At Peppermint, we’re always brainstorming and challenging each other to come up with the most creative ideas for our clients.

Like many, the best ideas often crop up when you least expect them to, whether it’s an impromptu brainstorm on the train, working out at the gym or brushing our teeth.

It seems we’re in good company. There have been some great spur of the moment inventions over the centuries, thought up during flashes of inspiration. Here’s a few of our favourite foodie ones:

An American called Frank Epperson came up with the idea of ice lollies, after leaving a drink outside in the cold overnight.

Another cold treat that was thought up unexpectedly is the ice cream cone. On a hot day in 1904, so many ice creams were sold at the World Fair that they ran out of dishes. In the heat of the moment, organisers panicked and started serving ice cream in thin waffles.

In addition, artificial sweeteners were developed by Chemist Constantin Fahlberg, who forgot to wash his hands after a day at the office. Covered in coal tar, he went home and ate his tea, which tasted surprisingly sweet. And the idea of sweetener was born.

As history shows, a great idea can present itself even in the most mundane circumstances. However, as impressive an invention as sweetener is, we’re going to leave the coal tar and non-hand washing to one side before embarking on the next round of brainstorms.

For those who don’t already know, our very own Ben – by day a mild-mannered head of digital – spends his Saturday nights as the front man of The Villains, so named because they steal other people’s songs. When we heard that the band was coming to town, we couldn’t resist the temptation to go and watch our very own rock star in action.

The gig transformed us into a giggling gaggling of groupies with band t-shirts to boot. Anyway, enough gushing from me – have a look for yourself!

There’s very little that Mario Balotelli does, or doesn’t do, that fails to make the headlines – think fireworks in bathrooms, emergency toilet breaks at a Manchester school, flashy vinyl car wrapping, never mind his on-field antics!

Pushing that catalogue aside, it was actually a radio interview with the footballer’s agent that caught my attention and got me thinking about the whole issue of reputation management.

Mino Raiola – deemed by some to be controversial himself – claimed last night that Mario might quit the UK, following a four match ban for an alleged stamp on Spurs midfielder, Scott Parker. Raiola was inferring that Mario is being victimised because of his ‘colourful’ reputation.

As someone who’s tasked with handling reputation management for other people, I started to wonder whether we actually make a conscious decision about steering our reputation, or whether it just naturally evolves.

Personality plays a huge part, particularly when it comes to individuals such as Mr Balotelli. But, how often do businesses sit down and decide on how they’d like to be perceived and whether their current image is appropriate or not? As a PR consultancy, it’s pretty high on our agenda, but for many it’s probably not.

In Mario’s case, he seems to thrive on his ‘bad boy’ reputation, so I guess he should take the rough with the smooth. I’m not suggesting that an edgy, unpredictable and frankly volcanic reputation would work for a business, but it’s essential to have a clear identity that you’re willing to stand by and exploit to the max.

I suspect that Mino’s little outburst is just another deliberate chapter in the life and times of the Man City striker.

Happy New Year!

No, I’m not a little slow on the uptake (despite what some would have you believe) – today marks the start of Chinese New Year.

As well as being a convenient excuse to stuff my face with prawn crackers and chow mein, this particular Chinese year resonates with me on a more powerful level. 2012 is the Year of the Dragon and, having been born in a previous dragon year (1988), this can only mean one thing: success!

The same goes for all of you born in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976 and 2000. Hurrah for us!

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of the coming year to a large swathe of the world’s population. In a period of population decline, the Chinese government is hoping that birth rates will increase dramatically in the coming year, thought to be the bringer of wealth, wisdom, courage and power. In 1988 and 2000, the number of babies born in Singapore spiked by 10 per cent as more couples wanted to have children born in what is widely believed to be the most powerful zodiac year. It seems my own parents may have been swayed by this thought… (yuk).

With such a landmark zodiac year ahead of me, I’ll be in Chinatown on Sunday, seeing in the new year with a little extra gusto and an extra helping of dim sum – just for good measure, you understand…

Happy Year of the Dragon!

Online media giants Google, Wikipedia, Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have staged a joint protest against the proposed Stop Online Piracy and Protect Intellectual Property Acts, taking out a full page ad in the US national press and variously joining Wikipedia in its ‘day of darkness.’

My immediate reaction upon hearing about the Bills went something along these lines: “the censorship debate again, really? This is never going to fly! How hypocritical that Congress is even considering it. I wonder what China thinks…”

History suggests that these Bills will fail, regardless of whether or not they are brought into law. Yet, as an avalanche of #StopSOPA tweets hit my news feed, there was one voice, singular in its support of the Acts. Rupert Murdoch tweeted against detractors, labelling Wikipedia et al: “Silicone Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy.” Ouch!

He raises an interesting point though. Does respect for the sanctity of property rights necessarily square with support for these Bills? Probably not. There are better methods of preventing piracy than employing wholesale censorship. Besides, implementing this legislation doesn’t even seem possible. As the focus of debate looks set to hop across the pond with the UK Government rumoured to be reprising the Digital Economy Act, I’m betting I’m not the only one hoping that they make a better stab at it than the Yanks.

Back in November, we blogged about the Liverpool Daily Post becoming a weekly paper. With the final edition being printed today after a run of 157 years, I felt obliged to pay homage to the paper.

Reporting modestly on page two, the paper salutes Liverpool and declares: ‘we are changing, but we have not been silenced’.

The 100-page weekly edition of the paper begins on 19 January – renamed the Liverpool Post.

Today’s closing epilogue refers to the disproportionate damage the hacking scandal has caused to the reputation of journalists and suggests massive economic changes are to blame for the demise of the newspaper business.

The method of newspaper consumption is clearly adapting and developing at a pace that almost overtakes the rest of the world.  Take the team at Peppermint – these days, most of us read the news using an app rather than picking up a paper. It begs the question: whatever happened to the poor paper boy?

The Daily Post’s closing statement also questions whether we can trust what we read online, when the content may not necessarily be written by trained, independent journalists who assess and investigate. It’s a fair question.

With trust in print being tarnished by the hacking scandal, paired with the uncertainty around online content, the credibility of what we read is really being called into question.

It strikes me that the closure of the oldest title in the stable of Trinity Mirror, brings into focus the issue of trust far more than the current economic challenges we’re facing. However, I think we can take solace in this, as the question suggests that what we hold most dear to us is the integrity of our regional news and not the money-making machine that makes the world go round.

Although I don’t tweet what I’m having for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Twitter is (embarrassingly) the first thing I look at in the morning and last thing I check at night. Amid all of the brilliant TV broadcast during the Christmas break, I was most looking forward to ITV2’s ‘Tweet of the Year’ – which unsurprisingly went to Beyoncé’s red carpet revelation that she was pregnant in August 2011.

Twitter was once again dominated by news about Beyoncé’s baby on Sunday morning with messages welcoming the arrival of her tiny tot. Congratulatory posts from celebrities such as Rihanna and P Diddy quickly resulted in the newborn’s name becoming a worldwide trending topic within minutes. News sites quickly followed suit with media such as the Daily Mirror, Daily Mail and respected gossip source TMZ, announcing the birth of ‘Ivy Blue’.

The name isn’t to everyone’s taste but I happen to like Ivy – it’s cute for a little one, yet sophisticated for when she grows up. I went ahead and gleefully announced on Facebook that the name had my blessing!

Just hours later however, I was forced to remove my status, when it came to light that Twitter had got it wrong. Beyoncé’s baby ‘Ivy Blue’ is actually named ‘Blue Ivy’.

The blunder echoes how Twitter is fast becoming the online source of all knowledge, whether you’re reading or writing the news! The social media mix-up was also a timely reminder that Twitter moves so fast that inaccurate reports can spread like wildfire. With modern day technology, at least we don’t have to wait for a printed retraction.

With Christmas almost upon us, we’re definitely feeling festive at Peppermint HQ. Desks are overspilling with chocolates and the air is filled with random outbursts of Christmas tunes.

Meanwhile, we’re delighted to announce that the winner of our Minty Little Christmas competition is Daryl Leigh of dictate2 us, who correctly guessed the number of peppermints in the sweetie jar (358) and has won himself a luxury hamper from Harvey Nichols. Congratulations Daryl!

2012 is fast approaching and it feels like another year has absolutely flown by. As we post our last blog of 2011, Peppermint will be raising a glass or two to toast a successful year…and looking forward to what 2012 has in store for us.

Wishing you all a merry Christmas.

Last night was Peppermint’s first client Christmas bash. It featured a few of the usual pre-party panics. What if no one turns up? What if it snows? Were the velvet reindeer perhaps one decoration too many?

We needn’t have worried of course: the evening was a romping success. Mulled wine and conversation flowed as the team all took advantage of the opportunity to catch up with friends, old and new. For me, as the newest recruit here, it was lovely to get the chance to meet so many of Peppermint’s lovely clients.

Many mince pies later, and after the cracking of several questionable jokes (I remain blameless) the night was at an end. Even better, today we’re still gorging on the plentiful leftovers.

We’ll meet you round the punch bowl next year…

This week, seven Peppermints donated a day to help out at Manchester-based charity The Mustard Tree.

Upon the Peppermints’ arrival we were given a tour of the charity’s facilities, and introduced to some inspirational people along the way, before being divided up for our day’s duties. Emma and David whizzed off to help the van drivers with the daily donation collections; Alice was sent to exercise her culinary skills in the kitchen, preparing lunch for 50 people on a budget of just £15; Haydn and Joanna offered advice to those who were actively seeking work in the ‘job club’; while Aimee and I were tasked with a creative challenge involving The Mustard Tree’s upcoming launch of a new branch in Eccles.

It’s all part of ‘Project Peppermint’ – a programme centered on Peppermint’s pledge to dedicate time to the wider community and charitable organisations. The day we spent at The Mustard Tree was also a chance to gain a rare insight into this inspirational charity and witness the amazing work the staff perform day to day.

The time we spent at The Mustard Tree was a truly humbling experience. What struck me most is how easy it is to give up a day to carry out voluntary work, but how much difference your time can make to the charity. It just goes to show that a small amount of effort can provide an enormous help, while also being lots of fun. There are so many ways to help out at The Mustard Tree – I heartily recommend anyone to get involved. I promise you won’t regret it!