It's been a while since we've come across any new efforts involving vending machines, but recently a nice one in the Paris Métro caught our eye. A week before Valentine's Day, fragrance retailer Sephora installed a series of machines at various Métro stations dedicated to selling Calvin Klein's CK One scent in a special, portable size.

From February 7 through February 20, visitors to the Métro's La Défense, Charles de Gaulle-Étoile, Montparnasse and Miromesnil stations could buy a special 15ml size of CK One at an on-site "CK One Pocket Store" by Sephora. Priced at EUR 10, the limited-edition pocket size is also available through Sephora itself. The vending-machine concept was created by Paris agency Nouveau Jour, which says it expects to use it abroad as well. A video on Daily Motion shows the campaign in action.

Another option, of course, would have been for Sephora to use the vending machines to give out free samples of the fragrances, much the way Fosfor's Boobox does. Either way, however, the approach is sure to generate far more interest and trials among trysumers than a traditional advert ever could. Keep the vending-machine ideas coming! (Related: Upscale vending machine sells curated luxury goods — Vending machines sell after-party shoes — Vending machines sell bathing suits at hotel pools — Touch-screen machine for interactive vending — Best Buy starts vending at airports.)

Website: www.sephora.fr
Contact: serviceclients@sephora.fr

Much the way Spot Runner and Spotzer aim to make local television advertising easy and affordable, so PlaceLocal strives to deliver a similar result on the web.

The PlaceLocal platform, from Connecticut-based advertising technology company PaperG, allows online publishers to automate local ad creation, sales and management. Aspiring advertisers need only type in their business name, and PlaceLocal will automatically search the web for relevant information—including logos, photos, reviews, awards and other information—and then use it to create a customised online advert. Advertisers aren't required to have their own website in order to create an advert—in fact, if they don't have one, PlaceLocal will create one for them. Once generated, the ad is fully editable by the user. The ads can then be booked to appear on partner websites in the same geographic location.

In addition to the obvious benefits for advertisers, PlaceLocal can also be used by publishing sales reps to increase new advertising opportunities, PaperG says. Publishers can bill their clients directly or use PaperG's credit card billing system, and a PlaceLocal account provides real-time stats for any ad. (Related: Local TV advertising made easy — Marketplace for custom advertising images.)

Website: www.paperg.com/publishers/placelocal.php
Contact: www.paperg.com/contact.php

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Companies are catching on to the fact that bloggers can provide an effective way to create buzz about their brands. We've seen several efforts that explicitly recognise that fact, such as TasteCasting for restaurants and YokmoK's free travel giveaways. Bringing the notion into the world of new consumer products is Swagapalooza, an invitation-only event that gives influential bloggers free samples of new products.

Created by Bay Area startup Launch Hear, Swagapalooza aims to give entrepreneurs a way to get their producs in front of the most-followed bloggers and tweeters from across the United States. The first event was held in New York in September last year. At it, brands including Surprise Industries, Idea Paint and Switch2Health—which, coincidentally, we just covered—had the chance to make presentations to the select audience of 100 bloggers, 20 Twitterers and 5 Redditors. In exchange for their participation, the audience members were entitled to free samples of any of the products being presented. A detailed review of the event is available on AdAge.

Swagapalooza's next event will occur in March in San Francisco, and Launch Hear is currently seeking both bloggers and companies with new products to show off. One to try out in your next promotional campaign? Or how about launching something similar elsewhere? (Related: Blogger helps connect consumers and brands — Food blogger turned intermediary & purveyor.)

Website: www.swagapalooza.com
Contact: alex@swagapalooza.com

Spotted by: Jody Turner

We've seen numerous web services aimed at small businesses, including an automated phone system, an online exchange and—most recently—a trove of marketing ideas. It wasn't until earlier this week, however, that we came across one targeting farms. That's just what Pittsburgh-based Small Farm Central does, though, with a service that helps farmers create websites for their farms.

Small Farm Central's core service provides farms with a website, email addresses, a domain name, photo upload capability, page creation, template customisation and more through an easy-to-use control panel. Additional features include phone support, mailing list handling, a blog service and image editing help. An optional e-commerce extension provides a shopping cart and order processing functionality right inside the farm's site, while Small Farm Central's Member Assembler component is a member management platform for community-supported farms. Pricing for core service plans begins at USD 18 per month, while e-commerce options begin at USD 9 each month.

Some 250 farms across the United States and Canada now use Small Farm Central to tell their stories, sell their produce and build community among their customers, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review recently reported. A model to bring to other parts of the world? (Related: Remote farming: tailor-made, no-fuss vegetable gardens.)

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

Spotted by: Jim Stewart

There are job sites galore serving workers and employers around the world, but Spanish Jobsket offers an interesting twist. Specifically, in addition to hosting candidates' CVs and connecting them with open positions, it also estimates their worth on the local market.

With sites targeting both Spain and Ireland, Jobsket allows candidates to upload their CVs without having to alter the format to fit into predefined templates; rather, the site preserves the original appearance as it converts them into Flash. Working from a database of salaries in various jobs and locations, Jobsket then uses a proprietary algorithm to estimate the value of a given CV in a particular role and market given the candidate's background and training. Candidates can decide how public they want their CV to be, including hiding their personal data and worth if they wish; they can also embed it in a website or blog and share it through sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Companies with jobs to fill, meanwhile, can post their openings on Jobsket; potential candidates can then request email alerts about relevant opportunities, and manage their applications through the site. Jobsket is free for employees; companies wishing to post jobs are charged a fee starting at EUR 15.95 per month.

Jobsket aims to reach an 85 percent accuracy rate in estimating the worth of 90 percent of CVs—whether it achieves that yet isn't entirely clear, as TechCrunch Europe reports. Nevertheless, it's an interesting concept, and one that will doubtless be refined over time. One to partner with or to emulate in a job market near you...? (Related: Jobs site focuses on finding & reviewing 'great bosses' — Job site for working parents — Job site for high earners — New job for online video: recruitment.)

Website: www.jobsket.es
Contact: jobsket@jobsket.com

Spotted by: Tais Reis