by Miriam Hara | Oct 11, 2023 | Business Success
If karma is real, does business karma also exist? It stands to reason that if you believe in the concept of what goes around comes around, similar to personal karma, businesses too can be subject to its influence. What is the essence of karma? Rooted in religion, karma can be defined in many ways. At its core, however, karma revolves around the principle of cause and effect. In the context of business karma, it extends beyond small business and entrepreneurship and encompasses large multinational corporations that should prioritize it.
Business isn’t personal, on that we can all agree. But the way that a business approaches and conducts itself – the good, the bad and the ugly – says much about the culture and persona of the business. Ultimately the conduct and culture is what shapes its karma. Business leaders who consistently exhibit positive behaviour in everyday situations directly contribute to the success of the business they are in and foster good karma.
There are a few principles of karma that businesses should embrace to cultivate good karma on a daily basis.
Generosity:
Generosity lies at the heart of the philosophy of good karma. It goes beyond mere acts of charity and community contributions, although those are essential as well. In short, it could best be described as mentoring. Generosity involves giving of one’s time, protecting and nurturing others without expecting immediate benefits for the organization. It could entail helping individuals break into an industry through networking or volunteering to speak at school seminars. Let us not forget the age-old adage: Charity begins at home. Therefore, leaders and managers should extend their generosity to their teams and partners and that doesn’t only mean in monetary terms. In today’s environment, monetary incentive is only part of the bigger value need that team members are looking for. It’s about being supportive of all team members and paying it forward without any intention of receiving anything in return. Such generosity will undoubtedly come back around.
Fairness:
Practicing fairness in business means seeing situations as they truly are and setting aside our egos. Inevitably, businesses encounter challenging, messy, or ambiguous circumstances. We’ve all (unfortunately so) witnessed or heard of colleagues facing disrespectful situations comparable to emotionally painful divorces, complete with bullying and threats. When confronted with unforeseen or complex business challenges, it is crucial to approach them with a win-win philosophy. No one should lose face, and negative displays of power should be avoided. While ethics and professionalism should be standard in business, kindness and justice are often neglected in the fast-paced business world. Incorporating fairness into our business dealings contributes significantly to cultivating good karma.
Positivity:
Quick reactions and decisions made under stress or panic rarely lead to positive outcomes. Instead, they tend to amplify the bad karma that initially placed a business in a difficult position. In today’s dynamic market environment, businesses often face uncertainty and numerous impending changes. Navigating these challenges requires resilience and the ability to maintain a clear vision. Good karma thrives when a business remains steadfast, refrains from blindly pursuing alternative paths, and maintains a positive and optimistic outlook amidst setbacks. While it may sound “new age-ish,” maintaining and focusing on positivity truly pays off.
Mindfulness:
In our interconnected world, being mindful of the impact our businesses have on the planet is a definite must. Mindful businesses prioritize sustainability, environmental responsibility, and eco-friendly practices. They actively seek ways to reduce waste, conserve resources, and minimize their carbon footprint. Moreover, they recognize the social element of their actions. Social accountability has become increasingly important, with ordinary individuals, celebrities, and businesses being held responsible for their “not so nice” behaviour. Upholding ethical practices, transparency, and social responsibility aligns businesses with the expectations of their stakeholders and nurtures good business karma.
These four principles—Generosity, Fairness, Positivity and Mindfulness —serve as the pillars for fostering good business karma. How do you feel about this concept? Do you practice any principles that you believe promote good business karma? Share your thoughts and experiences here.
by Miriam Hara | Sep 21, 2023 | Branding, Creative, Marketing
As a seasoned brand marketer, I’ve come to realize a fundamental truth: brand marketing is not personal.
As marketers, it is our responsibility to ensure that personal opinions do not overshadow the brand’s intended message, style or persona. Our role is to utilize our expertise and exercise objectivity to effectively promote the brand ‘on our watch’ and maintain its integrity. In my years of experience, I have witnessed that, although separating personal preferences from the brand persona is essential for success, for some, it’s not always easy!
A brand is more than just a sum of personal tastes and preferences.
It has its own character, style, and tone that define its unique identity. Picture this. You’re responsible for launching a new product (sku) as an addition to a very popular brand’s portfolio. As a brand marketer, you must objectively assess the potential appeal of the new product to the target audience and where it fits in the entire brand portfolio. You would need to conduct market research, analyzing consumer trends, and leverage your brand expertise. Only then can you make informed decisions that align with the brand’s image and resonate with the intended consumers.
Brand identity requires the same reasoning and objectivity. As a brand marketer, it is critical to prioritize objectivity. When personal opinions take precedence over the brand’s persona, we risk straying from the brand’s intended course.
As brand custodians, it’s our role to shape the brand’s character, style, and tone that connects with the target audience. We can only do this by not only understanding the brand target audience’s preferences and needs but by adopting them as the brand’s mantra. This means we need set aside personal biases and approach our marketing strategies with a clear and objective mindset.
Full disclosure—I don’t have a favourite colour!
Now, I’ll let you in on my own little branding initiative – I wear purple every day and have done so for the better part of 35 years. Needless to say, people often ask if it’s my favourite colour. As a Creative Being I love all colours equally. But the reason I wear purple is because it’s the agency’s brand colour. Over time, it has become an integral part of our agency’s persona. By embracing the brand’s colour, I not only align myself with its identity, but I also showcase my commitment to its success.
It’s essential to remember that personal opinions should not overshadow the brand’s intended message. By allowing personal preferences to influence creative decisions, there is a risk veering off course and diluting the brand’s impact. To ensure a brand’s longevity and effectiveness, the brand’s character, style, and tone must be prioritize above personal inclinations.
Avoid the common pitfalls.
Maintaining brand integrity also means avoiding the pitfalls of personal bias in design and visual elements. A brand’s logo, packaging, and overall aesthetic should reflect its intended message and appeal to the target market. For instance, I have penchant for minimalistic design. If I insisted on revamping every brand’s visual identity to align with my taste, I wouldn’t be working in a creative agency for very long, let alone 35 years! By utilizing brand expertise and adopting an objective approach towards each and every brand we are entrusted with, we can make design choices that authentically represent the brand’s character while resonating with the intended audience.
As marketers, there’s a critical need to strike a balance between personal tastes and brand persona. By prioritizing objectivity, we can effectively deliver a brand’s intended message while staying true to its unique identity. Success is measured by our ability to navigate the brand’s identity with objectivity and build brand integrity. Here’s to the power of brands and the role we play in their success! What are your thoughts? Please share them here.
by Miriam Hara | Aug 11, 2023 | Advertising, Agency, Branding, Creative
Has the mojo of creating ‘creative’ shifted hands?
Many think that creative agencies have lost their relevance due to computer software, apps, and social media tools taking over the roles once held by creative directors, illustrators, and designers. Consequently, the magic that was once inherent in the creative agency’s offerings seems to have vanished. Well that just not so, and I’ll explain why I think that.
In today’s tech-driven and social media-dominated world, it’s important to ask ourselves: What makes branded creative concepts truly magical? There’s been a tremendous amount of buzz about social media…and there has always been a discussion about the increasingly changing role of the creative agency.
While computer software, apps, and social media have democratized creativity, it’s essential to avoid oversimplification by equating accessibility to software and platforms with top-tier branded creative concepts.
Despite their prevalence, the creative process behind these concepts retains the power to evoke magic, even in the age of social media.
It’s important to understand that creative concepts go beyond design, software, apps, or social media trends. Believing that creative concepts are solely about these elements would be naive. In reality, a solid creative concept requires more than just design expertise or the ability to create viral content with modern tools. Developing exceptional creative concepts that resonate in today’s connected world demands time, effort and critical strategic thinking. It’s not about the software or the latest social media craze, it’s about the ah-ha! moment.
While clients may have profound knowledge of their business, creative professionals and designers possess the skills to bring forth that special ‘ahh’ reaction.
Drawing from my experience of running a boutique agency for 35 years, I have witnessed the transition from drafting table to computer screen and the rise of social media as a powerful tool for creative expression. I can confidently affirm that the creative mojo is alive and well, even in this new landscape. In fact, it may be even more accessible than ever before! So YES, agencies can and do continue to deliver creative concepts in the digital age.
Throughout the years, our team has tackled a wide variety of projects. We have taken fragmented pieces and seamlessly woven them into cohesive, succinct creative concepts that tell a story both offline and online. Additionally, we have successfully transformed dry, complex material into engaging, accessible content that thrives across various social media platforms. There’s something truly special about a beautifully crafted, on-brand piece of creative work. It brings forth a sense of beauty and joy!
Creative minds have a unique perspective that fuels amazing creativity. If software or social media had truly diminished the magic of creative concepts, we would expect TV ads, music, promotional contests, PR campaigns, and other creative outlets to suffer the same fate. However, time and time again, we have witnessed properly conceptualized, executed, timed, and delivered creative content evoking positive reactions both offline and online.
Branded creative concepts, when thoughtfully developed, remain magical in this age of technology and social media. The perception that creative concepts have lost their magic may stem from an influx of mediocre creative work that fails to deliver desired results or capture the attention of today’s digital-savvy audience. In the realm of marketing and branding, this is far from magical.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this subject. Please share them in the comments below.
by Miriam Hara | Mar 22, 2014 | Latest, Marketing
Brand marketing, figuratively speaking, has always been about placing a “stake in the sand”.
Literally, this means determining a stance composed of strategy, a slew of tactics and the commitment to stay the course. However in today’s workplace and at today’s speed of business, maintaining a commitment to stay the course is more complex and difficult than it has been in the past. Adding to this is the very real fact that marketing people also change positions frequently – typically staying in a role 2 years or less. This often adds challenges for the brand and its direction. In my years of working with brand marketers, I have seen many make pitfall errors.
1) Don’t jump to conclusions:
Take the time to know the brand and understand the basis for the strategy being employed. Too often with new marketers coming on board, the want (or need) to make “their personal mark” takes precedence over the strategy in place for the brand.
2) Step aside:
The building of a brand is not about your likes and dislikes. Even if you are part of the target market profile, the mere fact that you’re a marketer, distinguishes you from the target market of the brand. It’s not about how you feel or whether you personally like the direction – it’s about the brand. Let’s face it, a brand’s life cycle may span over the course of many brand professionals. It is important that the brand’s character, consistency of tone, style and voice be maintained – evolved but consistent.
3) Don’t sweat the small stuff:
Brand marketing relies on the marketing professional’s ability to make sure that the brand attributes and physical demeanor are maintained. I agree with the notion that the “creative” is the fun part (that’s why I’m in advertising!). Although just because one is in marketing, doesn’t make them creative (sorry). Changing the creative is often the low hanging fruit. In other words, the quickest and easiest way for anyone to leave their mark is by making small visual changes that are “visible” to everyone. However this is often superficial. The bigger issues surrounding a brand take time to assimilate and change. The elements that make up the “brand being”, are those that are often, not seen instantly. Prioritize for what adds value.
Ultimately, I have found that patience is a good thing when brand marketing and brand making is at stake. The temptation to change direction too quickly can be strong; however, it often leaves the brand jumping around, trying on new approaches and never able to build on its own momentum. Instead, the brand is left yearning for what could be.
by Felicitas Ritter | Feb 14, 2014 | Advertising, Latest
Over the last several years, we seem to be focusing more and more on reality for our entertainment. From Survivor to The Real Housewives to Big Brother… apparently voyeurism sells very well. The same trend has also been cropping up over the years in advertising.
The Dove campaign for real beauty was highly successful and original when it first launched in 2004. Since then, we’ve seen many more advertisers following suit using people who appear to be appreciating products in real-life (even if in actuality they may be paid actors). Febreze has filmed people smell testing their products in a variety of disgusting situations since 2011. And in 2013, a Pepsi commercial that received a great deal of attention was one created from a test driving prank at a dealership with Jeff Gordon.
Perhaps this new fascination with reality is in part because we are so interconnected
…through the media, Internet, cell phones – whenever anything of significance happens, we hear about it almost instantaneously. And with the rise of social media, people photographing and posting “selfies” with their favourite things is now very commonplace and popular. It’s also putting a shelf-life on our celebrities who may or may not be able to maintain the images they would like too – which may make using “real” people as spokespersons a safer bet in the long-run.
When one of our athletes wins a medal at the Olympics, there’s an app to give us the download. When Justin Bieber is behaving badly, the Internet erupts with the play-by-play. And whenever Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is set to make his next ethical or political blunder, you can be sure we will all have front-row seats to that action. Once an unfortunate incident has reached Twitter or YouTube proportions, “handling” public perception afterward becomes quite difficult – even with a crisis preparedness plan.
Consumers these days are also far more savvy than once upon a time and not as willing to accept things at face value – they want the dirt and are willing to dig for it. Whether that means getting the latest star gossip, uncovering a government scandal, or wanting to know whether everyday products are organic or eco friendly, truth in life and advertising is what everyone is looking for. What this means for marketers is that branding claims – and spokespeople – better hold up to scrutiny, or the likelihood of uncomfortable revelations is good.
