

Infographic showing how damn profitable it can be to use the power of collectivity. I wish I started Groupon.

Barbie gets social

This is so fricking charming. Mattell have used facebook, twitter, foursquare and Match.com to scatter the narrative of a Ken & Barbie reunion.

Saatchi Summer Scholarship Round One

Nothing attracts the sanctimonious like social media. Especially Twitter. There have been several critics of the first challenge for applicants to this summer's grad scheme, condemning it as misunderstanding the nature of Twitter. Applicants are invited to create a Twitter account, and over a month or so have to build that in terms of followers, mentions and retweets. For sustained use, like the majority of people I enjoy Twitter to share interests and not to collect acolytes. However, it does surprise me that people would not consider the potential usefulness of Twitter to test applicants, in a fun and revealing way.

In a recent post I criticized the effects of ranking people by social influence determined by Twitter usage stats, and then what? Our summer scholarship launches by testing applicants by asking them to create a Twitter account and build an engaged audience.

It is important to remember that this is a test, and Saatchi & Saatchi receive thousands of applicants each year. They are not testing for the steady build of becoming a long term influencer, but are instead testing resourcefulness, understanding of what interests people, creativity and character. It is about targeting and constructing a conversation, the very sort that are important to the day to day work of a communications company.

The challenge is not about bandwagons. Anyone who describes Twitter as such might as well do the same for the steam engine. Twitter isn't new, but the ways in which people use it can be, and Saatchi & Saatchi are looking for those who can innovate within the obstructions they have laid out.

The misunderstanding here is seeing the task as a marker of how a communications company uses or understands Twitter, where in fact it is rather more about how those who apply can use it as a shop window to put themselves in.

I am confident that this approach will help Saatchi & Saatchi to find future leaders within the sector.

Mesdames Messieurs, le disque jockey Beadle est de retour.

After the Pink Ponies Case Study send up, I find it hard to watch them. However, this one shows that in the 21st century, Beadle's about would be the most popular show in the country.

Broadcasting the pranks live on radio is what gives the ad some impact I think. You feel it happening around you, you feel closer to it. Lovely real time, but not on the interwebs for a change.

Thanks to @nicktgold for putting me on to this.