The unprecedented global financial crisis of 2008 underscored a widespread need for personal finance education. Millions of people accumulate mounting debt, fail to save and make poor financial decisions that leave them vulnerable to financial ruin.   According to a U.S. News & World Report Blog it referenced a recent Charles Schwab study which found that parents are more prepared to discuss sex with their children rather than investing.  But learning to make sound investment decisions should begin early. To that end, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility effort, Danske Bank Group has tackled the widespread issue of financial literacy through innovative financial initiatives and programs aimed at promoting financial literacy and targeted for the younger population.  They developed educational materials and products online geared toward helping younger people understand the value of money and importance of saving through fun interactive online gaming sites such as Moneyville, Control Your Money and Pengeby

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Last week Facebook held a major conference f8 announcing the death of Facebook Connect and the birth of its replacement Open Graph API and a universal Like button (A Like button integrated on sites outside Facebook). Many see the new initiatives as part of Facebook’s real break out moment plus the fact they have reached a size close to Google and Yahoo and they are profitable. From a marketing perspective this once again shows us that Facebook is of great importance to marketers and companies need to take it seriously and also find out how Facebook best fit into their marketing and communication strategy.

Of what came out of the f8 conference I am really interested in the universal Like button. I find a lot of inspiration from my friends and would love an easy way for them to tell me what they find interesting on the Internet. For a company I think the value of the Like feature can be amazing as it makes it
much easier to have advocates help spread the good word about your products and get the valuable earned attention from you customers. I think there is an opportunity for early adopters as people will find it fun to try but I think the value will be there later too as the Facebook user gets used to the information and understands the value.

Above I have attached an example from Levis where they have integrated the Like concept into their own site. I will call this step two as a site like that needs to generate a critical mass before it becomes valuable but it’s a good example of how the social aspect is moving from Facebook and into sites.

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In the category of ‘Social Gaming’, Sony PlayStation did not command the same reputation as its competitors. Sony Playstation thus tasked VerticPortals with the mission of promoting Singstar online as a game that encourages social interaction amongst its players. We leveraged the Facebook Connect application to empower users to organize parties within their peer group in an environment where they already felt very comfortable. Singstar is the hero that acts as the catalyst driving the communal engagement. Depending on whether users were seasoned veterans at the microphone, or complete amateurs, the site experience was personalized to help everyone make the most of the party atmosphere and, most importantly, used the integration of an established social network to effectively brand the social aspects of the game. Go try out the site for you self.

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Nycomed has a new oral product coming to market to treat Chronic Obtrusive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). In order to position this novel therapy as a top of mind option for GPs and Specialists, Nycomed firstly had to encourage HCPs to look at COPD as a respiratory disease very different to alternative conditions, such as, Asthma. Nycomed has a commitment to providing best of breed online educational resources for its audience to accompany its ongoing diligence and creativity in bringing innovative respiratory and other disease area products to market. Discover the site.

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Garia is the manufacturer of the world’s first luxury golf car. To complement the release of a high-end product, Garia needed a best-in-class website. VerticPortals’ creation makes use of full-screen video to showcase the key features and there is also a design center for users to personalize their cart and share through social media. An easy-to-use, Google Map-based dealer locator provides potential customers with a visual understanding of where they can test the golf car. The site has been widely recognized by industry-leading publications in the web-design and digital industry, in particular winning the prestigious FWA site of the day.

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We are helping one of our favorite organizations get more awareness and hopefully win a grant from Sam’s Club. The Facebook application we have developed put Accion into the heart of each Facebook users account. The application we have developed to Accion asks the user to donate their profile picture for a day which is done automatically and leaves a post on the wall the tells more about the good cause. The campaign takes the most personal part of your profile and turns it into a good cause. Help us help Accion and go to the below address to change your profile picture:

www.DonateProfilePicture.org

About ACCION USA
At ACCION USA, we’re committed to bringing affordable microfinance solutions to small business owners who need them. We’re an organization with a nationwide reach that has helped thousands of small business owners grow and thrive. A recognized leader in U.S. microfinance, we help small business owners use microloans to build their businesses. ACCION USA is part of the U.S. ACCION Network, the largest domestic microlending network, with over $272 million lent since inception in 1991.

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Accourding to TechCrunch Apple is not going to do their “Get a Mac” ads. Even though I have never bought a Mac I think they are some of the funniest ads on TV and I hate to see the two guys go. I wonder if Microsoft will also can their “I am a PC” ads. I have embedded my favorite ad which one is you favorite?

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