facebook | Social Signal

If you use Facebook, you've almost certainly noticed the ads on the right-hand side of most pages. And chances are you've also noticed the little "x" in the upper right-hand corner of each ad.

It's the "I don't like this" link (the opposite of that little thumbs-up icon under each ad), and I use it regularly. I let most Facebook ads slide, but some either offend me (usually with a gratuitously sexist photo, or a clearly misleading come-on) or are just so clearly not intended for me (thanks, but I'm not in the market for a condo) that I end up clicking - more to alert Facebook than for any other reason.

When BC Hydro asked us to help them develop a new social media project - building on the success of the Green Gifts Facebook app - our thoughts naturally turned to the 2010 Winter Games. BC Hydro is an Official Supporter; organizers are aiming to have their greenest Olympic Winter Games yet; BC Hydro's ad campaign is built around the slogan "Save power. See the games."... hmm...

As causes go, you can't get much closer to our hearts than with a children's hospital. The thought of having to take one of our kids there is wrenching, and I'm sobered by the fact that thousands upon thousands of children - and their parents - go through that every day.

We want those kids to get the care they need swiftly and effectively. We want our best medical knowledge brought to bear, and we want clean, quality facilities that promote good health as well as healing sickness.

So we jumped at the chance to work with the BC Children's Hospital Foundation, helping them chart a social media strategy for engaging their audiences and raising money.