How Advertising Has Saved Lives

How Advertising Has Saved LivesHow Advertising Has Saved LivesWhen you think of advertising, you usually think of a bunch of high-powered executives in flashy offices, coupled with hipsters leaning back in their chairs. Its all about making money, and rampant consumerism. Thats all down to TV and movies. But there is another side to advertising, and its one that rarely gets talked about. How Advertising Can Be Used to Save Lives Over the years (well, decades really), there have been thousands of ads that have not promoted the purchasing of goods and services. Instead, they have pushed information information that is for the public good, and can prevent injuries and deaths. Some of those ads you will no doubt remember well. One of the most impactful campaigns if the last 10 years has been Truth (www.thetruth.com). Using a series of powerful events, and publicity stunts, the campaign for Truth has revealed some shocking and surprising facts about smoking. From what goes into a ciga rette, to the number of people who die every year from smoking, including passive smoking, Truth has hit home hard. And it has stopped many people from either taking up smoking or continuing to smoke themselves to what would probably be a painful death. AIDS Awareness Advertising In the 1980s, perhaps the biggest life-saving campaign to hit screens around the world welches AIDS awareness. At the time, there was little known about the disease, and it was a death sentence. Powerful ads from some of the best creative ad shops in the world hammered home the horrendous truths about AIDS, and how it was transmitted. Later, when the fear twisted the truth, more advertising was created to let people know that AIDS cannot be transmitted outside of sex and intravenous use. But thats only the tip of a very large iceberg. Think about how often you have been told something that has later saved lives either yours or someone you know Without creative advertising for certain cancers, and in pa rticular breast and testicular cancer, many people would not have caught the spread of the disease in time.Without creative and powerful advertising warning against the dangers of meth use, or other hard drugs, many people would have gone down a road from which it was impossible to come back.Without hard-hitting advertising for road safety, including seat belt use, tailgating, crash helmets, and drunk driving, there would have been thousands of casualties on the roads over the last forty years. The Impact of Charity Advertising Its easy to vilify advertising, because most of it is done for capitalist reasons. Advertising, marketing, and PR are the tools of large corporations, and they use this power to drive profits and make wealthy people even wealthier. But there are always two sides to every story, and although the charitable side of advertising is dwarfed by its other side, its still important to note that advertising has done a great deal of good over the years. Its also w orth noting that when a client comes into an agency that wants to do something that saves lives, everyone working on that account gets very excited. Well, perhaps excited is the wrong word. They are driven to do something that will have a huge impact and hit home. From the creative department to production and account service, working on a project that gives something back to the community is a huge boost to all those working on it. IN a very real sense, advertising that saves lives can also save the psyches of people who have grown weary of working the on car, alcohol, and fast food accounts. Advertising can save lives. It does save lives. And it plays an important role in the service of the community. If you work in advertising, and someone tells you its the work of the devil, just remind them of the great deal of good it has done as well.

First Jobs and Life Lessons (Pt. 2)

First Jobs and Life Lessons (Pt. 2) First Jobs and Life Lessons (Pt. 2) The first four lessons included1. A bad first job can focus your career goals.2. Start working early.3. Low pay is better than no pay.4. No job is too menial.As I read the Forbes article, I realized that I also learned similar lessons to those of older generations. Yet, some of my views differed, which led me to wander if this is because I am from the millennial generation (and we have different ways of thinking) or because our workforce has evolved so much that some of these first-job lessons simply dont apply today.Below are the final four lessons and my take on their relevancy to todays workforce5. Dress appropriately.While the article stressed that several Next Avenue readers said it was important to follow the dress code at work, I believe this lesson has changed with the times. Nowadays, workplaces dont have a strict dress code. Ive met many people who still go into an office and their work attire is jean s and a t-shirt. Appropriate dress in todays working environment depends on the culture of that organization.6. Work is what you make of it.The article says that first jobs are often the ones no one else wants. In my case of pushing carts in extreme heat and cold, this was true. And I think this lesson not only applies to first jobs, but to every position you have. Its like the saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. You can choose to make the most out of your job and have a positive attitude while working. You can also find ways to make it enjoyable (or not). A lot of it is up to you.7. Dont date the boss (or if you do, find another job).The article explains how one woman, who was a typist in an ad agency, began dating the agencys president. And she believes people wont take you seriously if youre dating the boss.This lesson is timeless and applies to every generation. Work relationships can already be tricky, but once you add romance into the mix, 9 times out of 10 your e bound for disaster. Although I dont know anyone who had to learn this at their first job, the lesson is relevant in any job situation. Just dont do it.8. Do what you love.For this belastung lesson, the article references a man named Harold Sharlin, 89, of Washington, D.C., who it says has worked longer than most. He shows us that you have time to get it right, and if you dont like what you are doing at first, try something else.While I believe this is a good work lesson in general, like point number one, I dont think it necessarily has to come from a first job. Again, most people dont go into their first job (which is normally in their teenage years) thinking that this is what they love and will be doing the rest of their lives. People normally have the perspective that their first job is a temporary way to make money.Yet, as you continue to work and gain experience (especially after college) I believe then we grasp the concept that one should do what he or she loves because our e xperiences reinforce this notion.Not everyone learns the same things from their first jobs some people have similar takeaways while others are unique to their roles. Do you remember your first job? What were some of the biggest lessons it taught you?

How to Speed-Prep for a Meeting When Youre Crunched for Time

How to Speed-Prep for a Meeting When Youre Crunched for TimeHow to Speed-Prep for a Meeting When Youre Crunched for TimeMaybe you headed to a friends impromptu birthday dinner last night instead of brushing up on points for the morning meeting. You promised yourself, before hitting the pillow, that youd wake up early and outline your talking points, but- spoiler alert- that didnt happen.Or maybe you really didnt get that meeting invite until the last minute (well blame Gmail).In any case, here you are at your desk at 9 AM with a venti latte, a 30-minute countdown, and the angelic Tim Gunn sitting on your shoulder, whispering, Make it work. And, make it work, you must. Heres how.Forget PerfectThrow that triple-checking, OCD, type-A mentality into the recycling bin (because you can use it later, just not right now). Its time to use those finals-week cramming skills you got so good at in college.Utilize the little time you have to do as much as possible, focusing on the main points of t he meeting and nothing else. Youre not preparing for a championship episode of Jeopardy here- youre just trying not to embarrass yourself by knowing the client or new project no better than the clueless couples on The Newlywed Game do. If were talking in terms of game-show goals, you want to know the gist of the most popular Survey Says answers on Family Feud.Know Your Ws (and Outline the H)Whip out your notebook and fill out the following like a worksheet Who, What, When, Where and Why. Also, jot down the strongest three points you want to make in How youre planning to accomplish the goal that is the reason for the meeting. (Three is proven to be an easy and effective number of points to remember- check out this Forbes article onthe Rule of 3.) Drill yourself on said details.Then, make a list of the questions you need answered from the key players in the meeting before everyone leaves. With your remaining time, educate yourself on the questions you believe those players will be ask ing, and a brief answer (even if that answer is Im researching that right now, and Ill report on that at our next meeting).A Funny Thing HappenedAll right, this might seem a little counterintuitive, but take 60 seconds to skim the days interesting news headlines and come up with an anecdote, joke, or just a prompt to kick off the meeting. The casual chatter it will spark will thermisch the room, which will in turn help you think clearer about the points you only just reviewed a few minutes ago, improving your delivery. Plus, knowing that you have a conversation topic in your back pocket will calm your nerves and make you feel more confident when you walk through those conference room doors.Repeat After MeIm not going to ask you to look at yourself in your compact mirror (or worse- the office bathroom) to repeat positive affirmations to yourself. But, I will request that you replay past situations in which you totally B.S.-ed your way to success- like that time your creative writing professor put you on the spot to share the thesis you didnt prepare. You didnt sweat, you just made up a plot on the spot, mirroring Ratatouille and inserting hipster language to camouflage the truth, saying things like with a new wave feel.Remembering how well youve done with short-notice before will boost your confidence. You should also remind yourself that most meetings and presentations that make you nervous are actually phenomenal, well-deserved, and potentially career-changing opportunities to shine in front of influential people in your career. Once you see the meeting as something positive and exciting, those nerves will turn into adrenaline, amping you up to blow everyone away.So go get em. Meeting and presentation prep doesnt always have to call for a script and practice- just trust your experience and power to rise to the impromptu occasion. And just think After you get through this corporate rendezvous, youll be home, snuggling in bed, where this will all be a dream.Pho to of woman running meeting courtesy of Shutterstock.