Limitations

Posted by Ben in Inspiration

The LifeCycle Film (Holstee Manifesto)

Posted by Ben in Inspiration

The Holstee Manifesto is a call to action to live a life full of intention, creativity, passion, and community.

The LifeCycle Film came about as a desire to bring the energy and passion behind the Manifesto to life through something we love biking. As we seek to live mindful lifestyles that leave a positive impact on the people and world around us, biking has become a passion that is much more than a transportation alternative. It is a way of fully experiencing the city we love and all of its details.

This Film is a celebration. It is a celebration of gatherings, of diversity, of life, and of the beauty of shared experience. We hope you enjoy.

holstee.com/manifesto

2012 Social Media Trends

Posted by Ben in Innovation, Inspiration, News

It’s that time of the year where the good and the great of the social media world come out in force to predict the next-big-thing and sweeping social media, social marketing and social commerce trends that we’ll see in 2012.

Below is a constantly updated list of the social media and social commerce trends and predictions for 2012 that are worth reading.

If you have one to add then drop me an email or leave a comment below.

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David Armanao, Harvard Business Review: Six Social Media Trends for 2012

BazaarVoice: Social Commerce Trends Report Europe 2012

Econsultancy: 2012: The trends every marketer should be aware of

Trendwatching.com’s 12 Consumer Trends for 2012

JWT 10 Trends for 2012

Social Media Today: 2012 Trends and Predictions from Blake Cahill, President of Banyan Branch

Social Media Today: Social Media Intelligence Trends for 2012

eMarketer: 2012 Trends: Social Media Metrics Take Center Stage

33 Digital: 10 Driving Forces of Digital Marketing 2012

Contagious Magazine: Digital Predictions for 2012

Quora: What will be the top 5 trends in social media for 2012?

Quora: What are the top B2B marketing trends for 2012?

Tweed Run

Posted by Ben in Events, Innovation, Inspiration

Those who are looking for a bit of stylish fun and do good at the same time should check out the Tweed Run:

“Our next Tweed Run will be on 10 April, 2010. It’ll be a spiffing day, with lots of exciting things planned.

We’ll be setting off from Central London at midday, on a 12 mile route passing the Tate Britain, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace (no word yet on if ma’am will be joining us), Savile Row, stopping off in the park for a spot of tea in Kensington Gardens, St Paul’s and ending with a bit of a knees-up in the City of London (near Bishopsgate).

Participants are warned that proper attire is expected, so expect tweed suits, plus fours, bowties, cycling capes, and jaunty flat caps all round. As the organisers insist:

“I hate to be a bore but please, no beastly denim.”

The Tweed Run is in aid of Bikes4Africa, so make sure you check out the website and look out for more announcements as the day gets closer.

Toodle pip!

Go London Go!

Posted by Ben in Innovation, Inspiration, News

Dominic Campbell just sent me a link to a NHS London initiative he’s been working on as part of FutureGov – Go London:

“The Go London social innovation competition is a call for ideas on how to make London more active, the first of its kind to be energised by the groundswell of optimism surrounding London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. It is a shared movement to create a city where physical activity is a normal part of Londoners lives and contributes to making London a more livable, sustainable and healthy city.

The project aims to help improve activity levels of everyone by finding out what’s already out there as well as asking people for their ideas on how they think London could become more active. In the same way that stories can come from anywhere to inspire others, and we’ll hope to capture as many of these as possible, simple, life changing ideas can spring up too. Through the creative use of social media Go London hopes to capture as many of these ideas as possible.

Once all submissions are collected, those that are judged to have the most potential will be invited to take part in the Go London social innovation competition at City Hall. This day-long event will help develop these original and creative ideas, resulting in a winning project having the opportunity to become a reality.”

It’s a great idea, building upon the success of Social Innovation Camp and applying it specifically to the area of health, which will no doubt be a priority for the Government with the upcoming 2012 Olympics on London. Indeed, one of the past winners of Social Innovation Camp was Good Gym, which aims to connect good causes and people who want to get fit, so the idea already has a track record of success in the area of health.

Ideas submitted so far include creating Netball or Rounders teams in local green spaces for older women, an incentivised scheme encouraged by employers whereby they offer staff the opportunity to get a free pair of running trainers if they sign up for a specified mileage to walk / run per week, and organising a day of light sports or fitness activities that can be done by parents and children. You can view other ideas here.

It’s definitely worth a look, so whether you want to chatter, inspire others with your story, join in the event or submit a winning idea, get involved in the movement by visiting the site here or following them on Twitter - @Go_London.

Make Your Mark with a Tenner

Posted by Ben in Events, Inspiration, News

I was pleased to see that the fantastic Make Your Mark with a Tenner campaign has been relaunched in 2010.

Make Your Mark with a Tenner loans young people £10 and challenges them to make a profit and make a difference in just one month – March 2010 to be precise. The scheme has been so successful since its launch that Make Your Mark are now guaranteeing even more students the opportunity to show what they can do with a humble £10 investment.

Last year’s highlight’s include Henry from St Thomas’s Church, who decided to raise money for a library project in Kenya by putting on a fashion show and managed to turn £10 into £736.77:

“After first being concerned he wouldn’t have time to get involved, Henry then launched himself into a one-man entrepreneurial venture which took him outside of his comfort zone. He knew that it was his chance to get involved making money for a project that had a special place in his heart. Using his Tenner capital to rent the perfect outfit – a 1920s bathing suit! – Henry challenged the members of his church and friends to pay money for him to model during the show. By creating a sophisticated promotional plan, Henry made profits well above his target amount and delighted his audience by strutting his stuff at the show, showing a real sense of fun and marketing nous!”

You can have a look at last year’s winning entries to find out about the other entrants and you can find out more about how your school can enter the competition through the Make Your Mark website.