|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Advertisements
Month: November 2018
Did you know…
Did you know…
… that today is the birthday of the Mason Jar? In 1858, 26-year-old tinsmith John Landis Mason patented the Mason jar. Its screw top and lids made it easier to preserve food at home. And if you check out Pinterest, you’ll see they have a million other uses as well! 😉
~~~
Today’s Inspirational Quote:
“Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.”
— Pete Seeger
Riddles
I’m at the beginning of time and part of past, present and future. I’m part of history, but not of here and now. In a moment you’ll find me, if you know what I am. What am I?
The answer is: The letter T.
What is is that you will break even when you name it?
The answer is: Silence.
Random Idioms – Read like a poem.
An Excuse Is Of No Use.
Making A Lemon Sweet.
Giving Details Of Details.
A Garden Of Sticks.
A Mask Does Not Hide Everything.
Wisdom
You will never succeed if you don’t do anything at all.
Action is the foundational key to all success. (Pablo Picasso)
Stumbling and falling are still done by moving forwards.
Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward. (Victor Kiam)
Slogan Poetry :)
King and queen.
We are one.
Easy as can be.
It’s your choice.
It’s on.
Relive the moment.
The sky’s not the limit.
Experience is key.
There’s nothing like it.
Enjoy.
RAK Movement – Random Acts of Kindness
-
Go out of your way to thank someone today!
-
Make an effort to get to know someone you don’t usually talk to
-
Old laptop or mobile lying around? Donate it
-
Surprise your parents with flowers
-
Send a thank you card to someone who has made a difference in your life (a friend, family member, teacher etc.)
-
It can get lonely when you are old, pay your grandparents a visit
-
Leave a kind message anywhere (in a library book, on a computer etc.)
-
Have lunch with a homeless person
-
Help someone carry their pushchair up/down the stairs
-
Know someone who’s feeling under the weather? Pay them a visit!
A DECORATED Soldier and A Great Friend – Interview with Col . Jiten Vadhera
The friendship developed over LInkedin platform when I invited this wonderful Gentleman Soldier for networking.. He responded positively and we continued our interactions online Whatsapp and via phone calls.
Col. Jiten Vadhera is an humble, unassuming person with no airs about his past wonderful performance and honours earned in the Indian Army service. He has adjusted very well to Civilian life and with his wonderful performance in the MBA from a Singapore University – he has displayed his prowess as a Growth Hacker/ Business Scaler and Developer not just in India but beyond our borders for the company he works.
This is how Col Vadhera describes himself as:
“Having trained for 3 years at the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla and one year at IMA Dehradun, I was commissioned in Jun 88 in one of the most prestigious regiments of the Indian Army, The Rajputana Rifles, at Srinagar. Starting from J&K, I served countering insurgencies in Punjab, Manipur and Kokrajhar, and finally commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in one of the most sensitive areas of J&K. With the experience of previous insurgencies coming in handy, the battalion performed extremely well under my command, bringing peace in the area, earning unit citation plus gallantry awards and enabling successful conduct of Republic Day Parade after a gap of 20 years.
On completion of 25 successful years in the Army, I hung my boots and underwent one year MBA from the highly ranked Nanyang Business School, Singapore, to prepare myself for the shift to the Corporate. As part of the curriculum, we were privileged to study at MIT, Wharton and UC Berkeley.
In Oct 2014, I joined as Head Project Management at Lucknow, in a Solar Power Company, headquartered at Gurgaon. In a short span of 2 years, my team took the startup company to 100 plus solar plants and 150 km plus minigrids, supplying to the un-electrified or poorly electrified areas in the 8 districts around Lucknow. In May 2017, I moved to Gurgaon to assist in business development in Africa and South East Asia. I am currently actively pursuing business development in Myanmar, Tanzania and Malawi, for my Company.”
It was not difficult to interview him. He is experienced. He was late in response as he travels a lot these days.
Read his interesting interview with Jay Parkhe below:
- What motivated you to become what you ARE today?
What motivated me was to leave a mark behind and to utilize each of my living moment to put in my best possible in whatever I do, be it career, personal relationships and gaining and enjoying varied experiences.
- What is the greatest joy you get from what you do?
I have seen the lives of people in rural areas transform, once they start getting 24×7 reliable electric supply. This transformation is in terms to better standards of living, economic development of the area served, better education and health facilities, longer hours for children to study, start of vocational training centres and running of small scale businesses, all through green energy.
- What do your fans mean to you?
My fans mean a lot to me in terms of keeping me motivated to keep performing to the best of my ability so as to become a role model for them to emulate.
- What are you working on next?
I am working on preparation for the Project Management Professional exam, to get me the requisite formal certification for higher roles.
- Who are your favourite authors?
My favourite authors are Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Barak Obama and Khushwant Singh.
- What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
The desire to be a physically fit, mentally strong and contribute to the society.
- When you’re not working, how do you spend your time?
When not working, I spend most of my time browsing through newspapers, listening to news and reading books/ interesting articles on my mobile.
- Do you have some work and rest related non-negotiable rules?
Yes, I believe that one should give the body adequate rest as a preparation for putting in your best during work and one should work hard, play hard and enjoy hard.
- How do you discover the authors you read?
Generally my favourite authors are famous personalities, who did achieve something in their life. Once any book by these personalities is released, information regarding the same is available through media/ social media.
- Do you remember the first assignment you ever did?
I was made responsible for training my Battalion’s professional and sports teams for the various competitions, and I was able to achieve good positions in all the competitions.
- What is your working process?
I believe in thinking big and planning long term, rather than short term, and concentrate on streamlining the procedures and processes.
- What is your unique Work Style?
I believe in motivating my team members to such a level wherein they feel from their heart that they want to do something extraordinary and meet my expectations.
- Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
The first story was read out from ‘Shrimad Bhagwat Gita’ by my grandmother to me and it taught me that one should carry on doing his work to the best of his ability without bothering much about the fruits.
- What is your approach and how do you Plan the Finishing touches to the work?
My approach to work is to spend considerable time in planning, and then pushing oneself out of the comfort zone during the execution phase to ensure quality and timely execution and bring it to suitable closure without leaving any loose or unfinished ends.
- What are your five favourite books, and why?
- ‘The Audacity of Hope’ by Barak Obama- the book contains thoughts by the author on reclaiming the American Dream, and the title is derived from a painting ‘Hope’ by GF Watts, in which the subject of painting has only one string left in her harp but she has the audacity to make the music and praise God. The message in the book is that one should never loose hope even during the bleakest of circumstances and put in your best efforts to achieve success in life.
- ‘Wings of Fire’ by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam- the book is an autobiography of the author covering his early life and his work in Indian space research and missile programs- the story of a boy from a humble background who went on to become a key player in Indian Space Research Organization and later became the President of India. It shows that if you have a dream and the tenacity to work towards that dream, you can turn it into a reality.
- ‘Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand – the book’s protagonist, Howard Roark, is an individualist young architect who designs modern buildings and refuses to compromise with an architectural establishment unwilling to accept innovation. It teaches that if your work is genuine, at some point or the other it will get noticed and recognized.
- ‘Moving Mountains’ by Lt Gen William G Pugnis- the book contains lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf war and beautifully demonstrates how the same can be applied to the corporate world.
- ‘Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho- the book’s main theme is about finding ones destiny. “When you really want something to happen and work towards it, the whole universe conspires to make your wish come true” is the core of the book’s philosophy that plays throughout it.
- What do you read for pleasure?
For pleasure I read the blog posts and various articles which appear on the social media.
- What is your e-reading device of choice?
My e-reading device of choice is my laptop.
- Please describe your desk.
My desk is totally clutter free, with hardly any paper (since all my mails and work related data is in my laptop) or anything else. It also has a huge glass panel which allows the natural light to come in.
- Where did you grow up, and did this influence your business, If Yes – How?
I grew up in Delhi due to which I could go to a good school and was afforded all the opportunities which may not have been available elsewhere. Most of my classmates and acquaintances also belong to Delhi and hence I also took up the job in a Company which was headquartered in Gurgaon.
- When did you first start what you do?
I first started my present assignment as Head Project Management in a Solar Power Company in Oct 2014, on completion of my MBA from NTU, Singapore. Before that I served the Indian Army for 25 years.
What is your Motto?
One house, one family.
Endure and overcome.
Wealth of the land.
Light in the darkness.
Fire of our hearts.
As one, we raise ourselves higher.
Work, love, play.
Conquered by none.
All is good to those of pure hearts.
The first, the last, the eternal.
Startpreneurs fav youstory
daily Capsule | 30th Novembe
How many times have you done something that is probably not good for you? More importantly, how many times have you done something bad that has come back to bite your backside well and proper?
If you haven’t, you might not be able to really sympathise with Liu Lirong. For those who don’t know Liu, he is the chairman of Gionee – the Chinese smartphone company that is now on the verge of bankruptcy. Why, you ask? Well, this is where things get murky. A Chinese website claimed that Liu lost $1.4 billion in gambling at a casino in Spain. You’d think, “Um, that doesn’t sound right.”
It isn’t. But, he did gamble and he did lose – only $144 million, and suggested that he ‘may’ have been ‘borrowing’ from ‘company funds’. What were you thinking, Liu? Everyone has the right to let their hair down occasionally, but this may have gotten a tad out of hand.
Well, we’re no one to judge! Let’s hope the company is able to settle its debts though, and that Liu has learnt his lesson.
But, hey, it’s Friday! We should all let our hair down – without trying to gamble away our life savings, or our company.
Cheers,
Team YourStory
Stories you shouldn’t miss
Unless you are living under a rock, you know that blockchain is the next big thing. Having already fueled conversations in the cryptocurrency sector, this technology is about to enter the retail market in the form of blockchain-powered phones. And PundiX, the global developer of blockchain-powered devices, will be leading this with their newly-announced device, the XPhone.
AWS launched an RC truck that uses reinforced learning and is actually fully autonomous. Called the DeepRacer, the RC truck was announced by AWS CEO Andy Jassy at the company’s annual ‘re:Invent’ cloud conference in Las Vegas. The AWS Deep Racer is a 1/18th scale model that will allow customers to train it using AWS’ reinforcement-learning models.
Workplace discussion platform Hush raises Rs 4.5 Cr from Accel and Shamik Sharma, former CTO of Myntra and current Business Head at Curefit. The platform, run by a 16-member team, enables employees of a company to anonymously discuss work-related issues, either with employees of the same company or with employees from other companies.
“There is a lot of good happening thanks to AI,” says Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services (AWS). In times, where there’s a growing clamour to audit AI, Andy not only propagates machine learning but also lists a number of situations that could benefit from AI – fighting human trafficking, improving educational services. These and many other reasons, as he explains, why AWS is relying on AI and blockchain in the future.
As the battle to be at the top of cloud business intensified, Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO, Andy Jassy took another dig at Larry Ellison, executive chairman of Oracle. The event was re:Invent2018 and Andy was there to launch 22 new enterprise services to help coders and IT managers build and manage apps. But in the middle of everything, the AWS chief seized the opportunity to hit back at Larry, saying people just “pop in” in the cloud business.
Flipkart-owned payments company PhonePe has entered into an app-in-app partnership with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). With this, the platform’s 100 million-plus users can now directly book their train tickets using the PhonePe app. The integration indeed marks a key achievement for PhonePe, which has gone live with other micro-apps like Ola, redBus, Mumbai Metro and Goibibo.
A new feature has been added to Paytm’s array of services and it allows merchants to choose their preferred time to settle the payment collected. With “Instant Bank Settlement” merchants can also do an instant settlement as and when they want, directly into their bank accounts. The function is available on the ‘Paytm for Business’ app.
Viacom18 initiative for the startup community, #VStEP 2.0, offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to work with Viacom18 to co-innovate and build a strategic engagement. The program offers access to Viacom18’s extensive network and expertise to help startups find the right product/market fit. Apply today.
In conjunction with the India-UK FutureTech Festival, the British Deputy High Commission will be at the Samsung Opera House, Brigade Road, Bengaluru on December 1, 2018 from 2 PM to 4 PM. Join them at the Science Café for a discussion on how industry and academia can collaborate to accelerate the development and commercialisation of technology
Random Idioms, Random Lines – Jay’s Random Poetry
A Single Lie Can Mean Goodbye.
Giving Details Of Details.
Fog On A Field Acts As A Shield.
Living In Limbo.
A Knife Is Only As Sharp As Its Wielder.
Did you know
1Did you know…
… that today is the birthday of Louisa May Alcott (1832)? Louisa May Alcott is best known for the novel Little Women and its sequels Little Men and Jo’s Boys. This novel is loosely based on her childhood experiences with her three sisters. Celebrate Louisa’s birthday today by reading a favorite classic!
~~~
Today’s Inspirational Quote:
“What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”
— Maya Angelou
Sloganeer’s Poem by Jay
It’s your choice.
We believe in you.
Doing the impossible.
Beyond the limit.
Nothing beats the best.
For the good times.
The future.
Kings and queens.
Relax, we got this.
Enjoy. !
RAK Movement – Random Acts of Kindness
-
Neighbour’s lawn looking messy? Offer to mow it
-
Reconnect with your grandparents or an elderly person you know – give them a call!
-
Know someone who’s feeling under the weather? Pay them a visit!
-
Make a conscious effort to recycle
-
Life can get really busy – take some time out to spend with a family member
-
Feed a stray animal if you spot one
-
Treat a friend – buy them lunch!
-
Tell a friend about ARK/World Kindness Day
-
Pick up somebody else’ tab next time you go for a coffee
-
Remember that friend you haven’t seen for ages? Give them a call
Riddles
It is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of the end and the end of every space. What is it?
The answer is: The letter E
I give advice to others, yet I know nothing myself. I am a hitchhiker destined to stay still while others pass by me. What am I?
The answer is: A road sign.
I have completed survey on NaMo App.
I have completed survey on NaMo App.
Fun Poetry :)
(Animal) companion in your new house
Bad advice in an undiscovered cave system
Ghosts of a bankWaking up in a mountain summit
Peer pressure a glacier
Ashes in a farmhouse
Greed in a sand castle
Epic quest in a strange tower
Comfort of a lagoon
Adventure of a friend’s party
Random Idiom Poetry
A Single Flame Can Become An Inferno.
Doubts And Fears Are Between Your Ears.
Hungry Mouths Have Sharp Teeth.
A Bandage For Your Sorrow.
Method Behind My Dreams.
Wisdom
It takes courage to speak up when needed, but it also takes courage to listen.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. (Winston Churchill)
Old is whatever’s a decade older than I am.
I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am. (Francis Bacon)
Wisdom
Don’t wait for life to come knocking on your door, open the door yourself and step through.
If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. (Milton Berle)
All of our fears are treasure troves of self-knowledge ready to be explored if you dare to make the first step.
Fear is a question. What are you afraid of and why? Our fears are a treasure house of self-knowledge if we explore them. (Marilyn French)
Take away each line as a Slogan or read it like a Poetry :)
We care.
Driven to perfection.
It’s our passion.
Raising the bar.
Creative solutions.
Push the boundaries
Only the best.
Life without strife.
A slice of heaven.
Moments of bliss.
Haiku
Children in your eyes
Rain of fall resigned to fate
Fall reaching humbly
December 2018: Content marketing pegs to drive conversations – Scatter
via December 2018: Content marketing pegs to drive conversations – Scatter
Content marketing pegs to drive conversations for December 2018
10 MIN READ
Smell that? Guess what’s baking!
It’s a fresh batch of promising content ideas.
Knead them well and create the right mix for fulfilling results that will make your audience come back for more!
But before the calendar is served, we’d like to flag an element integral to December come every year – curated lists that count down the best of anything and everything.
From newly opened food joints to the year’s blockbuster’s, and from the most innovative brand campaigns to the weirdest fashion trends.
Make sure to include that in your marketing strategy as well!
1. World AIDS Day, 1st December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: Facts about HIV that will leave you in shock
Infographic idea: What every parent needs to tell their kids about AIDS
Listicle idea: Precautionary steps you must take to prevent AIDS
Podcast idea: Here’s how to care for a loved one diagnosed with HIV
Brand campaigns that worked:
‘Faces of HIV’, a project begun by the Florida Department of Health, attempted to put faces to those who test positive for the tabooed and stereotyped virus.
The campaign was executed with a dual aim. First, to ensure that viewers understand that the virus transcends race, gender, age, and marital status. And second, that we need to open-mindedly embrace the HIV-positive keeping in mind that they face daily struggles that we can’t even imagine.
To achieve this objective, the campaign released multiple 6-minute-long videos, each of which shared true narratives of people with HIV. Here’s a typical example of the insightful series:
In a similar initiative, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation released an image series titled ‘Many Shades of Gay’ encouraging their audience to get tested every six months. Here’s an example:
(Source)
2. National Pollution Prevention Day, 2nd December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Places where you can bid farewell to polluted air
Infographic idea: X Foods that can help combat the adverse effects of pollution
Listicle idea: Breathe pure: X Simple ways to protect yourself from pollution
Podcast idea: Do you know how pollution affects your health and lifestyle? Find out
Brand campaigns that worked:
The World Health Organization and the Climate & Clean Air Coalition collaborated to launch a global campaign titled ‘Breathe Life’.
They attempted to inform viewers of the extent to which people are affected by air pollution worldwide. But the video ended on a hopeful note as it highlighted some easy solutions to improving the quality of the air surrounding each of us.
Another campaign by Clean Energy Technology Center aimed to raise awareness about the impact of air pollution on public health through the following billboard design:
(Source)
Now let the numbers do the talking:
(Source: Google Analytics)
3. International Day for Abolition of Slavery, 2nd December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Movies about the history of slavery you must watch
Infographic idea: Are you a slave to unhealthy eating habits? Here are X ways to know
Listicle idea: X Heartbreaking books on slavery that are a must-read
Podcast idea: Modern slavery is a real issue. Here’s how you can help
Brand campaign that worked:
Have you ever imagined slavery as practised in the modern era in close quarters to you?
Kent Police’s 2016 campaign against modern slavery and human trafficking urges that you do. Through a series of short videos, it recreates everyday instances where poorly paid or forced labour could have come in contact with you without your noticing it.
All the campaign asks is that you pay attention to what goes on around you and raise an alarm if you suspect the exploitation of a worker. Here’s an example of the same:
4. Indian Navy Day, 4th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: Do you have what it takes to undergo the Indian Navy training?
Infographic idea: Preparing to study for the Indian Navy entrance exam? We’ve got your back
Listicle idea: X Stories of bravery at sea that should inspire you
Podcast idea: Why the armed forces need more women
Brand campaign that worked:
In 2016, Bajaj created a campaign titled #SonsofVikrant that rescued glory from the ashes of a ruin.
INS Vikrant, the first aircraft carrier that assisted India in its 1971 war against Pakistan was salvaged to create a special line of Bajaj bikes.
In effect, a commercial decision was able to preserve the sentiments of pride, euphoria, victory, and nostalgia through its product.
5. Wildlife Conservation Day, 4th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Indian destinations for wildlife photography enthusiasts
Infographic idea: Here’s what it takes to become a wildlife photographer
Listicle idea: X Ways you can contribute to wildlife conservation
Podcast idea: Why going vegetarian equals saving the world
Brand campaigns that worked:
When it comes to wildlife conservation, half the fight is with corporations that continue harming the environment to derive monetary benefit. One such tussle has been initiated by Greenpeace’s Save the Arctic campaign that targeted Lego’s partnership with oil corporation, Shell.
The video very simply portrays Lego land being drowned in an endlessly spreading oil slick.
Targeted at a more general audience, the campaign by The World Wide Fund for Nature cleverly collaborated with Snapchat to highlight the acute threat faced by endangered species.
A social media platform built on short-lived content was used to share the ‘selfies’ of different animals who seemed doubtful of their existence in the future.
(Source)
6. International Civil Aviation Day, 7th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: History of aviation: How far have we flown?
Infographic idea: X Luxurious airlines to spend those extra bucks on
Article idea: Planning to study civil aviation? Here’s what you need to know
Podcast idea: Here’s why not all heroes wear capes
Brand campaigns that worked:
The better connected a region is to the world, the greater is its capacity for development. And it was this message that Turkish Airlines looked to communicate through the perspective of a group of young Turkish children.
The innocent little coterie is shown building their own runway with chalk dust, windsock and bulbs, hoping that the aeroplane that flies past them every day will one day land in their vicinity.
Another example of an airline advertisement communicating an important message can be found in American Airlines’ campaign. The short advert highlights the airline’s policy of boarding military personnel before other passengers as a mark of respect.
7. International Anti-Corruption Day, 9th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: Here’s what it takes to join the Central Anti-corruption Bureau
Infographic idea: Steps taken by the Indian government to curb corruption
Listicle idea: Lesser known anti-corruption laws in India
Podcast idea: How companies can learn to deal with corruption effectively
Brand campaigns that worked:
As an Indian, one campaign you probably instantly associate with the theme of anti-corruption is Tata Tea’s 2009 advert titled ‘Aaj Se Khilana Bandh, Pilana Shuru’. The video highlights how the onus of ending corruption also lies with those who comply with demands of bribery.
Another brand that has been able to draw a clever parallel between a seemingly unrelated theme and its product is kitchen and home appliances giant, Morphy Richards.
An ad more tongue-in-cheek than Tata Tea’s shows a man having to go through multiple levels of a corrupted administration to avail of the service he requires.
The video highlights how, much like corrupt officials, Morphy Richards’ mixer is also adept at squeezing out every drop from any food item that comes its way!
8. International Day of Veterinary Medicine, 9th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: Funniest pet videos you simply have to watch
Infographic idea: X Books that can help you prepare for veterinary medicine
Listicle idea: X Health checkups your pet needs every year
Podcast idea: Here’s why you should adopt and not shop
Brand campaigns that worked:
Encouraging people to adopt pets rather than shop for them can be a tough task. But organisations are beginning to realise that the way around this problem lies in the upcoming method of marketing – storytelling.
For instance, the Ad Council partnered with The Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fundz to create a public service advertisement for The Shelter Pet Project. The campaign shared quirky testimonials from pets who have been adopted, thereby personalising each poster that encouraged adoption.
Ever since its launch in 2009, the campaign was able to reduce euthanasia of shelter pets by 10%!
In a similar bid to catch attention, Mumbai-based animal welfare organisation World For Allpartnered with McCann Worldgroup to create a print campaign titled, ‘There’s always room for more. Adopt.’
Utilising the techniques of framing and lighting, silhouettes of families were used to create optical illusions to indicate the possible and welcomed entry of an adopted animal.
(Source)
9. World Choral Day, 9th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Songs to celebrate World Choral Day the right way
Infographic idea: Happy rules for a peaceful family you need to implement
Listicle idea: X Global concerts and fests to promote World Choral Day
Podcast idea: Everything you need to know about World Choral Day
Brand campaigns that worked:
Levi’s’ commercial from 2017 titled ‘Circles’ celebrated unity and individuality through music and dance.
Remember K’NAAN’s Wavin’ Flag? While the song about freedom may originally not have been written for a campaign, it was nonetheless picked up by Coca-Cola as the promotional anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South Africa.
These two campaigns are not cookie-cutter examples of World Choral Day but nonetheless serve as two successful illustrations of what can happen when a brand comes to be recognised by the sentiment the accompanying music video represents.
10. Human Rights Day, 10th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Best speeches on human rights you must listen to
Infographic idea: Are you doing enough for the underprivileged?
Listicle idea: X Lessons from leaders who fought for human rights
Podcast idea: Know your rights: Read about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Brand campaign that worked:
The Human Rights division of UN created a campaign titled ‘The Riddle’ which addressed the violent social treatment the LGBTQ+ community is subjected to around the world. The video’s speakers emphasised the need to equate LGBTQ+ rights to human rights.
The YouTube-based campaign has gained more than 1M views.
11. International Mountain Day, 11th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Breathtakingly beautiful hill stations you can visit with family and friends
Infographic idea: X Best street food stalls in Indian hill stations
Listicle idea: X Courses in mountaineering for the adventurer in you
Podcast idea: Why future construction needs to be curbed in the mountain areas
Brand campaigns that worked:
Mountains are often seen as an indomitable force that is all powerful and strong. But recent events have shown that these lofty elements of nature could also do with some care.
The British Mountaineering Council, along with famous mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington and TV presenter Julia Bradbury commenced a crowd-funded campaign aptly called ‘Mend Our Mountains’.
This campaign aimed to raise £100,000 to improve the much-frequented trekking paths on the more popular peaks in Britain. The promoters included incentives such as visits to some of these areas, plus helicopter rides thrown in.
The campaign was an innovative way to encourage life outdoors as the natural habitat received a new lease of life.
12. International Migrants Day, 18th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: Did you know that companies benefit from hiring refugees?
Infographic idea: Donate to these X organisations to help refugees
Listicle idea: X Best ways to help refugees integrate into society
Podcast idea: Here’s how migration is known to impact psychological health
Brand campaigns that worked:
With the political landscape being increasingly controlled by leaders who preach an anti-immigrant ideology, it has become even more critical to discuss the plight of migrants. And this responsibility doesn’t just lie with NGOs or international organisations.
Brands that may not think themselves as directly associated with the issue also need to contribute their voice to the discussion.
Laying the foundation can be the campaign #StandUp4HumanRights launched by the UN Human Rights Office. This effort involved the creation and distribution of a series of animated videos that brought to light the stories of migrants, the communities they attempt to become a part of, and the experiences they have along the way.
Here’s an example where Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu highlights why many of us have begun to see migrants as outsiders and the sole cause of our social and economic problems:
Another striking campaign was launched by USA for IOM, the non-profit partner of the UN Migration Agency, under the hashtag #morethanasuitcase. Each image in the series highlighted how the worth of each migrant always amounts to more than what we narrow-mindedly assume it to be.
(Source)
13. Christmas, 25th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Cake recipes to capture the essence of Christmas
Infographic idea: X Unconventional Christmas gift ideas for your loved ones
Listicle idea: X Non-traditional ways to celebrate Christmas
Podcast idea: A traveller’s guide to the best Christmas destinations in India
Brand campaigns that worked:
British retailer John Lewis & Partners set the bar for the perfect Christmas campaign with their 2014 advert #MontyThePenguin. Clocking in over 27M views, the heart-warming campaign highlights the importance of getting someone ‘the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of’.
Did you think that Canadian airline WestJet would be able to do one better after the 2013 campaign that won them recognition online?
Well, you better believe it! 2017 saw them organise another Christmas-themed campaign called ‘12 Flights of Christmas’, where little children were asked what their ideal Christmas would look like.
As the ideas flowed in, WestJet employees organised each version across twelve days where every re-creation was accompanied by gifts for the passengers present at the airport.
Their message? Miracles do happen.
Now let the numbers do the talking:
(Source: Buzzsumo)
14. New Year’s Eve, 31st December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Delicious recipes for your New Year’s Eve bonanza
Infographic idea: How you can gift your loved ones good health this New Year’s Eve
Listicle idea: X Ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home
Podcast idea: A look back at what made this year special
Brand campaigns that worked:
Any campaign that can successfully put its product on the back-burner and instead focus on communicating a greater social message wins hands down. So did Nokia with their Chinese New Year campaign that encouraged people to gift their loved ones with their presence during the festive season.
This idea stands especially important in a world that continues to drift apart with the comfort that technology connects them, if not physical proximity.
A New Year campaign that was able to break out of the sudden rush of holiday-themed adverts with its ingenuity was ‘The Coughing Billboard’ created by Swedish Pharmacy Hjärtat. Anytime the billboard detected smoke in its close vicinity, a visual of a coughing man would come on.
The aim was to encourage the general public to give up smoking as a New Year’s resolution, offering them solutions to break the habit.
Now let the numbers do the talking:
(Source: Buzzsumo)
FESTIVALS
1. Hornbill Festival, 1st-10th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: Carry home a slice of Nagaland with these X local products
Infographic idea: X Naga cuisines you must try at the Hornbill Festival
Listicle idea: X Events and performances to look out for at the Hornbill Festival
Podcast idea: Why northeast India needs to bank on its tourism opportunities
2. Sunburn Festival, 29th-31st December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X EDM artists that will justify the purchase of those festival tickets
Infographic idea: X Nearby places to crash at during the Sunburn Festival
Listicle idea: X Food joints to keep your tummy happy while attending the Sunburn Festival
Podcast idea: How music festivals have supported the tourism industry in the last few years
Now let the numbers do the talking:
(Source: Google Analytics)
FUN DAYS
1. Brownie Day, 8th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: Healthy brownie recipes for people with a sweet tooth
Infographic idea: X Basic ingredients for baking brownies
Listicle idea: X Best places to try brownies in the world
Podcast idea: Who knew chocolate could be healthy!
2. World Techno Day, 9th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: Ever wondered how Techno music came about? Wonder no more!
Infographic idea: X Music festivals you need to experience
Listicle idea: X Underground techno artists every fan must know about
Podcast idea: X Insane tracks you can’t help dancing to
3. International Tea Day, 15th December
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Different ways to brew tea
Infographic idea: X Tea-flavoured foods for enthusiasts
Listicle idea: X Beautiful hill plantations to visit in India
Podcast idea: Who said tea can’t cure your health problems?
SPORTS
1. Cricket
Oct 2018 – Feb 2019: ICC Women’s Championship, New Zealand vs. India (24th Jan 2019)
Nov 28 – Dec 01: Australia vs. India, 4-day practice match
Dec 06 – Dec 30: Australia vs. India, Test series
Dec 09 – Dec 17: U19 CWC Qualifier Asia Division 2
2. Hockey (field)
Nov 24 – Dec 16: World Cup – Men (Bhubaneswar, India)
3. Swimming
Dec 7 – 11: FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) [Hangzhou, China]
Content marketing ideas:
Video idea: X Best match/tournament moments in the history of <name of sport>
Infographic idea: X Foods that should be in every sportsperson’s diet
Listicle idea: What you need to become a <insert category of sportsperson>
Podcast idea: How technology has revolutionised the world of sports
Key Quotes as November 2018 comes to an end.
Key Quotes – Nov 2018
A bad system will beat a good person every time.
– W. Edwards Deming
The stock market is a device for transferring money to the patient by the impatient.
– Warren Buffet
Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
– Will Rogers
One who fears the future, who fears failure, limits his activities. Failure is only the opportunity more intelligently to begin again. There is no disgrace in honest failure; there is disgrace in fearing to fail.
– Henry Ford
EDUCATION IS NOT THE NAME IS ANY DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE THAT CAN BE SHOWN TO OTHERS AS A PROOF. EDUCATION IS A NAME OF OUR ATTITUDE, ACTIONS, LANGUAGE, BEHAVIOR AND PERSONALITY WITH OTHERS IN REAL TIME.
– Nelson Mandela
The cost of discipline is less than the cost of regret.
– Jack Canfield
Intelligence is an ability to adapt to change.
– Stephen Hawking
LEADERS WHO DON’T LISTEN WILL EVENTUALLY BE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING TO SAY.
– ANDY STANLEY
How does a Company go bankrupt? First gradually, then suddenly.
– Ernest Hemingway
Brainpickings.org my fav newsletter
This is the Brain Pickings midweek pick-me-up: Every Wednesday, I plunge into my archive and choose something worth resurfacing and resavoring as timeless nourishment for heart, mind, and spirit. (If you don’t yet subscribe to the standard Sunday newsletter of new pieces published each week, you can sign up here – it’s free.) If you missed last week’s archival selection – poet and philosopher David Whyte on anger, forgiveness, and what maturity really means – you can read it right here. And if you find any value and joy in my labor of love, please consider supporting it with a donation – over these twelve years, I have spent tens of thousands of hours and tremendous resources on Brain Pickings, and every little bit of support helps keep it going. If you already donate: THANK YOU. |
FROM THE ARCHIVE | The Magic of Moss and What It Teaches Us About the Art of Attentiveness to Life at All Scales
“Attention without feeling,” Mary Oliver observed in her magnificent memoir of love and loss, “is only a report.” In Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses (public library) — an extraordinary celebration of smallness and the grandeur of life, as humble yet surprisingly magical as its subject — botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer extends an uncommon and infectious invitation to drink in the vibrancy of life at all scales and attend to our world with befitting vibrancy of feeling.
One of the world’s foremost bryologists, Kimmerer is a scientist blessed with the rare privilege of belonging to a long lineage of storytellers — her family comes from the Bear Clan of the Potawatomi. There is a special commonality between her heritage and her scientific training — a profound respect for all life forms, whatever their size — coupled with a special talent for rendering that respect contagious, which places her prose in the same taxon as Mary Oliver and Annie Dillard and Thoreau. Indeed, if Thoreau was a poet and philosopher who became a de facto naturalist by the sheer force of poetic observation, despite having no formal training in science, Kimmerer is a formally trained scientist whose powers of poetic observation and contemplative reflection render her a de facto poet and philosopher. (So bewitching is her book, in fact, that it inspired Elizabeth Gilbert’s beautiful novel The Signature of All Things, which is how I first became aware of Kimmerer’s mossy masterwork.)
Moss and air plant sculpture by Art We Heart
Mosses, to be sure, are scientifically impressive beyond measure — the amphibians of vegetation, they were the first plants to emerge from the ocean and conquer the land; they number some 22,000 species, whose tremendous range of size parallels the height disparity between a blueberry bush and a redwood; they inhabit nearly every ecosystem on earth and grow in places as diverse as the branch of an oak and the back of a beetle. But beyond their scientific notoriety, mosses possess a kind of lyrical splendor that Kimmerer unravels with enchanting elegance — splendor that has to do with what these tiny organisms teach us about the art of seeing.
She uses the experience of flying — an experience so common we’ve come to take its miraculousness for granted — to illustrate our all too human solipsism:
Between takeoff and landing, we are each in suspended animation, a pause between chapters of our lives. When we stare out the window into the sun’s glare, the landscape is only a flat projection with mountain ranges reduced to wrinkles in the continental skin. Oblivious to our passage overhead, other stories are unfolding beneath us. Blackberries ripen in the August sun; a woman packs a suitcase and hesitates at her doorway; a letter is opened and the most surprising photograph slides from between the pages. But we are moving too fast and we are too far away; all the stories escape us, except our own.
Illustration by Peter Sís from ‘The Pilot and the Little Prince.’ Click image for details.
We, of course, need not rise to the skies in order to fall into the chronic patterns of our myopia and miss most of what is going on around us — we do this even in the familiar microcosm of a city block. Kimmerer considers how our growing powers of technologically aided observation have contributed to our diminished attentiveness:
5,500-year-old Antarctic moss. Photograph by Rachel Sussman from ‘The Oldest Living Things in the World.’ Click image for details.
But the rewards of attentiveness can’t be forced into manifesting — rather, they are surrendered to. In a sentiment that calls to mind Rebecca Solnit’s spectacular essay on how we find ourselves by getting lost, Kimmerer writes:
[…]
Mosses and other small beings issue an invitation to dwell for a time right at the limits of ordinary perception. All it requires of us is attentiveness. Look in a certain way and a whole new world can be revealed.
[…]
Learning to see mosses is more like listening than looking. A cursory glance will not do it. Starting to hear a faraway voice or catch a nuance in the quiet subtext of a conversation requires attentiveness, a filtering of all the noise, to catch the music. Mosses are not elevator music; they are the intertwined threads of a Beethoven quartet.
Echoing Richard Feynman’s iconic monologue on knowledge and mystery, Kimmerer adds:
Moss and air plant sculpture by Art We Heart
This knowing, at its most intimate, is a function of naming — for words are how we come to know meanings. Kimmerer considers this delicate dialogue between a thing’s essence and its name:
[…]
Having the words also creates an intimacy with the plant that speaks of careful observation.
[…]
Intimacy gives us a different way of seeing, when visual acuity is not enough.
The remarkable diversity of moss varieties known and named only adds to the potentiality for intimacy with the world at all scales. But among this vast multiplicity of mosses is one particular species inhabiting the small caves carved by glaciers into the lakeshore, which alone embodies immense wisdom about the mystery and meaning of life. Kimmerer writes:
Goblins’ Gold (Photograph: Matt Goff)
This singular species subsists solely on the light reflections emanating from the lake’s surface, which provide one-tenth of one percent of the solar energy that direct sunlight does. And yet in this unlikely habitat, Schistostega has emerged as a most miraculous jewel of life:
Each filament is a strand of individual cells strung together like beads shimmering on a string. The walls of each cell are angled, forming interior facets like a cut diamond. It is these facets which cause Schistostega to sparkle like the tiny lights of a far-away city. These beautifully angled walls capture traces of light and focus it inward, where a single large chloroplast awaits the gathering beam of light. Packed with chlorophyll ad membranes of exquisite complexity, the chloroplast converts the light energy into a stream of flowing electrons. This is the electricity of photosynthesis, turning sun into sugar, spinning straw into gold.
But more than a biological marvel, Schistostega presents a parable of patience and its bountiful rewards — an allegory for meeting the world not with grandiose entitlement but with boundless generosity of spirit; for taking whatever it has to offer and giving back an infinity more. Kimmerer writes:
[…]
Timing is everything. Just for a moment, in the pause before the earth rotates again into night, the cave is flooded with light. The near-nothingness of Schistostega erupts in a shower of sparkles, like green glitter spilled on the rug at Christmas… And then, within minutes, it’s gone. All its needs are met in an ephemeral moment at the end of the day when the sun aligns with the mouth of the cave… Each shoot is shaped like a feather, flat and delicate. The soft blue green fronds stand up like a glad of translucent ferns, tracking the path of the sun. It is so little. And yet it is enough.
This tiny moss is a master of “the patient gleaming of light” — and what is the greatest feat of the human spirit, the measure of a life well lived, if not a “patient gleaming of light”? Annie Dillard knew this when she wrote: “I cannot cause light; the most I can do is try to put myself in the path of its beam.” And Carl Jung knew it when we insisted that “the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” The humble, generous Schistostega illuminates the darkness of mere being into blazing awe at the miracle of life itself — a reminder that our existence on this unremarkable rock orbiting an unremarkable star is a glorious cosmic accident, the acute awareness of which calls to mind poet Mark Strand’s memorable words: “It’s such a lucky accident, having been born, that we’re almost obliged to pay attention.”
To pay attention, indeed, is the ultimate celebration of this accidental miracle of life. Kimmerer captures this with exuberant elegance:
Gathering Moss is a glittering read in its entirety. Complement it with Annie Dillard on the art of seeing and the two ways of looking.