Charity Campaigns
March 5, 2008 at 9:26 am
While I’m working myself up to having a VENT about PAYPAL, my new Most Despised, I thought I’d mention two campaigns that came by my inbox in the last 3 days. What I like about both of them is that they make it easy for me to take action. In just 2 clicks, I’ve done my bit for climate change and for a stateless Palestinian.
- Trocaire: loving their recent work both online and offline. Last year they courted controversy with the ad that was banned. This email is executed brilliantly. From the attention-grabbing subject line “Be a climate change journalist” to the nifty “2 clicks and you’re done” email to John Gormley or Hillary Benn in the UK, it’s very impressive. In an era of donor fatigue, it’s not asking me for money, but succeeds in getting something way more valuable - my attention and my time. Now go and do it.
- Amnesty International: part of their fabulous Unsubscribe-Me campaign, they have created an international action page for people like you and me to get involved in the campaign to get Maher Rafat al-Quwari repatriated to a safe country; to anywhere but Guantanamo Bay. The one downside of this action page is that it links you to the US Army website where you’re supposed to be able to work out for yourself which part of the army you should direct your request to. It scores highly in that they give you the text to use. But I didn’t want to get my head around the US Army website, so I hit the contact us button on the unsubscribe me site on Saturday asking for help. Let’s see how long it takes them to respond. I really hope that Amnesty isn’t an all gloss, uber designed campaign with no follow up. View recent post on lack of contact us.
Warm & Fuzzy Feeling
March 2, 2008 at 6:15 pm
The 2008 Irish Blog Awards took place last night at the Alexander Hotel and what a great night it was too! Thanks must go out to all the organisers who put so much thought and hard work into making it an amazing event. And as for Mr Mulley, the man should be sainted for his contribution to blogging in Ireland.
Congratulations to all the winners, particularly Kieran Murphy of Ice Cream Ireland who won the Best Business Blog against *stiff competition* for a second year running. He wore the full ice cream man get-up, with white wellies and all. I was also thrilled to see Best Designed Blog go to Sabrina Dent. And the Best Technology Blog go to Robin Blandford. I do love Lexia’s blog also. A hat trick was scored by Twenty Major, 3rd year running that he won Best Blog. Now that he’s got a book out and is in publicity overdrive mode, he revealed himself at the awards. Well, not in the way that some smutty minds might imagine, because that would be quite scandalous, but he was present as himself and was even autographing his book! View Twenty Major here on the left beside Joe Drum-Google!
Before the event took place, 37 women bloggers all met in the Market Bar for the Ladies Tea Party. I didn’t see a whole lot of tea being drunk, but there was plenty of chat, openness and sharing of stories and ideas. It was quite fabulous actually. I reckon I knew 5 women who were there from previous meets. I ‘knew’ about 5 or 10 more from their blogs. But by the end of it though, I felt like I knew everybody and we were all set to whoop each other on at the awards themselves. Special mention of my favourite gimick of the night was Julie-Anne Graham of Curious Tales.com who handed out fake mustaches to everybody to promote her new blog. The blog sounds really interesting; she takes old clothing and re-engineers it with a contemporary look and blogs about the story of the clothes. She also designs a rather fine range of eco T-shirts too. If anyone has any pics of me in the ‘tache, please pass them on!
For me, the Blog Awards confirmed how lucky I am to work in such a open, friendly, supportive, and highly creative, talented, and humourous industry. Everyone was buzzing to be meeting people they chat to daily in the flesh. There was much smiling and congratulating, and of course much flashing of flashes! I was getting a buzz off the fact that my favourite 5 web designers in the whole country were there within 10 metres of each other (in various states of inebriation!). At least 5 of the serious entrepreneurs who I most respect were knocking shoulders too. And it was all good.
I reckon it’s quite unique to work in such a non-hostile, supportive and open industry. Do groups of bankers and doctors all share the same warmth and camaderie at their get-togethers? I wouldn’t think so. Is there such genuine delight in the meet-ups at the Property Awards? I wouldn’t bet on it. Yes. Apart from being able to make my living doing what I love, I am also blessed that I get to it with such great people.
So that marks the end of the warm and fuzzy piece. Normal ranting and giving out service will resume tomorrow.
