As we all met around the kettle yesterday morning, on our first day back in the office after the holidays, discussion inevitably turned to New Year’s resolutions. This is a conversation that never fails to depress me. I can only look back in abject horror at the mockery 2011 made of my perfectly reasonable resolutions. While I’m tempted by the idea that my resolution this year should be to not make any more, that would be taking the coward’s way out. No. This year I’m going to face the issue head on, (wo)man-up, and properly repent of last year’s dismal effort.

Here are a few of the promises I, and other Peppermints, have resolved upon for 2012:

Andrew: Engage in the real world, instead of emailing the guy next to me asking if he wants a brew.
Rachel: Stop eating the sweeties in reception – not that I do!
Owen: Find a way to double my Twitter followers without having to resort to buying them on eBay.
Emma: Spring clean the Peppermint archive computer drive.
Aimee: Start cooking more. Ready-meals are not a substitute for a fresh home-cooked dinner.
Haydn: Learn something new every day; even if it’s just a little thing or something silly.
Jess: Maintain my 5 a day – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Four Square and Path.
Jane: Integrate my phone with my dock, dongle, tablet, and desktop. Oh, and don’t forget the deck…
Lucy: File everything in plastic wallets. They’re my BFF for 2012!
Eliza: Stop eating at Gastronomy everyday – lunchtime economising will boost next year’s Christmas fund.
Alice: Use a pen and paper – just to remember the old days.
Alex: Speak normally; it’s amazing how many times I catch myself using jargon in meetings.
Liz: Take advantage of working in an office with a gym. Late nights at the office can take on a whole new meaning in 2012…
Ben: Skate board to work; it’s green, it’s good for you and gets you some fresh air. Might be tricky with my commute of 13 miles in the winter but if I set off early enough…Michael J Fox had it nailed.
Me: ‘Managed information flow’ will be my new mantra. Being able to tune out all that online white noise will mean I can use my social network more effectively.

The award season is firmly upon us and Peppermint’s been shortlisted for a 2011 PRCA Health and Wellbeing Award today.  I’m personally extra thrilled about this shortlist as it’s for the client – The Farjo Medical Centre – that I pitched for, with my new team and boss Suzy, on my very first day at Peppermint a good few years ago. I’ve never looked back…

There is so much cynicism out there about awards. From ‘Business of the Year Awards’, ‘Best Beauty Product’ and ‘Property Personality’, right through to ‘PR Consultancy of the Year’, some folk think they’re  fixed and that only advertisers or major supporters are in with a shot of winning.  Well, the more we enter (whether for ourselves or for our clients), the more I realise that companies only win these gongs by genuinely doing something special.

PR is often accused of not generating tangible results. The PRCA and CIPR now make it clear that outdated measurements such as AVE are of little consequence.  PR agencies need to display a very real return on investment for any campaign or entry to even be considered. This is precisely how PR is going to continue to strive for excellence and deliver a return for clients that palpably increases sales and affects their bottom line positively. I for one am extremely proud that Peppermint has been nominated for all these achievements, as it reflects the fact that, for each and every client, return on investment is our number one objective.

At the risk of sounding a bit gushy, it’s great that so many PR consultancies are really pushing for these awards. It’s a great indication that there are many of us out there working to raise the bar when it comes to improving our own reputation as professional consultants.

Now, what am I going to wear…?

News broke this morning that revealed the true identity of the writer behind the ‘Gay Girl in Damascus’ blog, which has attracted a huge following in recent months.

The blog was set up in February this year and claimed to explain ‘what it’s like to be a lesbian’ in Syria. It now turns out it’s actually the work of Tom MacMaster – a mature student at Edinburgh University.

The revelation that Amina Abdallah Arraf al Omari – the supposed author of the blog – doesn’t actually exist has sparked an outcry amongst many gay rights activists. Some in the Syrian gay community say that MacMaster’s blog has ‘risked their safety and seriously harmed their cause’.

Despite trying to highlight the plight that homosexuals face in Syria, Tom MacMaster has been accused of bringing others into harm’s way.

For many people around the globe, the internet provides a connection with the outside world that we might not otherwise have. For some, it presents a platform for their voices to be heard through blogging and other social media tools. However, this situation also highlights that there’s still no one out there policing cyber space to authenticate information that’s available at the click of a button.

While MacMaster is adamant that his actions ‘have not harmed anyone’, I believe he should have pursued his mission to highlight this controversial issue honestly and as himself. Instead, he’s exploited the trust of many people and used the internet’s loopholes of authenticity for his own ‘greater good’.

Recent statistics have revealed that over 50 per cent of 2011’s graduates will struggle to find any sort of gainful employment. This got me thinking about where I was 12 months ago, when I too was one of those desperate to get a foot in the door.

As a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed graduate, I was hungry to gain experience as I was all too aware that a degree alone just doesn’t cut the mustard with discerning employers.

After completing several work experience placements, I began to apply for account executive positions. I’d heard great things about Peppermint PR and was fortunate enough to secure a place on its ‘Fresh Mints’ graduate scheme – I haven’t looked back since. 

Helped by a hefty dose of perseverance and a positive attitude, which saw me through a couple of setbacks, I’m now well on my way to building a successful career.

When I reflect over the past year, it’s difficult to take in just how much I’ve learnt and how far I’ve come. Whether it’s developing features for the national press, coming up with campaign ideas or nurturing client relationships, I’ve been privileged to get a taste of it all.

With this year’s graduation ceremonies just around the corner, I know there’ll be a lot of young people who are disheartened by newspaper reports on graduate unemployment figures. They’ll probably be thinking there’s not a hope in hell that they’ll even get called for an interview.

My advice would be to get as much experience as you can and never, never give up. Just when you think you can’t bring yourself to send out one more CV and covering letter, it could be the one that gets you the job.

For more information on our Fresh Mints scheme, visit:  http://www.peppermintpr.com/index.php/get-in-touch/jobs

I was disappointed to read that Amazon, the world’s biggest online book store, has reported today that it sells more ebooks through its Kindle Book Store than it does paperbacks. Since its launch in 2010, the Kindle has revolutionised the way people read, making books available at the click of a button, as well as magazines, newspapers and more.

I believe one of the reasons that Amazon has seen such success with its Kindle is because of its user versatility.  The Kindle app can be downloaded to any computer or smartphone, making it instantly available to anyone with access to WiFi.  Savvy consumers no longer have the problem of finding room for their hefty hardbacks as they can store their entire book collection on this handy device.

Call me a Luddite, but downloading does somewhat take away the romance of getting cosy with a new book, folding the pages down and lending it to a friend once you’ve devoured it. One of my favourite pastimes is wandering around a bookshop, carefully choosing my next novel, and always being sidetracked by the smell of hot coffee.

Though I have to admit that Amazon has well and truly answered the call of the consumer on this one, it makes me sad to think that paperbacks might someday be a thing of the past.

I try not to weigh-in on too many ethical arguments and I’m definitely not going to pretend I’m a big charity crusader. But, it was the launch of the new NHS organ donation advert last week which stirred something up inside me. I think everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but organ donation is an issue too close to my heart for me to stay out of it completely.

My dedication to this cause is a result of a very special lady. A close family friend was on the brink of death three years ago from progressive lung damage caused by Cystic Fibrosis. She was saved only by the generosity of strangers – a family who bravely rose above the emotional turmoil of bereavement and chose to make a difference to a girl in dire need of a healthy pair of lungs. The difference is indescribable. She has gone from being a wafer-thin, icy pale girl who’s been zapped of energy, to a rosy-pink, noisy woman who’s now able to get married, go back to work and move into a new house!

My thoughts on the whole subject are fairly simple – you die (fingers crossed reasonably old, quick and painless), and you’re put to rest. When you stop to look at it in black and white, there’s no more breathing or blood-pumping required. Even if you believe life continues on a more spiritual level, this is ultimately just the soul part of you, right? Not the flesh and tissue. Maybe this all sounds a bit brutal, but here are the scary facts: you are more likely to need a transplant in your life than to become a donor. But despite this, only 25 per cent of the population are on the Organ Donor register even though 90 per cent of us say we support it.

I’m not going to force the ‘rights or wrongs’ on anyone, but if you get a spare five minutes today just have a look at the amazing, brave and desperate families you could help, and have a think about signing up to the register.

How sad, and how utterly apathetic.  It’s really not asking much to spare a few coins and wear a little flower for a couple of weeks to mark the unimaginable sacrifice of so many.

I was in London yesterday and was struck by how many people were wearing poppies compared to Manchester. Is this the same across all the regions, I wonder?

I feel some serious PR is in order to position the poppy as a “must-have” rather than a “can’t be axxxx” – to make people want to bother with this massively significant British tradition which seems to be dying a little more with each passing year.

In our bonkers, vacuous and celebrity-obsessed world, the unpalatable reality is that it might help to get through to the masses if a few more celebs on the street wore a poppy with genuine pride and respect – and talked publicly about what it means to them.  I know that newspapers stick a token poppy on their masthead, but it would be nice to see them represented a bit more on the editorial and picture front.

In the meantime, come on all you opinion leaders, media, professionals, business owners, councils, schools, retailers, kids and – in fact – everyone…pull your finger out and get a poppy on!

And, while I’m on the subject, can someone please devise a better way of keeping a poppy attached to a garment that doesn’t involve losing approximately two a day and dropping pins everywhere?

If anything, I think it’s clear that the US people are passionate about change, one way or the other.  And either way, with the first female VP and the first African American President in the running, I think that change is obviously happening.  I’m going to be very tired for work tomorrow, as I know I’m going to sit up to see what happens.  I’m convinced Obama will win, but the question is how quickly?

I may be eating my words tomorrow!

It would be very interesting to know if the UK had two such charismatic people running for office, how many Brits would be lining the streets to vote?  I always vote – but never have to fight to get to the polling booth – it’s more like dodge the tumble weeds!

Having personally spent a total of 28 months over the past ten years furtively trying to find inoffensive spots to (discreetly) feed a hungry baby – and often having to opt for a foul-smelling loo cubicle – I sympathise with the poor woman who found herself on the wrong side of heavy-handed health and safety laws and was publically berated for breastfeeding in the reception of a doctor’s surgery of all places.

Shame that the new leglislation only stretches to babies up to the age of six months. That said, even I balked at the militant I encountered at a Cheshire pub one Sunday lunchtime. She’d clocked that I was deliberating about feeding my two-month-old daughter at the table for fear of upsetting some of the more traditional punters. Having marched over from the other side of the restaurant, she proceeded to announce that I shouldn’t worry because she’d just fed her daughter at the table.  I looked over to see a chirpy four-year-old tucking into a roast dinner.  One step too far, I think, even for a passionate breast-feeding supporter like me.

More worringly, the ’adorable’ kitten branding masks a potentially serious health hazard to developing, vulnerable brains.

Authoritative health reports show that kids under 8 shouldn’t be using a phone at all.  But, no need to worry about any of that…because the good people behind the launch cheerfully maintain that the phones are squarly aimed at adults. And this, despite the fact that the core market for Hello Kitty is 6 to 7-year-olds.  Yet more gut-wrenchingly cynical, hypocritical marketing rubbish.