Broken Hart Bords

Meet Jacob Brockhoff, an 11 year-old skateboarder from Bradenton, Florida, who hopes to someday go pro.

In the meantime, he's garnered national media attention for his unique fundraising efforts on behalf of the AHA. Jacob was born with Tetralogy of the Fallot, a heart defect that includes a large hole in the heart and narrowing of a valve partially blocking blood flow to the lungs. Instead of spinning away the summer on his board, he ended up on his back -- he had a second heart surgery in June.

According to current edition of the AHA's The Happy Heart Herald, Jacob turned his frustration onto his board. "If I can't ride 'em, then I'll design 'em," he told his parents. He created a business plan to design a special line of skateboards and t-shirts to raise money for the AHA and American Heart Heroes program for children with heart disease.

What a cool kid! As you can see by the video below, he's happy, healthy and totally gnarly, dude. (I'm so showing my age. That was cool in the '80s...who knows what they say now? Phat?)

Heart of Diabetes

Some folks at National Center are beginning to make more use of social media tools like YouTube.

The following is a video of Randy Jackson discussing the relationship between diabetes and CVD. The video is part of a promotional campaign for IknowDiabetes.org.



The part I'm most fascinated by is this: I found out about the video via social media. Kim Jennings, web marketing manager, posted a message on Yammer about the video, asking people to view it, rate it, digg* it, add it to your Facebook profile and share it with others. Sure, I may have received an official AHA communication about the video at some point but because it popped up on yammer (I view it through the desktop app), I could click the link, view it and quickly share it. That's the beauty of this stuff.

*What's digg? Glad you asked. The answer is here.

Having a Heart Attack

Here's another film -- this one animated -- attempting to capture the experience of a heart attack.

It starts out seemingly innocently enough but don't be fooled, it's every bit as graphic as the last one (minus the vomit!). I wasn't able to embed this one but you can still view it at StolenDreams.com.

Blah, Blah, Twitter, Blah

Yes, in fact, I do actually know that I sound like a broken record. But you know what they say about key messages -- it takes constant repetition for your audience to get it. So I'll just keep twittering on and on about Twitter (and Social Media) until I have your full attention.

You're coming along, whether you like it or not!

The latest installment of Twitter-mania comes in the form of a special section in the latest edition of Business Week. Look closely at the screen shot below and you'll see that it's this week's Top Story (blue box).


The special report includes the following stories:

• How Companies Use Twitter to Bolster Their Brands
  
• Getting Intimate (with Customers) on Twitter
• Brands That Tweet
• AMC's Mad Men: Running Amok on Twitter

Read them in order -- the last two stories aren't as meaty. Brands thatTweet is just that: a list of brands you'll find on Twitter; Mad Men is a good case study of good marketing gone bad.

Happy reading.

KAPOW!

How's this for an anti-smoking sign? I don't know the backstory of this gorilla marketing campaign but I found it on ScaryIdeas.com, which I found via Twitter.

What could we do in this sort of vein to draw attention to our cause -- and causes? Leave some comments with your ideas.

September 8, 2008: NYT Magazine on Social Media

If you're one of those old-fashioned types who enjoy pouring over a hard-copy of the Sunday New York Times while sipping a steaming cup of joe, then you may have noticed the feaure on Social Media in this week's NYT Magazine. (If you're more like me, you just read it online while chugging your morning diet coke.) Course, you may actually have a life and, therefore, spend your Sunday mornings out doing things instead of sitting on the sofa reading about other people who do.

Regardless of your Sunday morning exploits, you'll want to read Brave New World of Digital Intimacy. It's a pretty in-depth look at how the digital divide between individulas is shrinking. The story uses Facebook as a prime example of how social media is building the bridge between people.

I know you have a lot on your Social Media to-do list, what with the homework assignment for the upcoming HIT Team Meeting, and all. However, I believe it is critical that we, of any team within the SCA, must position ourselves as the leaders and content experts on this sort of stuff. Communications is changing and you need to be prepared to change with it.

Speaking of the team meeting, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.

Two Minutes to Save a Life

Twitter strikes again! Some of our colleagues at National Center were buzzing about this intense video produced by The British Heart Foundation for its Two Minutes campaign.

Read through the following ad copy and then play the video. Warning, it is rather intense and Tod was kinda grossed out by one scene.

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245 first loves die from a heart attack every day

Sadly, one in three heart attack victims die before they reach hospital. Many people don't recognise the signs and fail to take the steps that may have saved their life or the life of a loved one.

Watch Your Own Heart Attack is an unforgettable, two minute film which enables you to experience what it's like to have a heart attack first hand. Take the time to watch it then you'll be prepared if and when it happens for real.

This is two minutes which could save your life. Or the life of someone you love.