So this week is Social Media Week, and there are literally hundreds of free events on in Glasgow (and the other worldwide participating cities, celebrating this phenomenon and all its wonderful uses. One event which caught my eye was Dirty Pretty Digital Things which is an event being run by Edinburgh agency RAPP. This is a competition to find exciting new social media ideas and anyone could enter and pitch their inventions. Now somehow, my little ideas have grown arms and legs and before I knew it i was shortlisted to appear at the showcase event to be held this Thursday evening in the Lighthouse in Glasgow. This event will give entrants a chance to present their idea and endure a brief (hopefully!) question and answer session, the best ideas being voted for by the judging panel and audience members. Daunting stuff! Wish me luck, my personal tagline for the event shall be 'Humour Me!' 
 
So every so often I find it useful to take on a writing challenge, to keep the creative flow on the move. This time I found a challenge from a digital company in Edinburgh called Shake. They threw down this little gauntlet ...

"Research and write 400 words on ladies fashion for the over 55’s. Think topical, think target audience and think engagement.

And here's me picking up that gauntlet and running with it..


Faux pas free fashion for the over 50s

Do you know your LBD from your VPL? Concerns about bingo wings and crows feet?
Never fear, daytime TV is rife with well meaning advice on what to wear and where to shop, who to look like and what not to ever ever do. If Gok Wan hasn’t already convinced you that 50 is the new 20 and all you need is some supportive undergarments with a double dose of confidence, then we are here to do just that. Confused? You will be!

Instead of being blindly led by the blind and continually fretting that your best dressed days are behind you, why not relax and take some time to really evaluate your wardrobe and how you feel about it? And while you’re at it take five minutes to yourself (when did you last do that) to think about your own body. And we don’t mean the bumps and sags and bits you would rather hide, we mean the curves, the maturity and the elegance that only you can carry off. Appreciating the kind of fabrics you have come to love over the years and the styles you can’t stand to see making a comeback is all part and parcel of dressing well as a woman over 50. It’s not all comfort and practicality - you know what you like and that’s essential to looking and feeling great.

Take some time to browse through our ShakeInteractive brochure and you’ll soon see style and desirable outfits designed precisely with you in mind. Complete the simple step-by-step guide to choosing shapes, colours and budget to suit you and then sit back, relax and let the virtual personal shopper assistant collect items for you to choose from. Before long your wardrobe will be personally thanking you for ditching the two piece cardis and the floral floor length floatys. 

So if you are tired of the teens getting all the fashion attention and feel it’s time to refresh your look then step this way and get ready to shop like you’ve never shopped before. Leave your petticoats by the patio and step into something altogether more 2010. 

Only you know you like we do.


Ok, so maybe you'll only appreciate this if you're a woman of a certain age, but I was mildly pleased with the copy and enjoyed getting some practice in.
 
I have recently had the pleasure of working alongside an excellent graphic designer from Edinburgh and thought I would share his work here. Being my colleague and trusted creative friend I highly recommend his graphic services and ability to handle projects large or small from logos and branding, to posters and flyers for every and any event. It is a privilege to work with Stephen and means that my copywriting can be read in beautifully created settings. Should any small business, church, organisation or club wish to stand out from the crowd, Creative82 can help do just that.
www.creative82.com
 
In an effort to keep up with the fast paced world of digital marketing, I am expanding my services to include all things digital. Well, perhaps not ALL things just yet, but a few useful items to get started:

  • Google Adwords - get in touch if you are interested in creating a Google Adwords campaign 
  • A look into Search Engine Optimsation - let me look into ways of increasing visitors to your website.
  • Content creation - Whether its a need to drive sales and enquiries, or even just a need for a refreshing update of your site, I can rewrite, edit and wax lyrical about your business until we see results.
  • Social media - Need to build your fanbase? Want to reach more customers quickly and directly? Or just lonely and want some new friends? I'll help you set up and build up a social network to suit you, Facebook, Twitter and many more options to choose from.
  • Got more than 140 characters to say? I can work with you to get blogging and share your tales with an unsuspecting public.
  • Email marketing - With small investment you can save yourself the bother of designing, printing and distributing flyers to your customers and instead send them regular updates by email..perfect for letting everyone know about your 'Sale Now On'.
So that's a taste of what's available...see anything you like?..
 

So having been writing for Scottish Independent Music magazine on and off for some years now I put it to work by including an article featuring the very same Kid Adrift mentioned in my last post. Here's what we deliberated...

Is This Music? Kid Adrift interview March 2010

 
Picture
 

As seen on www.isthismusic.com

Sold out you say? Since when has that stopped us pushing through, pushing past and reaching for the majestic sounds of new found talent? Never! Dan Lyth opens the night to a packed out Tuts alongside his good friends powering through five of the most mesmerising and hopeful songs this place will have seen in a long time. With his skilled band by his side Dan played a tight set including mucho shakers, casios, fingerclickin stunning backing vocals and energy. The rollercoaster ride of ‘O No He Isn’t, O Yes He Is!’ has to be seen live to fully appreciate the intricate rhythms and melodies but the passion behind it must be felt for miles around. Influence from Sufjan Stevens shine through and if the band keep up this high standard they’ll be sure to follow as successful a career. This is a musician with songs that will grow arms and legs and given the chance will be playing bigger venues near you soon - you can pantomime call me on that all day long, I’ll still stick by it. Finishing his too short set with the beautiful ‘Castles’ the receptive audience have witnessed something very special and are more than warmed up to welcome the understated but equally wonderful Iain Archer.
A truly inspiring start from the first of the Northern Irish contingent, Iain is obviously keen to share tunes from his new album ‘To the Pine Roots’ and gets stuck in feet first with ‘The Acrobat’ - full of captivating visual lyrics which accurately display Mr Archer’s knack for poetry. Following this with personal favourite ‘Songbird’ Iain shows off a vocal most delicate and impassioned that the crowd have no choice but to listen up. And just in time too because it’s not long till he’s made the move from acoustic to electric and we’re treated to ‘Summer Jets’ - a song that only confirms my suspicion that this man lives in a perpetual state of seasons. When he asks “Anything I can get you?” I restrain myself from screaming “Why aren’t you singing ‘When It Kicks In’?!” Altogether grossly underrated, it’s a scandal.
And so to the headliner, the so called Irish soul troubadour, whatever that means, Foy Vance. An incredible voice that can’t be ignored, a kind and accomodating nature on stage he woos us with his looping, clever backing tracks, even venturing into dangerous territory playing acoustic with a bow. Before you know it the entire audience is turning to complete strangers beside them and asking ‘Isn’t this amazing?’ The more culturally aware are asking ‘Isn’t this that there ‘Gabriel and the Vagabond’ single that Foy did for the the Greys Anatomy soundtrack?’ Singing from the depths of his boots, Foy is as real and authentic a poet and musician as I’ve ever heard and nothing like all those Jason Mraz types that you think I’m talking about. This is the real deal - more of a young Van Morrison. Even a spontaneous cover of ‘You can Leave Your Hat On’ doesn’t discourage the enthusiasm of the Glasgow singalong crowd. By the end of a lengthy and intense set when Iain Archer returns to the stage to accompany Foy, it’s a touching moment of musical delicacy. Exiting the stage in humble fashion Foy leaves the crowd singing “Never let the Spirit die Lord” repeatedly whilst nipping back to the merchandise area just to clap along to himself and enquire to those around him ‘Who was that guy, he was great?’ Again, criminally ignored by the masses, a treat to those who witnessed it. Amen my Irish brothers, Amen.

Karen Dorrat

 

Pleased to see another reader has enjoyed VAP latest publication 'Ronaldson's Directory of Faroese Football'. Soccerphile football blog reads...

When Alex Bellos kicked off his critically acclaimed history of Brazilian football "Futebol: The Brazilian Way Of Life" with a chapter on Faroese football, there were no doubt eyebrows raised at the bold choice of starting from one of football's most remote outposts.
Yet if Bellos introduced a host of readers to a league brimming with club-names seemingly borrowed from the dregs of an alphabet soup, "Ronaldson's Directory of Faroese Football" goes one step further.
Sub-titled "The Comprehensive guide to football in the Faroe Islands," - with no hint of irony given that it's almost certainly the only English-language guide to Faroese football - Ronaldson's guide is nevertheless a fantastic addition to the canon of football literature.
Beginning with the contact details of those in charge of administering Faroese football and indexing the island's two national stadia at Tórsvøllur and Svangaskarð, the guide then meanders through the various clubs that make up the Faroe Islands Premier League and First Division.
The layout is pleasing to the eye, with a clear fact box sitting atop a black-and-white photo of each club's ground, while notes on each team provide brief details of club history and team colours.
Concise directions ensure you'll never get lost on the way to the big Tórshavn derby - and all the clubs are here - from HB and B36 to KÍ Klaksvík and the league's most recent champions EB/Streymur, as well as the many minor clubs that also compete in this rugged North Atlantic island nation.
"The Rough Guide To European Football," it is not, but editor and publisher John Ronaldson deserves praise for his concise, yet unquestionably effective guide to Faroese football.
Whether a fan of Faroese football or a conneissuer looking to add another niche title to the collection, "Ronaldson's Directory of Faroese Football" is a worthy addition to any book shelf.
To obtain a copy, email ronaldsonpublications[at]googlemail[dot]com or visit http://www.ronaldson.tumblr.com for more details.

 

Vine Arts Publications received a new book review for its recently released 'Directory to Faroese Football'. The review appeared in the 'half decent football magazine' When Saturday Comes. This magazine aims to provide a voice for intelligent football supporters, offering both a serious and humorous view of the sport, covering all the topics that fans are likely to talk about, whether serious or trivial. The reviewer said:
"It's high time that someone brought out a comprehensive guide to football in the Faroe Islands. Now John Ronaldson has done just that. Find out which club were the victims of a conspiracy involving a handball team and which were supposedly named after a brand of Icelandic washing powder."