Almost a year ago we wrote about BlakeMakes.com, a blog that helps food manufacturers distribute samples of their products to bloggers with influential voices. Working on much the same theme, WIN it gIRL is a new site gearing up for launch this spring that aims to connect consumers and brands.

WIN it gIRL will be a free, monthly e-mail newsletter and blog that features articles and reviews about the latest topics in style, wellness, living, technology and travel. Partner manufacturers will send samples of their latest products to WIN it gIRL, who will review them on her blog. Readers will then be directed to participating blog sites for details about exclusive monthly contests, through which they have a chance to win said products. Those who win will then be given the option to keep their prizes, or to donate them to their favourite charity.

The website explains: "WIN it gIRL is more of a social experiment than a typical promotions company, in that it is free to its readers and its partners. A scrappy and money-conscious consumer, WIN it gIRL created her website to not only benefit from the featured products and services, but to allow other women and organizations to do the same. As an added value, WIN it gIRL allows brands to reach their target market in an effective and cost-saving manner."

Indeed, traditional advertising is struggling, to put it mildly. Provide a good alternative, and you'll create benefits for brands, consumers—and you! WIN it gIRL currently seeks partner blogs and brands for its upcoming launch. One to get in on early....?

Website: www.winitgirl.com
Contact: girl@winitgirl.com

Dire reports from the world of newspapers and magazines may suggest the printed medium is on its way out, but a new Chicago start-up doesn't think so. Rather, it's beta-testing a plan to publish a raft of free print publications in local communities across the US.

With a heavy emphasis on the local, The Printed Blog is an independent outlet that aggregates user-generated content from the internet and publishes it in print. The result is a fully tactile newspaper that reads and functions like a web feed, but that can still be spread across the breakfast table or enjoyed on the train. Bucking the "one-size-fits-all" trend followed by many newspapers, The Printed Blog aims to choose the content of its many local editions to reflect the votes of local readers, who will ultimately be able to express their preferences on its site. Content will include not just blogs but also photographs, puzzles, events, reader comments and other items of local interest. The paper is currently still testing its model, but its first issues are scheduled to hit the streets of Chicago and San Francisco today. It will ultimately be distributed to neighbourhood pickup points in A.M. and P.M. editions.

The Printed Blog has already received permission from about 300 bloggers—including the Daily Kos—to publish their work in exchange for a share of ad revenue, according to a report in The New York Times. Some 15 advertisers signed on for the first issue, the NYT reported. The startup reportedly plans to put commercial printers in the homes of its distributors as a way to keep printing costs low.

Will The Printed Blog succeed in reinventing the local newspaper? Time will tell. Meanwhile, one to watch! (Related: Free daily pays bloggers.)

Website: www.theprintedblog.com
Contact: info@theprintedblog.com

Spotted by: Martina Meng

There are social networks for virtually every profession, hobby and interest, and golf is no exception. Myriad sites already exist to help golfers connect, but a new one that just launched adds professional video analysis and online instruction to serve up free, personalized golfing advice.

Links Lessons, based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, is a free social network that focuses on improving members' game. That may be a common goal among enthusiast sites, but Links Lessons goes beyond forums and general professional tips to give members the online equivalent of free, personalized lessons. Members simply upload a video of their swing to the Videos section of the site. There, it is analysed by a real golf professional, who then gives them feedback and advice on improving it. Amateur golfers can also use Links Lessons to interact with their peers, including commenting on each other's swings and profiles. Professionals, meanwhile, can use the site to gain clients and exposure.

Offering a win-win for both amateurs and pros—not to mention a raft of niche advertising opportunities—Links Lessons was built using Ning, an online service that lets users create, customize and share social networks focused on any topic. How about creating something similar in another part of the world, or for another sport....? (Related: Connecting off the court.)

Website: www.linkslessons.com
Contact: dennis.card@linkslessons.com

Spotted by: Gustavo

‘Democratic’ is a word few would use to describe Hollywood decisions, but Cowrite, a collaboratively written movie script, is here to change that. After two sentences that describe the mood and plot (‘Napoleon Dynamite’ meets ‘Pineapple Express’, starring an awkward teenager caught up in a dangerous conspiracy), the organisers put the public in the driving seat. Anyone is open to submit a 10-page portion of the script, provided they do not belong to the Writer’s Guild of America and have paid an entry fee of around USD 10.

The contest was announced in December 2008, with the opening ten pages to be selected by Cowrite’s judges and uploaded to its website for all to see by 29 January 2009. The story will build from there, with the judges selecting and uploading the best ten-page addition every fortnight over six months. Each of the 11 selected writers will receive USD 2,000 prize money, with USD 5,000 is reserved for the overall winner, who will also rewrite the first draft. Writers will also receive a share of the royalties should the movie go into production.

The project is the brainchild of Benderspink, the management and production company behind the 1999 flick American Pie. It’s shaping up to be an engaging project from start to finish, as fans wait for each fortnightly installment, passionately debate the changes made in the rewrite and spread the word to build hype before the film is released. The movie’s innovative creation process will certainly create press attention, which could make it more likely to succeed at pitch and (hopefully) the box office.

Given that everything these days can be written, designed and produced by your customers, providing affordable labour as well as die-hard fans, what aspects of your business could you relinquish control over? (Related: Angelic crowdsourcing — Online auditions for a crowdsourced movie.)

Website: www.cowritescript.com
Contact: www.cowritescript.com/contact_us.php

Spotted by: Miranda Lopez

Offering an experience that's as close as possible to the real thing, Be At TV offers full-on video coverage of some of the world's hottest clubbing events. Be At TV, aka b@, is a slick IPTV and social networking site that covers clubs, events and DJs such as the Space Ibiza Opening Party or Annie Mac at London's Big Chill House. The site displays footage from four camera angles simultaneously, showing the DJ booth, individual clubbers and the momentum of the dance floor in all of its glorious and gory detail, accompanied by a live recording of both the DJ's set and the whoops and cheers of the party people.

It's then over to the clubbers themselves to use the footage as the basis for their social networking: logging their attendance at events to chat with the people they randomly met, tagging their appearances in videos and sharing clips by embedding them in emails and web pages. The footage is also proving useful for those who want to preview a club night or get in the mood before heading out.

By combining professional video reporting with social networking elements, b@ is creating a convergence between one-off offline experiences and continued online interaction, while promoting events and artists to a wider audience. Time to find other live events that are ripe for being taken to the next level of online coverage?

Website: www.be-at.tv

Spotted by: Ali Gunning