Brainwave @ Krystle Nightclub

Rick O'Shea made the call and I hope you all answer it! Rick's asking for 2 favours, and they're not big asks either so lets just do it.

Rick is patron of the charity Brainwave and, as part of this years Horse Show Week, the charity is having a huge night out in Krystle Nightclub (replacing the old Horse Show Ball). We all know about the unspoken 'R' and the hard times that we're all in, but this really is worth it. Basically the entire club will be taken over for the night and there's space for 1000 dapper gents and beautiful ladies. In short, it's the perfect excuse to put the glad rags on and listen to some craic'n tunes from top DJs and an awesome live band.

All proceeds from the night go to Brainwave and will help them do what they do, so very well, over the next twelve months.

Tickets are now available on Tickets.ie - here

Ok, so that's the first thing. The second favour Rick asks is that you do exactly what I've done. POST IT! Do a write up, link it, and get the message out there.

Thanks folks :)

McDonald's Appoints VCCP

Yesterday Brand Republic carried a marketingmagazine.co.uk article by Joe Thomas, about McDonald's appointment of VCCP to manage its employment brand and recruitment advertising. The appointment came after a three month pitch process, with VCCP facing down DDB in the final round. Leo Burnett remains McDonald's lead agency in the UK.

VCCP's recent work includes O2's rubber duck tv ads (including an Irish version) and my favourite campaign of the year - Compare the Meerkat.

Nike: Love Fifteen

It's not the first time that Nike have been able to push out an ad almost before the final whistle blows, but this time they did it even better then usual. No sooner had Roger Federer taken home his record-breaking 15th Grand Slam win, Nike was on the tv (including BBC immediately after the match!) paying homage to the achievement. In true Nike fashion however, they didn't do it alone. Step forward Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, John McEnroe, Serena Williams and Pete Sampras.

It takes a big brand to do that and, quite simply, there is no one bigger when it comes to sports. This is an amazing piece of marketing. In the most subtle of ways Nike manage to reinforce their brand, their positioning, and enhance public perception. How?

Well, what does the ad tell us? Nike support winners. Winners support Nike. Winners use Nike. Nike are not bigger then any one person, and are humble enough to congratulate victory. That's powerful stuff. Also consider that they're capable of getting a 30 second ad on BBC - that's even more powerful stuff!

Bing Adds Twitter to Real-Time Search Results

When I first heard the news that Bing was incorporating Twitter into its search results (in real-time) I wasn't sure I thought there was much to talk about. Sure I find Twitter Search useful, but I use it in a completely different context to how I use normal search services. It wasn't until I considered what it meant for searches performed on specific people.

The convenience of being able to see a real-time feed of results for name mentions and comments, along side actual web results gives a more accurate and complete view of how someone is seen online.

Microsoft revealed that it has started indexing tweets from popular Twitter users in real-time on Bing. Furthermore, while they have started by only indexing the tweets of a few thousand people (based on follower count and tweet volume), the service would ultimately be expanded.

Bing displays these results sepperately from the main body of search results, but only when the search phrase includes "Twitter", "tweet" or the "@" with the name of the person they are searching.

Digital PR & Communities Manager

I am extremely happy to announce that my role within Cybercom has taken on an extra dimension. While I am still working as a Digital Account Manager, I now also have the responsibility of becoming Cybercom's Digital PR & Communities Manager.

I will act as brand ambassador and evangelist for Cybercom and all our clients, working to develop and manage all Digital PR and Social Media activities across all channels and platforms. As both a Blogger / Social Media Advocate and a Digital Marketer, this role allows me to combine all the elements I love most about my work, and expand them across the entire breath of clients that we have the pleasure of working with.

Exciting times!