ZN

If I told you that with one mouse click you could impact change, would you believe me? Chances are you wouldn’t.

But Julie Dixon, Deputy Director of Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication, would have you believe that you could.

Watch the full live stream video from TEDxChange 2013.

At the core of Julie’s talk at TEDxChange 2013 is the notion that in a world where everyone is interconnected by social media, personal influence is a currency that is just as valuable as money.

She asserts that by simply liking a campaign, sharing a photo or video, signing a petition, writing a blog, or supporting a crowd-funded campaign and asking people to take action, you leverage your influence and reach out to other people in your network. These people can potentially influence others; share their money, time or other resources that will enable the success of the cause.

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Like the universe, the Internet is continuously expanding. By the end of 2011, 2.3 billion people were connected to the Internet and 1 billion people had mobile-broadband subscriptions. We also know that they were busy writing 28,000 blogs on Tumbler, uploading 48 hours of new video, sending 100,000 tweets, and entering 2,000,000 search queries on Google – every minute. That’s a huge audience and a lot of data.

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Belgium is certainly where Luc Chomé feels at home. He was born in Rwanda and has lived in many places during his adult life – the USA, Bosnia, Ivory Coast and Ireland. His varied professional career – in a humanitarian agency (Handicap International), the localization industry, university administration, and project management for digital businesses – connected unexpected dots.

When he’s not busy taking care of clients, you might run into him when he’s playing ultimate frisbee or travelling. He also enjoys reading essays and novels, and playing poker.

I caught up with Luc to learn more about him and what makes him tick.

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As always, the ZN’s team of Hyperthinkers have been hard at work. Their heads becoming so hot with ideas that it would blind an infrared camera and boil the kettle from a distance. Here’s a look at some of the things they’ve been up to:

Animal Testing Perspectives – Animal testing is a controversial issue and one that is difficult for the general public to fully grasp.

That’s why the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), together with ZN, created a space that could help people understand the nuances surrounding the issues – including the link between research and health/healthcare benefits – and where an honest and balanced debate could take place.

The website has two sub campaigns. The first relates to new EU rules that will require scientists to publish research summaries online. It aims to bring more transparency by asking what information people want to see. Have a look at research studies in plain words.

The second has to do with the increasing pressure to end animal research in Europe. If no more animals would be tested on in Europe, what would the ramifications of this policy be? Would animal testing become a major industry elsewhere? For this reason, Animal Testing Perspectives is launching a page to discuss all the potential side effects. To find out more, visit Shall it stay or shall it go?

James Elles – James Elles is a member of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Parliament’s Budget committee and substitutes for many others. He is also the founder and chair of the Transatlantic Policy Network and co-founder of the European Internet Foundation. Now that you’ve seen his resume, we can agree that “government elite” is a pretty accurate description. So why is ZN involved with an EU politician?

In addition to providing communication strategies for companies and associations, we also provide services for… people! We recently gave Mr. Elles’ site a makeover and made him more accessible to the people. Take a look at  http://www.jameselles.com.

IABC – If you are in the business of communications, you will be familiar with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). No? Well, it is really big network that helps “practitioners” (people in the biz) connect and share knowledge.

It currently has 16,000 members, and guess who chairs the Europe and Middle East region? Our very own Chief Hyperthinker, Philip Weiss! In an effort to give IABC Europe a facelift, we gave its website a good do-over too! You can see the result on europe.iabc.com.

If you would like to know more about IABC, Phil wrote about his experiences and the benefits of joining the association on his hyperthinker.eu blog.

ZN is currently working on many other exciting projects, so stay tuned for more news!

REMIXit offered a unique experience that enabled TEDx-sters to build on the inspiring talks they saw at TEDxBrussels and share them with the community for great prizes. TEDxBrussels is pleased to announce that, after careful deliberation, the juries have finally delivered their verdicts! You can find the list of winners in the website of REMIXit.eu

Thank you to all TEDx-sters for your contributions, sharing and votes. The REMIXit campaign was a big success thanks to you! Philip Weiss, Chief Hyperthinking, said “It was great to see the creativity and insights that simple ideas can bring to life. Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes the best ideas are simply a matter of looking at the same things from a different perspective… The world needs hyperthinkers, and there is hope, because there are plenty around at TEDxBrussels.”

Thank you to TEDxBrussels, Accenture, SWIFT, ZN, Evernote and Getyoo for their support and help in making this project possible.

The REMIXit campaign represents a subtle shift in the philosophy of “sharing ideas” to doing them. It freed TEDx-sters from the constraints of being spectators and enabled them to become participants and share their ideas. Like Philippe Ruttens, Marketing and Communications Manager at Accenture BeLux, who added “Accenture is pleased to have co-launched the REMIXit contest to boost the creation and combination of ideas and innovations in Belgium,” we look forward to taking this a step further next year and seeing how much more creative and innovative people can be!

We are looking forward to seeing what REMIXit will bring to the table next year.

It has been a busy year for ZN and, as with any creative enterprise, an emotional one but we have accomplished a great deal… and there’s still three months to go. Here are some of the projects that have put ZN’s creative and strategic cogs in Hyper drive.

Your Formula – YourFormula.eu is an initiative free from corporate restraints; it was created by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) to give young people a place to discover and discuss how chemistry is helping build a sustainable world. In addition to fun and inspiring articles, they collect videos, news and events, sharing the great innovations taking place in Europe and hinting at a more sustainable future. Glimpse into the future at http://www.yourformula.eu/

SWIFT Careers – Diverting the awed eyes of brilliant, tech savvy and vibrant graduates from employers such as Facebook and Google is a challenge for any company, especially when they don’t see how exciting and innovative your company is. SWIFT is a hidden gem compared to some of the big corporations, so this online platform aims to give an insider’s view on their corporate culture and career opportunities through the eyes of their employees, including the graduates themselves. Looking for a company that really cares about you, your community and the environment or just plain curious? Swing by www.swiftcareers.com

Microsoft Europe - Microsoft Europe is changing its visual identity and adopting a new logo for the first time in 25 years! Coinciding with this shift is the implementation of Microsoft’s new “metro” design, which reflects not only a change to their visual identity but also in their philosophy. Feast your eyes on the fresh new look at www.microsoft.eu.

Vaccines Today – VaccinesToday is an online platform sponsored by the European Vaccine Manufacturers (EVM) providing a space where people can discuss vaccines and immunization; join the debate; and gather reliable information. Over the summer, it launched its Communication Challenge asking people to submit their concepts to help communicate the importance of immunization. If an idea suddenly springs to mind, you could win €1000!

In addition, it also released Vaccination Café. No, not coffee and a quick booster shot, it’s an interview series with medical experts in a relaxed and informal environment designed to raise awareness and understanding on the benefits of immunization. Visit www.vaccinestoday.eu
PS. winter’s coming, have you had your flu shot yet?

ZN is currently working on many other exciting projects, so stay tuned for more news!

TEDxBrussels 2012 – Monday, November 12th 2012 at Bozar 9AM – 7PM

This year, the theme of TEDxBrussels is Bits, Atoms, Neurons and Genes (or BANG BANG as we’re calling it). BANG BANG represents the combination between an evolving mesh of ideas and practices, and a rich mixture of citizens, scientists and culture. The annual event covers subjects such as innovative technology, development, sustainability and the environment – so there’s something for everyone.

TEDxBrussels brings world-class speakers to the heart of Europe to perform in front of a very lively audience.  To coincide with this phenomenon, over 1800 “TEDsters” migrate to Brussels every year, answering some deep seeded need to push the frontiers of knowledge. If you haven’t experienced the mind-boggling phenomena, we encourage you to try it – you won’t be the same.

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Woaw, hasn’t September been a world wind start?! We’re back from dreamy summer holidays to attack an armful of ambitious communication projects that seemed so far away when planned. But oh boy here they are, staring us straight in the face. [hard swallow]

But if the best form of defense is attack, ZN might have the perfect secret weapon for you…

In the coming weeks, we’ll be launching the ZN Digital Masterclass: a series of courses for professionals who wish to expand their digital skills and help you make your projects smarter, more robust and have better results.

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Next week, there will be an opportunity for communicators to dig deeper into the challenges and opportunities created by the rise of social media.

This conference created by Luke Brynley Jones – @lbrynleyjones, founder and blogger of oursocialtimes.com, is taking place in Brussels for the first time on Wednesday 26 September, for more information go to: Social CRM 2012.

The name itself raises questions that marketeers are dealing with everyday.  What is the impact of social technologies on our marketing, and how can we adapt our strategy to make the most of these tools?  More practically, how can move to a ‘social’ form of CRM, where a brand can connect to its customers through a multiplicity of channels?

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My name is Gary and I have a MySpace account. There, I’ve said it.

In my defence, I haven’t used it for five years and I now forget the password.

However, for dozens of our esteemed Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), wandering alone in the social media wilderness we call MySpace is a regular pursuit.

According to the EU Digital Pulse 2012 report, 3% of the 102 MEPs surveyed byComRes say that they frequently – that’s ‘daily or weekly’, ladies and gentlemen – log on to MySpace. And they say politicians are losing touch with youth vote… Read more