For Harvard business professor Michael Norton, it is a ‘yes’, when we do not spend it on ourselves.

In the recent TEDxCambridge,

(http://www.ted.com/talks/michael_norton_how_to_buy_happiness.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2012-04-24&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email)

Norton comments on the notion ‘Can Money Buy Happiness’, supported by interesting research findings. The one single conclusion is – when people are pro-social with their money, they are happier.

The take away –

Ÿ   Comparisons – Doing good things in trivial ways does not make one less happier, while spending on someone you know or making a donation yields the same level of happiness.

Ÿ   Happiness Index – In 136 countries across the world (Africa inclusive), people rate their wellbeing higher when giving money to charity instead of keeping it.

Ÿ   Return on Investment – return on Investment of €15 is as low as €4.5 if one spends money on personal incentives because it does not motivate them to perform better; however it goes up to €78 if the money is spend on pro-social incentives.

So money can, indeed buy happiness.

Here are the key points worth noticing and our interpretation –

• In every aspect social media has revolutionised the way brands communicate/ engage with their customers whose attention spans are getting shorter (and shorter) yet their appetites for information are growing. Our brains are now wired to receive news in less than 140 characters (credits to Twitter) and watch videos less than 10 minutes, combined with the craze of checking our social platforms several times a day through mobile phones.

• FACEBOOK’s recent development (timeline and acquisition of Instagram) points to two trends that are continue to grow strong (and that all marketers should be aware of) – mobile and visual engagement. We would like to add that the success of Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube gives the same idea.

•  TWITTER is still catching up in popularity in Asia except Japan, yet in Hong Kong and China, weibo (named Twitter of the East) took off like rocket and has become the key social media platform. It is also said to be gaining traction in the West, even Hollywood celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Paris Hilton are now on weibo. In China alone, there are over 550 million registered users and counting (compared to 465 million for Twitter worldwide). Despite the ‘censorship firewall’ by the conservative government, it is still the mainstay for breaking news (and rumours) – remember the train crash in Zhenjiang province in August 2011, and the story of Kim Jong-An’s assassination early this year.

• Undeniably PINTEREST opens more doors for brands that are more ‘visual’, in terms of referral traffic, it surpasses YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn, combined. Tapping into the simple concept of ‘ladies love pinning’ (and with 97% female users), it is currently the fastest site in history to have hit 10 million monthly unique visitors.

• INSTAGRAM has certainly taken photo sharing to a whole new level, not only does the filter function transform happy snappies into art pieces, it also shapes the way we communicate with friends, with images being the new ‘cyber language’. For marketers, attaching a visual element to a brand message (however short and straightforward it is) has become mandatory.

• LINKEDIN still maintains its niche as the place with ‘golden opportunities’ and shorten the distance between corporates and talents. The US is still leading the overall trend, seeing 75 Fortune 100 companies said they recruit through this channel.

• YOUTUBE is the second largest search engine and third most visited website, handling 10% of the traffic on the internet. These numbers support a new thinking of PR engagement – combining multimedia assets to press release to allow greater visibility within search engines, increase engagement level among key influencers, journalists and media outlets. If a picture is worth a thousand words, it would be a million for a video. No doubt.

Schooled and trained in Hong Kong, Ed Ng is co-founder of AB Concept, one of Asia’s leading architectural and design studios.

While co-director Terence Ngan oversees the structural and architectural elements, Ed Ng brings his innate sense of style to the interiors.

AB Concept has been behind some of the world’s most buzzed-about hospitality projects including the W Retreat & Spa in Bali, Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Tainan and the spa at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore. Upcoming projects include the W Hotel Beijing, China.

In 2011, AB Concept earned international recognition for their design of the W Retreat & Spa in Bali. Aside from winning the ‘Best Guest Room’ trophy at the prestigious Gold Key Awards in New York, the company earned the Best Design prize at the International Hotel and Property Awards in the ‘Hotels Over 200 Rooms’ category.

Which project are you most proud of?

ED NG: Although it is always hard to choose a favourite, W Bali is perhaps the most representative of our work. With this project, we wanted to pay respect to Balinese style and architectural traditions but give them a new twist. We wanted to redefine what a Balinese resort should look like. The challenge was to invent a new style, one that is unique but still respectful of Balinese style and culture.

Describe your design style.

Our work reflects our genuine respect for a place’s history, culture and arts scene. Whenever you look at our designs, we hope this source of the inspiration comes through. Our designs are clean and uncluttered, aiming to integrate form and function without being gimmicky.

Where are you most creative?
When I’m travelling. All of the world’s greatest cities – Shanghai, Paris, New York – inspire me with their architecture, creative history and wonderful art scene. These vibrant, cosmopolitan cities never fail to surprise you with their hidden treasures. When I travel, I’m always observing new design innovations, lifestyle trends and fashion styles.

What does your home mean to you?

Since I travel so intensely for such long periods, home is my private sanctuary. It’s my cocoon where I can relax and feel rejuvenated. It’s also the place where I love spending time with my two lovely Shiba dogs.

What will be the next big design trend?

About 20 years ago, minimalism was the big trend. That was a distinct movement, but there doesn’t seem to be a seismic shift in design trends today. If anything, people are now exploring the big concept behind each project and creating a narrative around it. Once you have a strong narrative, it becomes the core of your design and everything else falls into place. There’s no point designing just for the sake of following a trend. It simply won’t last and the finished product won’t resonate with any soul.

A bizarre website targeting the brokenhearted, wotwentwrong.com invites those who have been dumped to email a survey to their ex to find out why.  “People who thought the first date was awesome or saw no signs anything was wrong with the relationship can end up blaming themselves,” explains the WotWentWrong press release. “It can cause lasting damage to someone’s self-esteem and future relationships. Closure can be hard to find on your own.”

Survey recipients can choose from pre-set categories to explain why they suddenly stopped calling, vanished or lost interest. Listed reasons include, “You text instead of calling”, “You are selfish” “You don’t make me feel attractive” or “You don’t pay for dinner when we go out”. If the reasons provided don’t cover all the bases (or add enough pain to the heartache), a separate form lets the dumper add their comments.

For the sake of a balanced appraisal, the survey also lets the dumper describe the ex’s best traits: “You are positive.” “You are insightful.” “You have a great body.”

The website won’t bring closure, but it is likely to bring some relief… to the recipients! Receiving a wotwentwrong email will only confirm what they always thought –their ex is a needy, insecure psycho!

Find out more about the website on WSJ’s report:
http://online.wsj.com/video/a-site-to-help-soothe-the-sting-of-break-ups/BFA6F923-8EC7-40F0-B5A8-E7B0A55ECF95.html

For the on-the-go executive, there’s also an iflybags iPhone app. For US0.99, users can lighten the load and take some weight off their minds.

For more info, check out www.iflybags.com

Unhappy customers submit their grievance to the website as a private message. uVent then forwards the complaint to the company in question. For a small fee, the company can access the customer’s details and resolve the matter directly. If, however, the gripe goes unanswered after a day, things turn nasty. uVent publishes the comments online and offers the customers details to the company’s competitors, helping them identify potential customers.

We’re counting the days till some savvy entrepreneur launches this in Hong Kong where bad service is as prevalent as the pollution. Next time you experience bad service, don’t get mad… get online!

Although that Coca-Cola effort fizzled, another online campaign is popping.  As part of a 2011 initiative, Google invited four international brands to reinvent their once-iconic ads for a new generation. Reuniting the creative teams behind the original ads, the challenge was to re-imagine the brief using the latest technological tools.

Coca-Cola chose to reinterpret its seminal 40-year-old ad, ‘Hilltop’. A phenomenon at the time, the 1971 original ad celebrated tolerance and unity and featured a multicultural cast singing ‘I’d like to buy the world a Coke’.

Updating the ad for the digital age, Coca-Cola created an interactive campaign that honors the hippie-inspired One-World vibe of the original. Using mobile technology, users can send a free Coke to a random stranger in another country and connect directly with the recipients. It goes to show that, even with all the whiz-bang expertise, a great campaign rests solely with a great idea.

For more information about the campaign, and to see other examples, log onto http://www.projectrebrief.com

Learn more about this trend through http://www.sheconomy2020.com/

(photo via: arch daily)

When Chinese architect Wang Shu was awarded the 2012 Pritzker Prize, the top honour in architecture, the announcement raised a few eyebrows. As the first Chinese citizen to receive the award, some in China’s design circles bristled at the notion that other candidates were more deserving of the honour. No doubt Wang Shu, whose work celebrates the past with salvaged materials, is cutting-edge, statement-making and bears all the hallmarks worthy of recognition. But does his work resonate only because it’s in the context of China, where most of the iconic buildings bear the names of foreign ‘starchitects’, and where issues of national identity and urbanization make his philosophy all the more relevant? In other words, take his work out of China and will it still be as groundbreaking as that of other Pritzker laureates?

The Pritzker jury acknowledges that the win is as a much a vote of confidence for China “and the role it will play in the development of architectural ideals,” said Thomas J. Pritzker, head of the Hyatt Foundation.

Sentiment aside, the win is a boost for the ‘made in China’ label and sends a message to China’s architects, designers, product developers and future brands: “Old” is the new New and that heritage preservation is as much a commercial imperative as it is a cultural movement.

Make ‘em laugh:  When companies included a rib-tickling video in their campaign, users were more than three times more likely to view the brand’s facebook page.

Sack the stars: Videos featuring celebrities drive 12 per cent fewer click through to a brand’s facebook page than those without.

Keep it short: Videos lasting 15 seconds had the best click-through rates. Those between 16-30 seconds had the lowest click-through rates.

Check out the full infographic below: