Eternal Summer

By Pam Hadder

It's happening, like the flip of a switch -- one morning you get up and there's a slight chill in the air, the sun is rising later, wasps are swarming and a faint scent of autumn is lingering on the breeze.  As we near the midpoint of August, there are still a few days (perhaps weeks, if we are lucky) of summer to enjoy, evidenced by delightfully scant traffic queues on the daily commute.

Living on the Canadian prairie, we learn early on in life to savour each hour of summer sunshine, because the hot days are limited and the winters have a history of being way too long and inhumanely cold.  I freely admit to my personal dream of eternal summer -- if only winter was just one month long, that would be perfect; ideally around the holiday season with just a light dusting of snow to light our way through our darkest hours. Sound good to you too?

It can be challenging to break from our cloud watching, bubble blowing, easy, dreamy summer phase and get back into the working groove for the final quarter of the calendar year.  But shifting gears is essential, particularly with the speed of transition and change in our world. We really cannot afford to be sluggish or disconnected from our living reality.  There is simply less fat on the bone and less time allowed to respond, making efficiency a vital component of our personal and working lives.

There's no need to panic if you are feeling a bit out of sorts and resistant to the changes around you. The summer to fall shift is not the only change you are up against -- our lives are layered with personal, professional and environmental changes.  There really are just two main components needed to manage these speed bumps: cultivated awareness and forward vision.

Cultivated awareness is an interesting animal because it marries the personal and professional pieces of our lives with our personality -- it requires identifying what aligns with our values and then working within that harmonious slipstream. The front-end effort is very worthwhile, as cultivated awareness is a pathway to a more efficient lifestyle. Increased efficiency, in turn, reduces stress and increases productivity.

Forward vision is a bit more complex for most of us -- we may not be accustomed to looking to far down the road, and may even be afraid to do so!  Within traditional business models, the vision comes from the top and trickles down. Individuals are not solicited to contribute to that vision, and are not encouraged to develop unique POVs. However, forward vision is the magic ingredient that makes life sparkle with appeal.

Put in simple terms, vision comes with the knowledge that opportunities and options, like change, are constant. We each shape our results with our choices and contributions, and there is an essential sense of excitement, of anticipation that is stirred up when forward vision activities are implemented. Perhaps you've met those rare individuals who share how they love their vocation so much that it doesn't feel like work?  Know that forward vision is not just for corporate moguls or political bigwigs -- it's for all of us, and the ability lies within each of us to excel within our areas of interest.

Imagine... looking forward to each new day, harnessing change like a new, wild power source; excited by the options for growth and transformation. So, maybe eternal summer is more achievable than we first thought?

Ethos and Ethonomics

By Pam Hadder

ETHOS: "...the character or emotions of a speaker or writer that are expressed in the attempt to persuade an audience...the natural disposition or moral character, an abiding quality..." - Dictionary.com

A week or so ago, I was at the gym, getting warmed up for my latest lesson in physical humiliation. The radio was on, and the DJ was polling the audience - they were asking what the most popular female response was to the question "If you could have any super power, what would it be?" The "correct" answer was mind reading, and it was guessed almost immediately by a fast-dialing young listener (maybe she already had the gift?).

Don't know about you, but if I could have some sort of super ability, I would want something a bit more action-oriented - how about unlimited speed, amazing physical strength, or the ability to fly? Maybe I was just thinking about my own inadequacies: working out = humiliation!

Too frequently, I find myself a bit overwhelmed with a high volume of incoming information. I can't imagine having even one other person's cerebral clutter mixed into my own - no thanks.

Whatever your super power of choice would be, it all sounds pretty cool until you really think it through. But when you're zipping through the air like a comet, how will those thousands of insects (and birds, OMG!) feel hitting your body? Even if you wore a protective suit and helmet, you'd have to stop and clean the gunk off it every so often...major league ick and eeeew!

Everything we do elicits a complex array of additional actions and responses. Whether or not we choose to think about it, both physical laws and personal accountability are part of the evolving equation we know as daily life. Reaction goes way beyond the cause and effect thinking of Newton's third law of motion - even a simple decision can trigger a huge chain of events, some intended and some unintended. Don't believe it? Think Twitter or YouTube.

More recently, I came across the term ethonomics in an online article about marketing trends. The term was used to describe the factoring of social responsibility into traditional economic principles - that is, the systems and management by which we buy and sell; and distribute goods and services. Noble thoughts within a viable vision, or just another enterprising type seeking notoriety? I was curious, hopeful, and cynical all at once.

I thought back to the super power question and the resulting reality check imposed by accountability. If we address the market from a platform of social responsibility, will the fallout be similar to current green initiatives? Dig beneath the surface of many eco-friendly programs and products and you will find limited real benefit to the environment and a mother lode of consumer spin. Too often, companies get on the green bandwagon simply to appease a market segment that is too large to ignore, but too small to require in-depth restructuring.

My inner idealist still dares to come out and play amid naysayers and fiscal restraint, and it wonders "what if"? WHAT IF ethonomics were to really take root and burgeon? The end result might be a planet where resources and their ensuing profits are fully shared in respect of the environment, human needs, and established cultures. Humanity, with each individual's essential needs met, would be more likely to exist and thrive in harmony.

We don't have super powers, but we each have the ability to make hundreds of choices a day that make an impact. Even if we abstain, hide, duck the question, or use other evasive tactics, our inaction in itself causes a reaction.

TASTE

By Pam Hadder

In Bad Taste
Every so often we used to see a print ad, hear a radio spot, or see out-of-home material that made us ask, "Who approved this?" or "What were they thinking?" - we would laugh, gasp and/or shake our heads and move on.

Shameful & Tawdry
Unfortunately, the scales have tipped to the point where questionable advertising is rampant in our market. Are there too many

do-it-yourselfer folks on the loose? In the interest of saving $$$ are companies allowing supplier technicians and sales people to create and manage their marketing message? These are all factors, no doubt, but nothing really can explain or excuse the appalling lack of good taste and professional judgement.

Outward Bound or Out of Bounds?

Outdoor advertising (also called out-of-home) includes all venues for promoting your message in the outdoor environment: print and electronic billboards; bus wraps and signs; building banners, bus shelters and so on. Due to the 100% public visibility of the message, thought has to be given to the audience in the broadest sense - that is, men, women and children of all backgrounds and ages.

We are an increasingly mobile population, and this adds to the likelihood of more broad audience members interacting with out-of-home messaging. In our local market, this reality has been shockingly ignored. The red and black ad series featured above is part of a Manitoba Government campaign against domestic violence and has been in bus shelters around Winnipeg. Would you want to wait in this bus shelter every day while you took your kids to daycare?

The "Sexy Show" ad beside it was on full-size outdoor board around the city - you are only seeing a snippet of the full-size image of a young woman wedged between hairy male thighs.

How do you feel about the young female in the Sexy Show billboard - bear in mind that you are not seeing the whole image? She appears to be 18-20 years old and she's in her underwear - are you comfortable with your child looking at this, reading the message, or asking what that lady and man are doing, while you wait at a red light? One of these was positioned right by a Toys R Us location, by the way...

Responsible advertising and marketing professionals know where to draw the line. The bottom line - advertising should not be vulgar and potentially exploitative or offensive, and certain messages are not intended for broad appeal. If you want professional, effective results, steer clear of the amateurs.

http://www.cca-kids.ca/responsible_advertising/index.html