A family faith, Generation Magazine, December 2011.

A burden shared at Acorns, Inspire Magazine, September 2011.

New office for funeral firm, Edinburgh Evening News, 29 August 2011.

William Purves opens first funeral directors in Craigmillar, STV Edinburgh, 29 August 2011.

Top ten tips: Funeral finances,The Scotsman, 11 July 2011.

Funeral directors William Purves hires Hot Tin Roof, The Drum, 3 May 2011.

Acorns,  a new unique bereavement programme launches in Edinburgh, Lothian Life, 25 April 2011.

Unique bereavement support service launches in Edinburgh, STV Edinburgh, 11 April 2011.

Grieving service comes together to deal with loss, The Scotsman, 6 April 2011.

Create an awesome cinemagraph in Photoshop, .net magazine, 4 January 2012.

Haggis Adventures look to online video to engage with youth market, The Drum, 18 November 2011.

University of Stirling add cinemagraphs to website with Heehaw Digital, The Drum, 16 November 2011.

Stirling is the first UK University to use cinemagraphs, Creative Boom, 11 November 2011.

Top Ten Digital Marketing tips for travel & tourism businesses, Travel Bulletin, 11 November 2011.

Powerful online video for Haggis Adventures, Coach Holiday News, 1 November 2011.

Heehaw launches online video for Haggis Adventures, Travel Bulletin, 31 October 2011.

Pagan Osborne tasks Heehaw with website overhaul, The Drum, 4 October 2011.

Heehaw Digital appoints head of digital development, The Drum, 23 September 2011.

Design agency Heehaw Digital recruits head of digital development, The Scotsman, 23 September 2011.

Opening a new savings account or credit card online is set to become a lot easier thanks to a new partnership between ‘digital passport’ providers miiCard and data specialists Callcredit.

Until now, fraud and money-laundering regulations have meant that customers applying for a financial product online have usually had to follow this up by providing proof of identity and other documents by post.

As a result, up to 90% of sign-ups are never completed – meaning many customers are missing out on the attractive ‘online only’ rates offered by banks.

But in a major step for both consumers and the finance industry, miiCard and Callcredit have joined forces to provide a unique online identity service that removes the need for paper-based checks.

The miiCard (My Internet Identity Card) service allows a consumer to prove their identity online and in real-time, creating the same level of trust as a passport or driving licence. Callcredit’s award-winning identity verification software, which contains data on millions of UK consumers, gives an extra, robust layer of protection that ensures the service meets strict anti-money laundering and fraud regulations.

James Varga, Chief Executive of miiCard, said: “In a digital economy where there is a 70% to 90% drop out rate when selling financial products online as soon as the process goes offline, removing the drivers’ licence, passport and utility bill checks is critical. Creating this level of trust online will not only change the face of financial services but anywhere you need to know who you’re dealing with.”

Graham Lund, Managing Director of Callcredit, said: “At this time of year, many consumers will be looking to get their finances in order for 2012 by taking advantage of competitive online banking offers.

“As a recognised leader in identity verification and fraud prevention, we have been working closely with miiCard to make it easier for customers to complete the sign-up process without compromising compliance with regulations or fraud rates. The new service provides a consumer-focused solution that combines the latest cutting edge technology with the widest range of robust data sources. Today represents a shift in the way consumers and companies will view identity verification in the future.”

miiCard

Look no further!

TIN IT OR BIN IT is your weekly social media need-to-know.

Hot off the press we deliver the week’s most ground breaking social media news,
oh-no-you-didn’t stories, tips you can’t afford to miss or simply our opinion on trends in the digital landscape.

Lastly, we’ll tell you whether it’s tin material or bin material!

View them all here on our Facebook page.

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Tin It Or Bin It – 6 January 2012 – Take a Wander

After a brief break we are now back in 2012 with your weekly social media need-to-know.

We have been looking at a free iPhone app called Wander, which connects pen pals and Instagram to allow users to look at and take part in the lives of others all over the world, whilst also interacting and sharing with them.

Not everyone has the money or opportunity to go travelling around the world, so this free app can help to satisfy your curiosity for other cultures and help you become closer to the lives of others.

Wander creates connections with people you have never met through photo based conversation threads and provides the opportunity to explore different surrounding in an interactive, expressive way. Magic.

Each week, you can explore a new part of the world with a new user acting as your local guide. The app works by highlighting a new guide, from over 80 countries and across 6 continents that you can choose to connect with.

If you connect, the app will then suggest photo-based missions to start the interaction. You then upload them to the conversation. No worries if you don’t speak the same language, as there is a built in translation feature to aid your communication.

Wander currently has 12,000 app downloads and nearly 1,100 photos shared each week.

The only downside appears to be that is it currently just available for iPhone users, however the app will soon be rolled out for Android devices. Hurrah!

Wander seems to be the natural step in social networking and for that reason it’s a TIN IT.

C2 Software help Durham police to launch ‘real time’ neighbourhood website, Durham Times, 24 November 2011.

C2 Software use social media to connect Durham Constabulary with community, The Advertiser, 24 November 2011.

Watch crim crackdowns on live plod blog, The Register, 24 November 2011.

Durham police to launch ‘real-time’ neighbourhood website, Darlington & Stockton Times, 24 November 2011.

Durham police plan for real time information, The Guardian, 23 November 2011.

Steps to design a user friendly website, SME Web, 8 November 2011.

The social side of CRM, Microscope, 7 November 2011.

Samsung puts bite on Apple in phone wars, The Scotsman, 27 October 2011.

Designing your website, don’t forget your users, Fresh Business Thinking, 5 October 2011.

Seven steps to a user-friendly website, Enterprise Nation, 30 September 2011.

How to get the best website through user-centred design, Real Business, 28 September 2011.

Guide to new EU cookie laws, SME Web, 9 September 2011.

The cookie crumbles, IT Donut, 12 September 2011.

C2 make sense of the EU cookie legislation, Bitsy, 30 August 2011.

Making sense of the new EU cookie regulations, EN For Business, 16 August 2011.

C2 Software examine the new EU cookie legislation, The Marketing Lounge, 16 August 2011.

EU cookie legislation, Fresh Business Thinking, 4 August 2011.

Making sense of the EU cookie legislation, Real Business, 3 August 2011.

Student teachers to manage their own online profiles, M2, 11 July 2011.

C2 launches Scottish Prison Service website, The Drum, 6 June 2011.

C2 Software release Scottish Prison Service website early, ScotlandIS, 1 June 2011.

http://www.c2software.com/

Olympic Games employer guidance 2012, Fresh Business Thinking, 02 April 2012.

How to prepare your business for the Olympics 2012, New Business, 26 March 2012.

Olympic Games employer guidance, Real Business, 23 March 2012.

Steps SMEs can take to manage salaries in light of stratospheric bonuses, SME Web, 2 February 2012.

Your HR Calendar for 2012, InspiresMe.co.uk, 1 February 2012.

SME Focus, The Herald, 30 January 2012.

2012: The key dates of the year ahead, Business Matters, 9 January 2012.

Bonuses: Are they worth it, Business Matters, 7 December 2011.

How to avoid pitfalls and make the most of the holiday season, Fresh Business Thinking, 1 December 2011.

sportscotland outsources HR services for 50 governing bodies of sport, HR Magazine, 21 November 2011.

10 tips to enjoy the festive season at work, Inspireme.co.uk, 17 November 2011.

Gravitating toward sporting excellence, The Scotsman, 16 November 2011.

Get your business ready for winter, SME Web, 25 October 2011.

Preparing for winter, EN For Business, 14 October 2011.

Is your business ready for winter, Business Matters, 12 October 2011.

Get ready for winter, Fresh Business Thinking, 5 October 2011.

Ten ways to prepare your business for winter, Real Business, 27 September 2011.

http://www.gravitatehr.co.uk/

miiCard is urging UK shoppers to stay safe this Christmas and prevent online fraud by protecting their online identity. As more and more of us avoid the Christmas crowds by shopping online, so cyber crime levels continue to spike around the season with one in every hundred people affected by fraud and almost £70 million of ecommerce fraud predicted for Christmas 2011 (Source: IMRG).

Christmas is a key target for fraudsters, and shoppers are more than three times likely to experience fraud during the holiday period than any other time of year. James Varga, miiCard’s CEO explains: “Fraud is changing – as we start to reduce security and transactional fraud we are now seeing huge increases in fraud relating to identity theft, impersonation and false documentation. And almost 72% of fraud this Christmas will relate to identity related issues (Source: CIFAS).

Digital passport service miiCard believe it is imperative that UK consumers are aware of the risks and take measures to protect themselves. The company has published a guide identifying the ten tips for safe and secure online shopping which it will publish across the internet and tweet daily in the run up to Christmas. These tips aim to educate the consumer, and will include advice such as: only buy from well known websites, read customer reviews and be careful with the information you share.

As the number of online shoppers grow so we are seeing a corresponding increase in the incidence of internet fraud explains James Varga, founder of miiCard: “Shopping online is fast and convenient and for many of us is a far more attractive option than battling through the crowds on the high street. But, with the increased risk of fraud over the festive period, we are advising consumers to take control and actively protect their digital identity.”

Today in the UK there is no way of proving online ‘I am who I say I am’ in real time. And it is that loophole that fraudsters are leveraging to wage war on the internet shopper: the impact of e-commerce fraud on the UK economy is expected to rise by 18% from £165 million in 2011 to £195 million in 2015 (Source: PayPoint.net).

Varga continues: “We’re encouraging consumers to sign up for a miiCard digital passport and join our fast growing user group who want to create a system of trust online.” Varga wants to encourage banks and retailers to adopt an independent proof of identity that meets anti-money laundering standards. Currently there is no way to prove your identity online to the same level of authority of a passport or driver’s licence.

miiCard is a digital passport (or virtual driver’s licence) that allows consumers to prove they are who they say they are online in real time, validated to anti-money laundering standards. Owned and managed by the individual, miiCard allows the consumer to track, monitor and so take control of their online identity. It creates trust between parties when conducting business, fights fraud and protects consumers without the need for physical identity validation.

Ten Tips for Safe Online Shopping this Holiday Season

1. Buy from well-known websites

Use credible sites like Amazon and eBay that have seller feedback, product reviews and buyer protection procedures in place.

2. Read the reviews

Take the time to read buyer feedback and reviews. Make sure the product is exactly what you want and the seller has a reliable and trusted selling history.

3. Research the business

If you are looking for that extra special something on a smaller, lesser known website, a quick Internet background search should provide you with peace of mind. Check for blog, forum and social media posts by and about the business. Ask your friends if they’ve bought from them before and what their experience was like.

4. Don’t be fooled

If an offer looks too good to be true it probably is. Research the items you’re looking to buy on a few different sites to get an idea of the true value of the goods.

5. Contact the seller

If you have any doubts about a suspicious seller or fake website, contact them to try and verify their details. Poor spelling and grammar in emails from a business can be a warning sign the business is not legitimate.

6. Do a little detective work

Add the words “fraud” and “scam” to the business or product. If someone has been scammed it’s very likely the victims will be making lots of noise in forums and posts online.

7. Read the small print

Read and understand privacy and returns policies. Print a copy of your order and check your bank statement carefully against anything you buy online. Alert your financial provider immediately if you notice anything suspicious.

8. Safety first

Only buy from secure sites that use security encryption in the URL “https://”. Log out accounts after completing a purchase and guard your passwords closely.

9. Don’t give too much away

Be careful with the information you share online. During the buying process all that should be required is: name, email, address, telephone number, payment information and shipping arrangements. Use a landline telephone number and a business address for delivery if possible. Never give out passport, driving licence or social security numbers to anyone online.

10. Payment protection

Using your regular bank account can make you vulnerable so pay by credit card for an added layer of fraud protection.

For more information contact: Sarah Lee

Heehaw breaks new ground again with a series of captivating digital images for the University of Stirling. In possibly the first commercial use of cinemagraphs in Scotland, Stirling also believes it is the first UK university to use them.

Cinemagraphs are a new technique which add motion to still photographs resulting in photographs that move. They were invented by two US photographers to illustrate fashion and news photographs and the first examples appeared early in 2011. They are created by filming short sequences and editing the moving footage into a still image, allowing small portions of movement from the video to loop seamlessly.

Cinemagraphs have an almost mesmeric quality. At first you catch just a slight movement you could easily miss. It causes you to double take and forces you to look closer as Kirsty MacGregor, Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Stirling explains: “We were looking for something original, innovative and creative to update our website, something that would stand out and ensure people would engage with the content. Heehaw’s answer was something we had not heard of before: cinemagraphs.

“Heehaw’s technical and creative knowhow has helped us to achieve our vision and by working closely with our own in-house web team they have created fantastic results. The cinemagraphs are a great achievement for everyone involved and demonstrate our commitment to using visual art to reinforce and express the university’s values.

The series of six images include the pages of a book turning, a bunsen burner burning, a hand moving a computer mouse, wind blowing a woman’s hair, a golf club teeing up and a microscope being focused.

Mally Graveson Heehaw’s Director of Productions comments: “The university provided us with a list of suggestions as to what the pictures were to represent. From there we detailed the concepts and planned each shot. The main thing we had to get right was the movement. It has to be subtle yet in a place people would expect to find motion, and it had to be achieved within the technical constrains of a cinemagraph.

“This is a completely new technique for us and for Scotland and of course we are delighted to be the first to do it!”

Heehaw Digital is a full service digital agency offering web design, video, mobile, social media, e-commerce and online marketing. Working with a broad range of public and private sector brands, from the bluechip multi-national to the SME including RBS, Scottish Natural Heritage, Hopetoun House and the Edinburgh Comedy Festival, this multi-sector experience allows cross fertilisation of ideas.

Heehaw’s strong research and development focus means they work at the cutting edge of digital creativity. They were one of the first agencies in Scotland to start using video and are one of the few to have their own specialist in-house video production team.

For more information please contact: Lauren Cormack.

sportscotland, the national agency for sport in Scotland, has appointed Gravitate HR as an expert resource in a three year contract to provide outsourced HR services and manage a HR help desk available to all 50 Scottish governing bodies of sport (SGBs).

In addition to the online HR helpdesk and telephone helpline, Gravitate has developed the sportscotland HR Zone, available online 24/7 to nominated users with the SGBs. This innovative resource, containing a completely up to date library of HR policies and procedures, and template HR documents for the governing bodies, accessible in real time, anywhere in the country from any device at a time that is convenient for the SGBs.

Margery McBain CEO of Gravitate explains: “I believe firmly that people are the essence of any organisation and the style of approach and management of all at work significantly influences success. When people are drawn together by common aims and goals their energy and involvement can bring positive results.

“This is a critical time for sport in Scotland with the upcoming London 2012 Olympics and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. With the eyes of the world on the country, people working with sport, either as athletes or behind the scenes, are likely to be under a great deal of scrutiny. It is critical that we create a robust and responsive HR framework for those involved to allow them to do what they do well and to add value to their endeavours to create world class sport within Scotland.”

Targets and benchmarks have been identified to ensure a standard and quality of service. Both helpline and the online HR Zone will be closely monitored ensuring accountability and visibility for Gravitate’s service delivery. Reports for account management will also allow trends to be identified and strategic decisions made.

Following any changes in legislation, Gravitate can instantly update the relevant documents centrally, ensuring that SGBs always have the most up to date information available. SGB users of the HR Zone can choose how they want to contact Gravitate to ensure absolute privacy and confidentiality within an open plan office. The help line lets people speak direct to a member of the Gravitate team who will be able to offer advice.

Lorna Callan, Partnership Manager at sportscotland said: ‘We are delighted to have this expert resource service up and running for all governing bodies of sport in Scotland to use to support them in the day to day running of their organisations. It is important that we support SGBs to be well managed organisations and this is one of the ways we will do this. We believe that this service will provide the support and guidance that SGBs need and we look forward to working with Gravitate and the other expert resource teams to make the programme a success.’

Gravitate HR is a full service outsourced HR advice and support company specialising in workplace dispute resolution, performance management processes and HR policy. Launched in 2006 by Margery McBain, the company works with a number of high profile companies including Found Ocean and The Kitchin. Gravitate helps a broad range of public and private sector companies to manage employment related issues, in many cases working as part of the management team to help make difficult decisions about their team and the way forward.

sportscotland is made up of a head office in Glasgow, a high performance arm, the sportscotland institute of sport in Stirling and the institute network regionally. The sportscotland Trust Company operates three national training centres, Glenmore Lodge, Inverclyde, and Cumbrae.

For more information please contact: Sarah Lee.

Independent travel company Haggis Adventures is using video to engage with the youth market, as part of a dynamic and interactive online marketing campaign. A new three minute video has been shot and produced by one Scotland’s leading agencies Heehaw Digital and launches next week.

Heehaw’s video aims to get people excited about Haggis Adventures and hopefully will act as a catalyst for customers to upload their own videos to YouTube. Haggis Adventures encourage bloggers with large YouTube followings to create their own YouTube travel videos.

Such consumer generated content is valuable marketing for Haggis, with one video posted by a passenger of the Loch Ness Monster trip getting 6,288 views on YouTube.

Haggis is part of the award winning group of independent travel companies including Busabout, Haggis and Shamrocker Adventures – carrying a total of 50,000 passengers a year across Europe, the UK and Ireland.

Heehaw Digital’s film is punchy, fast paced and energetic, quickly catching the essence of the brand for the viewer as Haggis Adventures brand manager, Roger Kerr explains: “ Video is an incredibly powerful way of communicating the experience of a Haggis Adventure and we also use the videos for training purposes with our agents worldwide. But most of all they are massively important for customer engagement and create real interaction between brand and customer.”

Kerr continues: “Heehaw are a great company – young, energetic, youth focused and good fun. They always thinking of new ways to do things – we have worked with them for many years and they always come up with something really fresh and exciting. They really get what we are about and that is important for us.”

As online and YouTube in particular, becomes more and more critical to success in the travel industry, video is now a key part of any marketing campaign. Video is highly measureable from the number of views to the comments left by viewers, allowing the brand to engage one to one with customers.

Mally Graveson, Heehaw’s Director of Productions says: “We shot the video from the passenger’s perspective on a tour of the Highlands so viewers are not listening to a sales guy but listening to other customers and likeminded people. This makes the film far more personal and emotive – customers feel they can connect with the brand and get a taste of what the trip is all about.”

One of the first agencies to start using video, Heehaw Digital has its own specialist inhouse video production team. Over the past decade they have built a powerful reputation in the travel and tourism industry, working with companies like Top Deck Travel, Intrepid Travel, British Waterways, Hopetoun House, Prestonfield House Hotel and Mariott Dalmahoy Golf and Country Club.

Heehaw has worked with Busabout a sister company of Haggis Adventures since 2000. In 2009 they edited a series of two minute taster videos. According to Graeme Ward, the travel group’s Managing Director “since the launch of the Busabout promotional videos sales increased by 79% in Greece, 95% in Croatia and 66% in Italy.”

For more information contact: Lauren Cormack.