How I got "mugged" in Brazil - in a good way!

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Social Media Club

GAD (Design, Branding Innovation, Retail) Agency, Brazil

Everyone knows LinkedIn - the world's leading business-focused professional network - works well for individuals and marketers alike. But sometimes, it exceeds expectations. Here's a story of how my LinkedIn profile got me "mugged" in Brazil - in a good, social way!


Back in May 2011, I hosted a Social Media Club Auckland (#SMCakl) session at Telecom New Zealand. At the event, Peeyoosh Chandra (our sponsor, speaker and Digital Planning Director, Saatchi & Saatchi NZ) shared their "How to Reach Mums via Technology" Research Study.


As Managing Committee member of SMCakl, I wrote a blog post covering the evening (read the post here) and shared it as a discussion on Simon Mainwaring's LinkedIn Group, We First.

It was here that Valpirio Monteiro, Owner/ Founder of GAD - Brazil's leading design and branding agency, spotted the blog (see our LinkedIn discussion here) and asked to publish the research study in D2B - their in-house quarterly magazine.

Revista D2B (Design to Branding) Magazine: Front Cover

Pg 6-7: Contributors to this Edition

By The Search: maes do que conectadas (Well-Connected Mums)

Pg 104-105: "Como as maes utilizam a internet"  Portuguese for "How Mums use Technology"

That's my mug on top - and that's how I got mugged in Brazil!

My mugshot appears on Pg 6 (mugshot = mugged in Brazil = got the connection?) among the Contributors and the Study in the (pinker than pink) By The Search section on Pg 102-104. (Click to view full issue).

And... that's the story of how I got mugged in Brazil - in a good, positive, social way! Many Thanks to LinkedIn, Social Media Club Auckland, GAD, Peeyoosh Chandra (they call him PC), Muito Obrigado, Valpirio Monteiro and Grande Abraco to Fernanda Balen Susin and Marina Pirillo for their support. You are all Maravilha. See you at FIFA 2014. Or at the Olympics in 2016. Till then...

...Viva Brazil !!!

With FIFA 2014 and The 'Rio (de Janeiro) 2016' Olympics both to be held in Brazil, the country will see a boost in economy and global interest. Businesses looking at investing in the market can download this 400-Page Second Census of the Brazilian PE&VC Industry (Report by Sao Paulo-based GVcepe). Here's the source article from Wall Street Journal: Brazil - All You Need To Know. 



Update: I recently read this article on Social Moms (in Forbes). Seems the subject: How To Reach Mums via Technology will always be relevant. Here's the Research Study:

How to reach Mums via Technology

View more presentations from SMC Auckland

You can Download the Research Study here.

To join Social Media Club Auckland, 'Like' this page

Social Media in Business - Best Practice for Entrepreneurs [SLIDE DECK]

These days, it's all about social media in business. With the aim of transforming into a Social Business, large organisations worldwide are rapidly adapting their business models. But what about SMEs and start-ups? How can social media benefit small businesses and entrepreneurs?

New Zealand Centre for Social Innovation - Social Entrepreneurs School

To communicate clearly on social media, you need to pick a tone of brand voice. Business or personal, keep it real.

Regardless of size of business, it all begins with a social media plan and strategy. Define your social media goals.

The Make KONY Famous #Kony2012 video by Invisible Children has become the fastest spreading YouTube viral ever! 

A confident, outgoing and social mindset is key to social media success. Don't be afraid to fail or make mistakes.

Content Marketing (Plan > Create > Distribute > Analyze > Optimize > Personalize) is a Key Business Driver

On Thursday 5 April, 2012, I was invited by the New Zealand Centre for Social Innovation (NZCSI) as a Social Media Expert to present to the Class of 2012 - a diverse group from different business fields - at Social Entrepreneurs School (SES) at Ko Awatea Centre, Auckland.

“Social entrepreneurs act as change agents for communities and society, developing ideas and new approaches, creating and implementing solutions to social problems that change society for the better.”

I had the privilege of giving an introductory 90 minute presentation on Social Media for SOLO-preneurs i.e. entrepreneurs (usually 1-2 person teams) armed with heaps of passion and a business idea to go with it! While the School sharpens their business skills, in parallel, they refine their social innovation projects & plans to develop robust, go-to-market business models.

While I enjoyed meeting the students on the day, the session was well-received by the audience. We began by linking our hands as Thomas (a student) said a traditional Maori prayer. Many Thanks to Faye Langdon, Nicky Benson & Nadia Botha of NZCSI for all their support, and Jade Tang for recommending me as subject matter expert and guest speaker at the B-School.

Social Media in Business - Best Practice for Entrepreneurs

For optimal reading, view in Fullscreen mode

Many Thanks to the lovely Dee Trivedi for amazing media support (Video/Photo/Tablet) on the day, and sharp fashion consultancy. My uber-cool Social System T-shirt was her idea. Pure Class!

Presentation Media - Links

To share/ download the slide deck, click here

To view all photos in the album, click here

To view all videos on YouTube, click here

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Article: 7 Verticals of Social Media, click here

If you're an entrepreneur looking to get started with social media, an event organizer looking for a speaker, or a business leader planning a training session for your workforce, let's connect on LinkedIn.