Friday, August 14, 2009

Katnip Awards

You don’t need an Oscar or an Emmy. On Twitter, it’s all about
The Katnips
-- awards given to those who delight and
intoxicate us with their tweets.


This week’s winners are (drumroll):

The Tripp Worth Taking Award
The judges at the Akatemy were really in a quandary this week. We had planned for over a month to give a Katnip to one of our favorite ad people. She’s a top-notch, super respected Creative Director from NYC whose blogs and tweets are the source of terrific information about the industry. Our admiration has only grown as we’ve come to know her better. So when she featured the Katnip Awards in her new B r a n d F o r w a r d B l o g this past Monday, we wondered: Should we hold off, so that it doesn’t appear as if she “bought” our votes? The members of the Akatemy protested that they had waited long enough. And they won. You’ll win too when you start following her. @michelletripp.


Bells & Whistles Award
It’s clear just from today’s tweets that this relative newcomer to twitter is a natural. He’s funny. Engaging. Modest. And truly brings out the best in others. (Read his bio and his #FollowFriday recommendations.) Yeah, he called us gurus. But that didn’t sway us one bit. We’d love him even if he called us ginsu's. Deserves 1000’s of followers. @Daveisbell


Miss Helen Award
Remember Romper Room? Remember Miss Helen? She would look in her magic mirror and call you by name. That’s what it’s like tweeting with this award winner. You would never know she has 40,000 followers by the way she tweets, because she truly makes you feel that she has taken a special interest in YOU. Not sure how she does it. But she manages to engage, inform, educate, and be a real person. She’s trying a new experiment on twitter time management. We wish her luck. We’ll keep following. @sharonhayes

Hole in One Award
We started an alliteration game on Twitter. Ours: Driving thru drizzle drinking Dunkin Donuts. His reply: Eight excellent eggs earning exceptional extra energy especially eccentric egomaniacs. From there, he was unstoppable. A champion in every sense of the word, on and off the course. Author. DJ. Great friend. @jmbuckingham said it best. Please congratulate @golfnovels


Most Riveting Award
If you like your tweets wry, with a twist, follow this witty Paradox who looks like Rosie the Riveter and calls herself a Contrarian with a heart of gold. We love her spunk, her spirit. And her generosity. Look at her tweetstream, and it’s 99% engagement. We’ve yet to figure out what is “sub” about her. As far as we can tell, she’s a cut above. @submom


Bayou Bengal Award
The first time we met this fanatical Fightin’ Tigers fan, he’d just been out for a 40 mile bike ride... on a Sunday morning...before 8 a.m. That’s the kind of passion and energy he brings to Twitter, too, where he’s always full of life and mostly full of good cheer. (Okay, we won’t talk politics.) All about interacting. And committed to putting together another list of 200 Top Twitterers to follow. Put him on your list. @CesLSU


Green Goddess Award
She’s a marketing consultant and entrepreneur who also happens to know her way around a garden. A huge advocate of all things “green” – not just veggies. Always seems to pop up with an encouraging word just when we need her. Can help you with your brand, share expertise on social media, show you how to grow papayas in New England and make a good case for a French pedicure. @dvautier


Son of a Ghandi Award
Peace-loving, joy-loving guy Mumbai, India who’s all about positive change. In fact, he’s a leader in Change Consulting who is not afraid to admit he’s also a “Mistake maker.” Combines business with heart. One of the nicest people you’ll meet. @JoyAndLife

So that’s it. Congratulate to all the winners!

If you enjoyed this week's Katnip Awards, please spread the love.

And be sure to say hello when you're on Twitter.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Katnip Awards

The dog days of summer are so overrated. Here, it’s all about the cool cats we’ve found on Twitter.

In tribute: The Katnip Awards. (Twitter's Oscar or Emmy.)

And this week’s winners are.....................

Fruit of the Loon Award

We remember the day we first saw his tweets the way you remember the day you fell in love. Consistently hilarious. Dry as the Sahara. Sharp as a machete. Not afraid to be kooky, because he’s got that immense intellect to back him up. Oh, and the Washington Post – bastion of frivolity – likes him, too. Put him in your faves group on Tweetdeck. Not a banterer, but always satisfying. Enjoy a bunch of tweets like this from @badbanana.


Lights, Camera, Action Award
It’s easy to think that you’re tweeting with an adorable 10 year old, because this guy uses his childhood pic and is just so damned cheery. Then you remember that he’s an amazing, multi-tasking film director who shot his 1st Max Factor commercial at age 24. Since then, he's added companies like Coca-Cola, Levis, and Sony to his roster. Won music video awards. And much more. But we love him because he's funny, kind and a joy to behold. Ready for his closeup: @jwoon888


The Marie Award
If she never did anything other than create SOYAS -- Sit On You’re A** Sundays – we would love her forever. But this spunky one is half of Twitter’s "Donny & Marie". And has the guts to admit to being a Yankees fan living in Red Sox territory. Believes “smiling is the best way to go through life”. Let's have a big hand for: @vvarela1974


Sully Sullenberger Award
It wasn’t birds in the propellers that took us down. Just a very hectic schedule last week. That's when she stepped in, kept everyone calm and managed a smooth twitter landing (translation: she picked up our tweeting slack). Always interesting, informative and engaging. Genuine nice human being & cool freelance copywriter/blogger: @tcwsonja


Great Sport Award
Something about that mega-watt smile makes us just want to ….pick on him. We’re not sure why, but we can’t help ourselves. And he responds so good-naturedly that we like him more and more. This guy makes short videos to help Twitter newbies. And he’s passionate about being a rainmaker , showing lawyers how to do the same. Devoted husband and dad: @adriandayton


Designing Do-gooder Award
He burst on the scene last month at a workshop led by @goodridge. Okay, maybe he existed before…but Twitter has been a better place since we’ve met. Designer/Creative Director who’s friendly, always quick to share good finds on creativity and willing to play along. This versatile proud papa also helps community coalitions learn how to use social media. @JasonVerhoosky

Positively Potent Award
You have to get up verrrrrrrry early in the morning to beat the “Duchess of Sunshine“. In fact, we think the sun takes its cue from her. Her energy is amazing. Exceeded only by her generosity of spirit and all-inclusive attitude. Just because she started the #PositivePosse doesn’t make her a Pollyanna. She’s a force to be reckoned with when promoting sustainable, natural organic bedding for Natura World. Don’t just observe. Say hello when you see her. @juliarosien


Thriver Award
If you don’t fall in love with her from her avatar , maybe this will get you. She’s kicked cancer’s butt three times. Today, she’s not wasting a moment. Living life full-on. Getting more than just her golf-groove back. Director of her own non-profit and total delight: @stales

Grace Under Pressure Award
He builds websites in Wordpress. Shares good stuff. And devours info on personal development, marketing, history and more. But it’s tweets like this and this
in the midst of this that make him a real winner. @ brucelauzon

That's it for this time. Be sure to congratulate the winners!

Have a great week. And say hello when you're on Twitter.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Katnip Awards

Summertime. And the Katnip is easy.

Well, not so easy to earn. But very easy to loll around in. Here are this week’s winners.


Beauty & the Brains Award
Whether you want to get up to speed fast or stay in the know, be sure to follow this one. She’s the very charming, very smart Chief Content Officer for the very popular MarketingProfs . Somehow finds time to keep up her yummy personal blog, too. Her name is Ann Handley. Find her @MarketingProfs


Energy Booster Award
The fact that her day starts six hours before ours isn’t what give this winner a head start. It’s the pure positive stream that comes from her tweets. Always a warm welcome. Quick to jump in and play. When you see her avatar, you immediately feel better. Maybe that’s her Reiki magic. Maybe that’s just her. @Cynnergies


Ninja Wit Award
He speaks. He writes. He knows the ins & outs of Financial Aid and helped start PodCamp. But that’s not why we love this guy. Nope. It’s because he’s blindingly swift with lines like this. The fact that he likes his water frozen just makes him endearingly quirky. @cspenn


The Grass is Always Greenler Award
Spent 2 minutes reviewing his tweets, and you’ll see why thing always look better on his side of the lawn. This could also be called the "Glass Half Full" award. It goes to the Global Brand Marketer who knows how to share good content and spread good cheer. He’s got this appreciation thing down. See why you’ll appreciate him. @jgreenler


Has Everything But a Katnip Award
She claims to be the oldest working writer in advertising. Oddly, no one wants to take that crown away. What they can’t touch is that she’s one of the AdAge 150 power bloggers, #1 on Adweek's top marketers to follow on twitter, and the voice behind @BettyDraper. She shares awesome information on creativity, advertising, and life. Don’t be fooled by her name. She’s a high class dame all the way. @adbroad


Doctor Feel Good Award
His life-changing accident at age 25 set him on a relentless path to wellness. Now he gladly shares what he knows, encouraging others -- without ever being pushy. Gentle, kind, cheerful and wise. Even takes naps on Sundays. He’s a complementary & alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner, radio show host and avid fly fisherman. You must read his bio. If that doesn’t wow you, well, we’d have to check for your pulse. @ DocSpallone


SWAT Writer Award
She came in out of nowhere. And deftly took command. Funny, funny, funny. And the DM’s are only half of it. A “writer who tries to leave out the parts that people skip.” You won’t skip anything she says. A bit of a mischief maker. We like her even more for that. @kara_schwab


Hot Lips Award
You can’t miss the avatar of this one. One of the friendliest people we’ve met. She says her mission is to “spread love & cheer to others whenever I can; NOT on Twitter to sell anything or make money!!!” Oh, but Sharon could easily make a fortune as a Lip Model. @lebecross


These are all good tweeps, so spread the word. And check out previous winners in the archives here.

If you see someone you'd like to nominate, let us know.


Friday, July 24, 2009

Katnip Awards

A special shoutout to Bob Cargill aka @cargillcreative for sending us so much love & good press this week. Welcome if you're new to this.

Katnip is the Twitter equivalent of an Oscar or an Emmy. Only more frequent. And this week, the winners are:

Where the Action Is Award

If it’s happening, he knows about it. He was talking about Presence Engineering when most of us were asking what Twitter is. He bought @chrisbrogan a beer from 1,500 miles away. And his blog about it got me into this whole crazy world. A great guy I’ve had the pleasure of working with IRL, a good friend in any space. @MichaelCalienes

Winner Takes All Award

Smart, funny, encouraging. A true bonus on the Boston ad scene. Never underestimate a guy who can find the good in a migraine. Like having stacks of poker chips and a real solid bet: @Chip_Cook


Bottle This Award

One amazing vortex of energy and joy. She says some unfollow because she’s too exuberant. So if you like your tweets mild and bland, look elsewhere. At this writing, she’s the #1 Tweeter in Boston. There’s a reason! Congratulations, @1sweetwhirl


Living Boldly Award

Gutsy brand strategist who this week, instead of curling up in a ball while awaiting cancer test results, wrote this. We love her for it, and so much more. @SueSpaight


Braveheart Award

Very bold. Very funny. Very picky. Sometimes (okay, often) shocking. Can also move you to tears… sometimes in mid-laugh. High praise, & he earns it. @JimFormation


Engager Award

Twitter is about interacting, listening, sharing, responding. And this one does it in spades. As quick to Retweet (RT) as she is to @reply, a total delight who will make you feel seen and heard. Voice for the homeless in Atlanta, but a Mother Theresa with a sense of humor. @adamsconsulting

Treasure Hunter Award

Looking for a wealth of great web and design tips, plus just great social media links on a daily basis? This is your girl. If we had $1 for every gem she’s uncovered, we could retire and tweet about the good life. A generous giver and connector, too. @mistygirlph

The Bachelor Award

He’s funny. Quick-witted. Charming. Down to earth. Talented (we assume) graphic designer. Does not live with his mother as far as we can tell. Easy to forgive for tweeting about food. We really adore him. If he gets hitched from this, we want a finder’s fee. @Tsmuse

Biggest Loser Award (Not!)
She invited me to a Battle of the SadSongs --- then gave me suggestions on songs to play to beat her. Truly does not get the spirit of competition. A really good soul who always aims to inspire. @AriaaJaeger

Fave New Friend of the Week Award

Oh, so many to choose from. Truly. No, we mean truly. So how did she get this? By jumping in, full of life and enthusiasm and a total playful spirit. As far as we know, she’s still driving here from California to go to our beach… most certainly with the top down, wind blowing in her hair. @KimberleKelly

Please congratulate the winners. And
say hello when you're in the Twitterverse.

Not there yet? Get on Twitter, and I'll help you get started.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Katnip Awards

Who needs Twitter’s #FollowFridays when you can have something much more intoxicating?

We’ve got your Katnip here.

Ingenue Award
She burst on the scene sometime last week. We spotted her with her funny tweet to @kirstiealley. Had us all cracking up the rest of the weekend. She’s new to twitter and doesn’t yet know what an honor this award is. Say hello and be nice. You’ll be wanting her autograph soon, we suspect. @ElizabethSalz

The Muse Award

She’s elegant and sophisticated. Interested in architecture, design, music, poetry. Caring about the earth. And most of all, kind and caring about the people on it. Warm, friendly, smart, and savvy. She’ll inspire you with her tweets and her personality. @mollyblock

The Mellow Johnny Award
At the Tour de France, the yellow jersey (Maillot jaune) is given to the rider who had the lead the previous day—so he can be easily identified during the new day’s race. In advertising, that would constantly go to this guy. There’s a reason why he made Adweek’s “TweetFreaks: 50 to Follow" list. Always smart. Always in top shape. And has stayed at the front of the pack year after year. @edwardboches

Gleam in Her Eye Award
She has a delightful way of looking at life, and it shows in her tweets, her photography and her very fun blog. Love the idea of storytelling for grownups. @fleurdeleigh

350ยบ Award
No pre-heating required. This guy arrives hot. His workshops are packed. His ability to connect people sizzles. His generosity in promoting others warms your heart. And there’s nothing half-baked about his presentations. Plus Tyson serves up freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies. @goodridge

Ray of Light Award

Her dawn breaks while most of us are going to bed. But that’s not why she’s the Ray of Light. You can feel the energy on Twitter change like the rising sun the moment you see her tweets. Bright, bright, bright. And full of nothing but joy. She took a little break, and we kept hearing Bill Withers singing “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone.” Her bio says she’s a “happiness pollinator”. We couldn’t agree more. Be sure to say hi. @rosehwang

Sultan of Twitter Award

He claps his hands and says “Dance.” They dance. He says, “Change avatar to your 80’s photo”. They post 80s photos. He can get a conversation started about anything. His wish is our command. Couldn’t help but notice the harem that surrounds him. But guys like him, too. Most of all, he’s good to his subjects. @toddbrink

Mr. Rogers Award

Doesn’t wear the sweater or look anything like him. But boy, does he know how to welcome you to the neighborhood. Sweet, kind, fun. And always willing to lend you a spot on his blog. One of the good guys: @guestblogme

Favorite Lunatic Award
One of the first people we got to know on twitter, and still one of our faves. Pure, crazy fun. Loves pop cultures, not afraid to talk about it. Never takes self too seriously. As delightful IRL as on twitter. The name says it all. @nsane8

What? You didn't get an award? Hang on. Your turn may be coming. Say hi and engage.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Katnip Awards

Who needs Twitter’s #FollowFridays when you can have something much more intoxicating?

We’ve got your Katnip here.

Tweet of the Week
Here we were, looking and looking. And this pops up right under our noses. This little joke got more RT’s last night than we can count. Hats off to @umarnasir .


Life of the Party Award
“Who is this chick we keep seeing retweeted?” we wondered. She’s everywhere. Passionista about art, music, film, design, comedy – fun! Also A++ for giving shout-outs, connecting people, spreading the credit & love. If this is a #worldwiderave, she is hands-down the leader. Watch how one RT from her goes round the globe. @KimSherrell


Fort Knox Award

If you’re looking for gold, he’s got plenty of it. Interesting links. Helpful tips. (Everything that has helped me manage Twitter better, we got from him.) Plus a heart of pure Au. One of the absolute nicest guys we’ve met here. @glennhilton


Cheerful Giver Award
Totally interested in others. In being the light -- not grabbing the spotlight. Her tweets always spread good vibes. Plus we think she’s onto something with her techniques for boosting natural energy, weight loss, body sculpting and more. @ZnaTrainer


SmArt Director Award
In real life, he’s actually a hotshot Creative Director with an Art Director background. On Twitter, he’s the guy who leads you to some really wonderful finds on creativity, art, music… oh, yeah, and advertising. No ego. A generous sharer. All around sweetheart who will cringe when he sees this. @mancevic


Hug It Out Award
When we needed a hug, she was there. Not IRL, but close enough. She is everything her name implies. Upbeat. Caring. Fun. Nurturing. I love the way she rallied when another mom needed some self-esteem pick-me-up. One to know, even if all your kids have four legs (like ours do). @positivemommies


Pinch Hitter Award
Late in the game, this guy appears with all the energy and enthusiasm befitting a first inning. He picks up the bat, knocks the ball out of the park. There when you need him – with encouragement, an RT and that big bright grin. This is one you want on your team. @cargillcreative


Front Porch Award
The day we met her, we threw out a line about sitting on our front porch. She was quick to play along, sending pics of the lemonade she’d bring over. Since then we’ve had to add more rockers (partly because we’re off ours). But she’s still got dibs on the best spot, especially as one who welcomes others and helps create real community in our virtual Mayberry. @vene2ia


If you don’t see your name here, don’t go claw the furniture or spray the front door. Your turn may be coming. Remember, you have to be seen to win. So say hi and engage.

Have a good weekend. And if you like this, please RT & leave a comment here.

Friday, July 3, 2009

The Katnip Awards

Welcome to the second installment of The Katnip Awards. Our answer to the chaos that has become #FollowFridays on Twitter.

Here are the people who delight and dazzle us – both tried and true tweeps and fabulous new finds. Last week we gave out 12 awards. This time, we’re going for 9. This will only make you covet them more, of course.

UPDATE. Inspired blog post by Danny Brown has led to late addition of 10th award. See below!

Ladies and Gentlemen, may we present:


Best Tweet That Wasn’t a Tweet
And that’s only because she’s been blogging 140 char. before there was a Twitter. Check this out and know why so many wouldn't dream of missing @amyflanagan

Best Lead in Branding Adventures Award
When he was a kid – excuse me, l’enfant, he was most likely called a prodigy. He toyed with ad campaigns while others toyed with toys. Held patents while others held their breath. Now he stirs up passionate discussions about branding and social media. (Look at his July 1 blog for proof.) Has a loyal following, for good reason. Dashing and smart, happy to include others in the limelight. @thebrandbuilder

Eureka Award
This guy is my favorite find of the week. Here is one reason why. And here's the other one. @adtothebone

Alpha Centauri Award
Definitely one of the brightest and fastest rising stars here, her enthusiasm for social media is unparalleled. So is her genuine willingness to share what she knows and help others – including businesses and newbies – find their way in the twitterverse. @lisahickey

"Thriller" Award
You can't miss the fact that these two give each other thrills and then some. But before you roll your eyes, know this: They not only adore each other, they create community with their warm and upbeat style. Truly sweet but not saccharin. Great energy. And they know how to bring the fun. @TamaraSchilling and @JosephRanseth

National Treasure Award
She finds and nurtures all the good stuff, from great links about art and creativity to easily digestible info about the quality of our food. A former National Rowing Champion, acclaimed designer and co-founder of a very cool agency who forgot to get a big ego: @parkhere

"Wanna Be Startin’ Something" Award
Whether she’s growing her gourmet cupcake business or ramping up the rivalry between @julito77 and @jeffmello on Blip Idol ’09 (this Mon. 7/6) don’t let her sweet smile fool you. This fun-trepreneur knows how to get things going. @foiledcupcakes

5-Carat Award
What can I say? This guy is a real gem. He has clarity, color and cuts through the clutter with his fun and interesting tweets. A copywriter who understands the meaning of the word “engaging”. @jphodgins

"I'll Be There" Award
It’s easy to meet a lot of people on twitter. This is one you want to know in real life. Totally genuine. Always warm. Not an ounce of pretension or ego. The ambassador of NOLA, and one who would show up for a friend in a heartbeat. Just call her name: @addieking

Smartass of the Week Award
We didn't even know he existed. We feel so deprived. We want the lost time back. But now you can count us in on his fan club. Funny! Gotta read his Social Media Drinking Game. @DannyBrown

That's it for this week, folks. If you don’t see your name here, don’t go claw the furniture or spray the front door. Your turn may be coming. Remember, you have to be seen to win. So say hi and engage.

Happy Fourth of July, all!