So which company's working hardest to let the public know they have "values"? Which one's trying their best to make sure we know that they care about the world? To find out who needs the best PR, all we have to do is see who's spewing the most bull:
Enter Brittish Patrolium, making sure that we the consumer know that they are the most morally upright, hippie loving, carbon emission killing company out there. They're willing to steak their reputation on that fact. At least, when they released this commercial in 2003 they were. They went as far as to be sure to include the fact that a carbon footprint is defined as "the effect that [our] living has on the earth in terms of the product [we] consume." (0:13). Then they go on to insinuate that by purchasing oil from their company you're reducing the damage that is done to the world. BP values the earth. Yey, earth! But what if something bad happens to it?
...Then they become the saviors of the Gulf of Mexico. Look at them, so humbled and accepting of responsibility of something that was obviously out of their hands. On top of that, they really, really want you to know that they're sorry and will right their accident. In fact, they're so appologetic for their little slip up that they don't mind paying for prime time advertising space just so you know it. Because they want you to know that you can have faith that they truly care about their impact on the world.
Let's face it, the more a company wants you to know that they're good the less they actually care about it. Making values public are just a way of increasing sales. It may be manipulative, but I honestly can't blame them: they're in the business of selling you a product and if tugging on your heartstrings will get you to buy one brand of toilet paper over another, then you'd damn well better believe that there's gonna be cute puppies in commercials for something you use to wipe your ass. That's just the marketing world, and if you want to survive in it you'll resort to the same tactics: empty promises and complete BS.
Below: vaguely related and made my day:
October 19, 2010
October 12, 2010
Leadership: How to
After reading an article about how to optimize one's leadership skills, I'm feeling pretty content with my ability to get stuff done. Therefore I've decided to share some of the more enlightening points with my audience, which must be in the billions by now because that's how blogs work, right? (If you distrust my ability to summarize/plagiarize you can see the original article at: http://businessballs.com/leadership.htm)
1) Leadership and management ARE NOT THE SAME THING - Some people tend to lump these terms together, and they're probably the type who thinks management IS leadership, which can be disastrous. A manager is someone who is in charge of making things go smoothly in the beehive of the modern workplace by using tangible methods such as communication, organization, and planning. Also, there's a reason you never hear anybody say they love their manager; managers are dicks. It's pretty much a scientific fact. A manager is hired to be your superior because they got some petty degree from some godforsaken online college, and corporate eats that crap up. Anyone can be a manager, but it takes a real man (or lady) to be a leader. Leaders make use of management skills, but they're not what's important; the most crucial thing to be an effective leader is being able to gain and keep someone's loyalty. Actually, a lot of people's loyalty. This is done by establishing trust, being inspirational, and just having a generally likeable character and attitude. A little charisma never hurt anyone either.
1) Leadership and management ARE NOT THE SAME THING - Some people tend to lump these terms together, and they're probably the type who thinks management IS leadership, which can be disastrous. A manager is someone who is in charge of making things go smoothly in the beehive of the modern workplace by using tangible methods such as communication, organization, and planning. Also, there's a reason you never hear anybody say they love their manager; managers are dicks. It's pretty much a scientific fact. A manager is hired to be your superior because they got some petty degree from some godforsaken online college, and corporate eats that crap up. Anyone can be a manager, but it takes a real man (or lady) to be a leader. Leaders make use of management skills, but they're not what's important; the most crucial thing to be an effective leader is being able to gain and keep someone's loyalty. Actually, a lot of people's loyalty. This is done by establishing trust, being inspirational, and just having a generally likeable character and attitude. A little charisma never hurt anyone either.
Manager vs Leader
2) Important skills for good leadership - Now I get to ramble off a list of words that sound impressive, and they should be because they're what will make you a leader.
Integrity - the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.
Honesty - truthfulness, candor, or sincerity.
Humility - the quality of being modest or respectful.
Courage - the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.
Commitment - devotion or dedication to a cause, person, or relationship.
Sincerity - honesty in the expression of true or deep feelings.
Passion - intense or overpowering emotion such as love, joy, hatred, or anger.
Confidence - self assurance or a belief in your ability to succeed.
Positivity - tending to emphasize what is good or laudable and being constructive.
Wisdom - good sense shown in a way of thinking, judgment, or action.
Determination - firmness of purpose, will, or intention.
Compassion - sympathy for the suffering of others and being able to see the situation from their point of view.
Sensitivity - care and understanding of the needs and requirements of a person.
As you develop and hone these qualities, your credibility as a leader will increase significantly. People will follow someone who inspires them and these characteristics are able to show people that you are strong enough to handle anything thrown at you, wise enough to make beneficial decisions, empathetic enough to not become elitist and abandon them, and awesome enough to do a 360-windmill dunk.
Above: how democracy works
Integrity - the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.
Honesty - truthfulness, candor, or sincerity.
Humility - the quality of being modest or respectful.
Courage - the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action.
Commitment - devotion or dedication to a cause, person, or relationship.
Sincerity - honesty in the expression of true or deep feelings.
Passion - intense or overpowering emotion such as love, joy, hatred, or anger.
Confidence - self assurance or a belief in your ability to succeed.
Positivity - tending to emphasize what is good or laudable and being constructive.
Wisdom - good sense shown in a way of thinking, judgment, or action.
Determination - firmness of purpose, will, or intention.
Compassion - sympathy for the suffering of others and being able to see the situation from their point of view.
Sensitivity - care and understanding of the needs and requirements of a person.
As you develop and hone these qualities, your credibility as a leader will increase significantly. People will follow someone who inspires them and these characteristics are able to show people that you are strong enough to handle anything thrown at you, wise enough to make beneficial decisions, empathetic enough to not become elitist and abandon them, and awesome enough to do a 360-windmill dunk.
Above: how democracy works
3) And here's some quotes to kick-start your inspiration to do great things:
"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss.... The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads and the boss drives." (Theodore Roosevelt)
"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." (President Harry S Truman)
"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." (Harvey Mackay)
"People ask the difference between a leader and a boss.... The leader works in the open, and the boss in covert. The leader leads and the boss drives." (Theodore Roosevelt)
"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." (President Harry S Truman)
"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." (Harvey Mackay)
"Behind an able man there are always other able men." (Chinese Proverb.)
"I praise loudly. I blame softly." (Catherine the Great, 1729-1796.)
"Tyler Blair and Laura Acosta are awesome." (Dave Lendl, 1990-2187)
Instant bid
*Hopefully I entertained you long enough to have actual interest in the site I got all this from. If you really want to learn leadership, please visit http://businessballs.com/leadership.htm since it's definitely worth your time.
October 5, 2010
Differences of lifestyles
Being born into a life of privilege, I feel as though I owe a debt to the world. While the most difficult obstacle in my childhood were algebra and sports, kids my same age in other countries were fighting poverty, disease, wars and starvation. I was well taken care of through life, so I was able to develop in ways that others simply didn't have the opportunity to. Of course, at a young age I didn't understand just how well-off I was; I was too focused on playground games and popularity contests to see the full scope of the world. Now that I've grown older I can see how my lifestyle was dependent on the suffering of others, and it's simply unfair that I am able to live in luxury because of the socioeconomic status of my parents and country. Because of this I am determined to give back to the world more than I have taken.
My plans for the future are to work towards improving the world on a global scale. The most obvious way to do this is through technology, which is why I'm studying electrical engineering. I want to research alternative methods of energy, so that we'll be able to supply more efficient power to remote areas of the world. With energy comes a much better way of life, not to mention knowledge. The internet if full of things to be learned, so giving it to those who are in need of it would make an enormous difference. It gives them a wealth of knowledge and the ability to teach themselves new things, thus helping them improve their lives.
My plans for the future are to work towards improving the world on a global scale. The most obvious way to do this is through technology, which is why I'm studying electrical engineering. I want to research alternative methods of energy, so that we'll be able to supply more efficient power to remote areas of the world. With energy comes a much better way of life, not to mention knowledge. The internet if full of things to be learned, so giving it to those who are in need of it would make an enormous difference. It gives them a wealth of knowledge and the ability to teach themselves new things, thus helping them improve their lives.
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