I love information. I’ll admit it. I’m an addict and a user. My mother, God love her, routinely clips articles from the daily newspaper that she thinks I’ll find interesting and mails them to me from her idyllic home in south Florida. Sometimes she even sends me crossword puzzles that she’s clipped, copied, and is sharing with me to ensure that I don’t miss out on a single one. And so, I blame her for this addiction to information and the quest for knowledge that so consumes me. Even worse, as an accompaniment to the addiction, is a need to share that veritable treasure trove of information that I come across on a daily basis with others. Annoying, I know, but surely now that you know I can’t help myself, you’ll realize that it’s best to just shut up and deal.

And now, I’ve found an even better outlet than sending 50 different emails to 50 different friends containing what is no doubt information that they can’t live without. And this is it. You guessed it – this post will now be a weekly feature intended to share with you the handful of items that I found the most compelling this week. Without further ado—here goes:

Twilight Fever Still Abounds

There’s nothing like the mention of the Twilight series to bring rabid fans out in droves. This week was no different. My partner in crime, the lovely Michelle Lamar, is one of those rabid fans and can always be found at the forefront of the Twilight goings on. In fact, she developed a quiz to help you see what your level of addiction is. Go ahead, you vampire nutballs, take the quiz, I dare you.

Geek News

The Geekazoid in me loves the fact that Google has launched its developer resource site for HTML5. I work with creative teams and developers on a daily basis and am constantly in the middle of the ongoing Apple v. Adobe battle, so I’m more than a little interested in how this will all play out. You can see the full story “Google Launches HTML5 developer site,” as originally published by InfoWorld and also read how HTML5 will change the web.

My iEnvy for the iPhone 4

It would be impossible to ignore that the much-heralded iPhone 4 is out and now in the hands of many an excited technonerd. I do not have one. I want one. The fact that I have a less than year old MacBook Pro, an iPad, an iPod Touch and an iPod Nano do not dispel the iEnvy that I feel. I really, really, really, really want one. Suffice it to say that a contract that has yet to expire and a desire to keep my gadgetophile nature in check has precluded me (as of this moment anyway) from purchasing an iPhone 4. There are no promises as to what next week will bring.

Here are some great customer reviews on the object of my gadget lust, written by Gizmodo readers who are, at a minimum, at least as geeky as I am. Whether you have one or not, you’ll probably enjoy these.

The Tragedy in the Gulf – Raining Oil and Dead Cleanup Crews

I thought I’d seen the worst news of the week when I read about it raining oil in New Orleans. Then, I saw CNN’s report yesterday about the fact that almost all of the crew responsible for the clean up of the Exxon Valdez spill are now dead – after an average life expectancy of 51. Add to that the fact that BP is using the same kind of dispersant in the Gulf and I wanted to go stick my head in the toilet and retch.

Kudos to Top Chef Susan Spicer for Taking a Stand

And, as a reminder that fishermen and beaches and inhabitants being rained on by oil aren’t the only ones suffering in the Gulf, I was inspired to read the news of Top Chef Susan Spicer’s filing of a class action lawsuit against BP. Her suit alleges that her restaurant, Bayona, as well as other restaurants and others in the seafood industry have suffered damage since the explosion of the drilling rig and that they are entitled to compensation. I think she’s right and it will be interesting to see how far reaching the courts find the impact of this spill to be and, ultimately, how much responsibility they require BP to take.

I loved watching Susan compete on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters series – she is spunky, talented and clearly devoted to the city she loves.

Diesel Cam Brings Facebook to the Dressing Room

I really loved this overview from my friends at T2 + Back Alley Films about how Diesel is using integrated experience design to make the shopping experience a social experience. I think it’s nothing short of brilliant and that we’ll soon see more and more of this.

That’s it. All the news that really captured my attention this week – the good, the geeky, the bad, the really bad, the tough as nails “we’re not gonna take this” actions of a chef like Susan Feniger and the act of a brand that’s paying attention to what’s transpiring in the world and making an effort to connect in a more authentic way with its customers.

Hopefully you’ll think these pieces are as interesting as I did. Can’t wait to see what happens next week—and to share it with you!

It’s Official: I’ve Become My Mother is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency

The story here isn’t really as much about the people involved in the creation of this great campaign (although they’re talented, that’s for sure) as it is about why social media – and video in particular – is such a perfect fit for causes and not-for-profit groups like MADD – and especially groups who target teens.

Part of the reason for the success of the campaign is the fact that they supplemented a traditional posters-in-schools campaign with video. Captivating, can’t look away from, in your face video. Props here to Esparza, as well as to the Wade Brothers, Realfake, Back Alley Films and their sister company, T2, as well as to Bazillion Pictures for the great music. They produced just the kind of not-messing-around-here message that teens need to see, again and again, in order to have any impact. Especially when the message is about teenage drinking and what it can do to your brain. Drinking is fun, brain damage, not so much.

Video is, without question, an effective tactic. And even more effective when you’re targeting a young audience. From a strategic standpoint, with the integration of a video component, they complemented the school poster campaign with a message that could be broadcast in local movie theatres, thus ensuring that it would not only be seen by the teens who were the original target, but by their parents as well. And NM MADD noticed a measurable spike in web traffic to the BrokenTeens.org site, especially during weekend days, a/k/a prime movie-viewing days. The feedback has been terrific, from parents and kids alike – which is not all that common for a public service message. In fact, the campaign has been so successful that they’re now exploring opportunities to roll it out into other markets.

So, take note not-for-profit groups – using video in innovative ways and then working with knowledgeable social media pros who can help your video message go viral is, most definitely, a strategy worth integrating into your marketing mix.

Causes + Video + Social Media = Great Results is a post from: V3 Kansas City Integrated Marketing and Social Media Agency