Game On, Auntie!

Dear Readers,

I am so proud to announce the latest Savvy Auntie Sponsor! Webwars, an innovator in layered reality gaming and entertainment, is changing the way users engage with online entertainment by removing the barriers between Web gaming and Web sites.
Their first launch is Weblings - a game designed for women! Naturally, we love working with them! and when we discovered that Cindy Armstrong, their CEO, is a Savvy Auntie, we were thrilled! She's one of us, Aunties! And frankly, that's why she's working with Savvy Auntie. She understands the power and influence of PANKs (Professional Aunts No Kids).

Here's the cool part - they are holding a contest on SavvyAuntie.com. Simply answer one poll question, include your email address so we know how to reach you if you've won, and you're automatically entered to win one of two Toshiba laptops!

If I Tweet about this promotion, I'll use [sp] in the tweet so that you know it is part of a sponsored conversation.

Oh and if you love online games - then please check out Weblings to play. Check it out anyway. We love to support Savvy Aunties.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

Show Me Your Pretty Face!

Dear Readers,

We launched our first contest last Monday, August 18th. It's called "Show Us Your Pretty Face" and it's sponsored by Sephora.

The objective of the contest is to encourage members to upload photos of themselves, or at least a unique avatar. I was tired of seeing the same Savvy Auntie default avatar and knew that it would be more challenging for Savvy Auntie members to engage with each other in the Community, if they didn't upload a photo. And Community engagement is so vital for success.

I asked Aaron Strout, the amazingly talented man on my Advisory Board who plays the role of advising me on Community Management. Aaron had the idea for a promotion, and I had the idea to contact Cathy over at Sephora for help.

Let me tell you a little bit about Cathy. First of all, she's adorable. And a Savvy Auntie herself! Cathy contacted me after reading about the launch of Savvy Auntie just hours after we went live! She 'gets it.' After a number of wonderful emails, and an even more wonderful phone call, Cathy confessed to having to 'run.' She was late delivering 40 pink cupcakes for her little niece's birthday. And might I add, this wasn't a blood relative... just one of her many nieces and nephews from her group of friends. Cathy is truly a Savvy Auntie!

I had the pleasure of meeting Cathy when I was in San Francisco for Blogher last month. She gave me a tour of the HQ office and introduced me to a number of other Savvy Aunties who happen to work there. We had a great meeting and I am hoping that we can partner on many more creative projects in the near future.

But "Show Us Your Pretty Face" is the first. And it's a whopper of an idea! In less than a couple of days, I already see the difference it is making!

So thanks, Cathy. Thanks, Sephora. And thanks to all the members uploading your photos and unique avatars to SavvyAuntie.com. By the way, you can find fun avatars at FaceYourManga.com. These DIY avatars are all the rage! And they are also great for creating images of your nieces and nephews for your profile page!

Well cheers to our first contest! Heh - I'm already a winner!

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie