The Seven Deadly Sins of Advertising
Sin No. 1And in many ways this is the biggest sin of them all!
The total lack of genuine accountability and effectiveness. More and more evidence is emerging that there is ample justification for questioning a major advertising pretension that it does, indeed, work at all!The repetitious cry and certain belief that “creativity” is the answer to all marketing problems – it isn’t and frankly never really has been.It’s a given that all human knowledge is provisional but it is also incremental, the sum of what we know to day is far greater than thirty years ago – with, possibly, the sole exception of marketing/advertising. Nothing new has been added to the armory of advertising…no debate is taking place as to where to go next! Perhaps that is because there is no place else to go!However to day it is still an article of faith among advertising people that advertising will not change because “it works”!Facing the painful truth is the first essential step in devising a sensible strategy for the perpetuation of advertising. And the painful truth is “Advertising no longer works”!Sin No 2.Is it because that, for financial reasons, you do not want to address the problem of clutter…because it is a huge and growing problem which contributes to the declining effectiveness of all advertising.
The poor old customer, or in advertising speak, Consumer, does not want to take delivery of even more messages, after all they do not appear to be taking much notice of the messages that exist already!
The advertising world has dehumanised and depersonalised the process of communication and very little evidence of consideration of the consumer exists.Sin No.3You just don’t listen, whenever some well meaning person dares to question the “Advertising Works” article of faith, down comes a torrent of abuse, and the fact is it can only be a torrent of abuse because you do not have a solid fact to support your spurious claims. Listen to your Clients:
As one large Client recently explained: “In to day’s marketing landscape, building a brand is about a whole lot more than advertising. An advertising agency alone cannot deliver everything we need – even though agencies may claim to deliver this, it’s a myth”.
Or even listen to people closer to home:
Derek Morris, Chairman and chief executive of ZenithOptimedia attended “Media 360 Conference” in Wales. In a long letter in MediaWeek, he said, among other things, “But what are the lessons to bring home from South Wales? What should we actually do? And there, in the final session, reality caught up when the Client told us to “Change before you are dead”.Sin No.4If you don’t want to listen then for Heavens sake forget the glorious past.
Your current model of advertising was developed in the Sixties when product choice was much more limited and people were easier to stereotype into categories like income, sex and class. It was much easier for advertisers to target people and bombard them with sales messages.Today’s marketplace is different and all the old certainties are gone. To be effective in your communications it is sound advice to start with the premise that you know nothing about the people that you believe your product is aimed at.You all have become too parochial, too introspective, too convinced by your on hyperbole.Sin No.5Stop this insane rush onto Web 2.0 it is not a medium intended for mass advertising, and, as has been recently established, “Users became more or less desensitised to the Advertising”That was recently said of advertising on social networking sites.Clients are experiencing fast diminishing returns on their social networking ad investments.Clients are expressing disillusionment.Web marketers, ranging from Google at the apex of the ad triangle to the mass of small companies are showering social-networking sites with ad dollars without getting their hoped-for returns.The question is not “Has the advertising model broken”? The question now is “What are we going to replace it with”?The complacency of the IPA is overwhelming, they appear not to be doing anything to answer the increasingly strident complaints.Complaints such as, clutter, and here the irony is that advertising agencies appear to think that placing more advertisements is the way to solve clutter!Complaints such as lack of accountability, to day, and after fifty years of extensive advertising, there are no reliable figures available on audience measurements.And most certainly there are no effective studies as to the effectiveness of advertising…on sales…. As a return on ROI…and much more.To day it is more important that a close investigation as to the suitability of advertising on Web 2.0 be undertaken instead of rushing onto the Net and ignoring all the signs. These are that it is a highly unsuitable medium for advertising.After all it is “The Wild West” where anything goes!Sin No.6Your inability to move very rapidly into the post-advertising mindset is caused by you being unable to recognise Sins 1 through 5 above.Astonishingly, a sizeable percentage of marketers and marketing-service leaders seem mired in the advertising mind-set.The Cannes Lions Festival still celebrates ads-a position, one suspects, roughly equivalent to the Cannes Film Festival honouring silents. The One Show held two concurrent programmes this year-one for conventional ads, another for online. (One wonders who in this mix felt like a second-class citizen).In a transparent world, the power of an “ad campaign” to change minds is strictly limited, and getting more so every day. It’s way past time for the industry’s leaders to get naked and reinvent advertising…it they can!Sin No.7Your complete and utter lack of understanding of the word “communication” together with a lack of appreciation as to what can, and does, stifle effective communication.All advertising is a form of learning whereby the advertiser is asking people to change their behaviour after learning the benefits of the products or services on offer. However, we all tend to filter out information, which we do not want to hear. This clearly alters the effectiveness of conventional advertising in quite a dramatic way.The final purchase decision is invariably a compromise and this leads to a certain amount of anxiety; the worry that perhaps the decision was not the best or the right one. In order to minimise this anxiety the purchaser seeks to reinforce their choice and begins to take more notice of their chosen product’s marketing communications.Due to a lack of understanding of the communication process we have created a media society during the past 40 or 50 years, where the whole process has been de-humanised.There is now an extraordinary reduction in interaction because conventional advertising and marketing have become a one-way practice whereby information is disseminated in a passive form.So what are you going to do about this?
Office Equipment and Furniture That Make a Difference
With the clamor to be more environmentally-responsible, manufacturers of office equipment are slowly rising up to the challenge of producing green products. Green products mean energy-efficient, less pollution, less carbon emission, and more concern for environmental sustainability.Every year with no regards for the environment, energy and resources are wasted. According to the Energy Star website, “if every home office product purchased in the U.S. this year were Energy Star qualified, Americans would save $200 million in annual energy costs while preventing almost 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, which is equivalent to the emissions of 250,000 cars.”That’s a pretty good figure for the environment.But what is an Energy Star? How does it make a difference to the environment?An Energy Star signifies the fact that the office equipment or home appliance you plan to purchase helps conserve energy by using energy-efficient designs. This allows them to use less energy than those with no Energy Star seal to accomplish standard tasks. The equipment also goes into a low-power mode automatically when not in use.Office equipments are generally turned on for the most part of the day even after office hours. There is reduced carbon emission if the devices are developed in an energy-efficient manner and there are power management features. You are, in turn, reducing your carbon footprint and doing your part in alleviating the climate change phenomenon.The Energy Star seal also applies to accessories including external power adapters and cordless handsets.Another environment-friendly feature you should look for is the compliance of the manufacturer of the office equipment you plan to purchase to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. Under this decree, everyone having to do with in the manufacture, selling and distribution, recycling or treating of any electronic and electrical appliances is required to reduce waste generation and to improve environmental performance of these products.Companies which manufacture, sell, and distribute office equipment are accountable for taking back and recycling their products. Recycling of these equipments will follow a strict protocol, with every bit of entire device reprocessed piece by piece, making sure that unsafe materials are properly taken care of.Purchasing energy-efficient office equipment earns savings from lower energy expenses, encourages innovation and creativity, and promotes environmental awareness. Clients will appreciate the company’s efforts of becoming an environmentally responsible business.You should also take into account the materials and the processes which were used in the manufacture of the office equipment. Opt for eco-friendly equipment and greener manufacturing processes. Purchase office equipment and furniture which are sustainably harvested woods and recycled, bio-based, or nontoxic materials, and made with glues, paints, foams, and other ingredients that don’t give off noxious odors.You can make a difference. You can reduce your carbon footprint. You can choose to be environment-friendly with the office equipment you purchase.The Environmental Defense Fund suggests great tips to be more energy-efficient in your workplace. It would be even better if you can apply them at home as well.1. Install an automated energy management system
2. Install occupancy sensors to control lighting
3. Switch to energy efficient lighting
4. Activate power-saving settings on office equipment
5. Install energy management software on PCs
6. Purchase Energy Star certified office equipment
7. Tune-up or replace inefficient heating/cooling systemsOffice equipment and products don’t need to be expensive. Some are even cheaper because they are made from recycled materials. In the long run, you save a lot on the electric bill and repair, and more importantly, you are doing your part in reducing your impact and making a positive change to the environment.It is never too late. Be a smart buyer. Be a conscientious user.
What Can a Strong Pee Odor Tell You?
What Can A Strong Pee Odor Tell You?
If you consume enough (typically one and a half to two liters per day) and empty your bladder regularly, the smell of fresh urine is typically fairly neutral. Occasionally, and for any variety of reasons, even fresh urine can have a strong odor.
The Various Pee Aromas
Urine was once used to identify illnesses and offer hints about whether there was a problem with the body. Today, urine smell can help suggest either good health or illness in addition to color and symptoms.
There are many ways to describe the scent; for instance, that it smells sweet or like fish, ammonia, or alcohol.
What creates a potent or unusual odor in pee?
There could be a number of causes for the urine’s disagreeable and overpowering odor.
Here are a few things that could make urine scent strongly.
Urine smell can be affected by food and medicine.
Urine aroma is closely related to our diet.
While asparagus, coffee, and garlic, for instance, offer urine a more distinct odor, spicy food can make it smell worse.
Penicillin and other medications may have an impact on how urine odors. All of this is perfectly safe, though. When the offending food or medication exits the body, the urine’s odor goes away.
Strong pee odors can result from dehydration.
Lack of water consumption causes pee to become more concentrated.
Food & Beverages Can Affect Pee Smell
Below are some examples of what could cause a strong scent in urine. There may be a number of reasons why the urine smells bad.
Urine smell can be affected by food and medicine.
Urine aroma is closely related to our diet. The color and smell of spicy food both represent the impact it can have. Dehydration might be the cause of dark, strongly scented pee.
Low fluid consumption results in urine that is highly concentrated and frequently has a strong odor. Additionally, too much concentrated pee can irritate the lining of the bladder. This may result in urge symptoms, which are marked by a persistent desire to use the restroom.
The following circumstances can result in dehydration: vomiting, diarrhoea, kidney failure, or a fever.
Anyone can become dehydrated, but some people are more susceptible than others, such as young infants, the elderly, or those who have a chronic illness. It’s crucial to take action if you anticipate dehydration in someone else or yourself. Always make sure you or the people you are caring for drink enough water.
Urine that has a foul odor and is black and cloudy may appear to have a urinary tract infection or what is known as asymptomatic bacteriuria (see below).
Pee Bacteria
Recent research has revealed that the urinary system has its own unique microflora. This indicates that most people’s urine contains small quantities of bacteria. However, this is completely typical and doesn’t hurt. There is continuing research to determine the flora’s composition and if there are any possible pharmaceutical or medical applications. Urinary tract infections may be the cause of foul-smelling pee.
Unwanted bacteria can occasionally enter the urinary system and result in cystitis or a urinary tract infection. Escherichia coli bacteria, which naturally live in the intestine and occasionally enter the urethra and move up the urinary system, are frequently to blame for this. Due to the urethra’s lower length and proximity to the anus, females are more likely than males to develop urinary or bladder infections. Infections can also be brought on by viruses or fungus in addition to bacteria. The invasive bacteria thrives in urine, multiply rapidly, and lead to an infection that may smell bad.
Cystitis or a urinary system infection can cause the following symptoms:
increased regularity of pain or burning when urinating - urine with blood residue
Black urine, or cloudy urine with a strong smell
More information on Urinary Tract Infections.
Pee Odor Brought on by Asymptomatic Bacteriuria It’s also possible for the urinary system to become overrun with bacteria. The bacteria are typically diverse in variety and not particularly dangerous. This means that other than giving the urine a bad smell, they can exist without creating any issues.
Asymptomatic Bacteriuria (ASB) or “friendly” bacteria is the medical term for this disease.
These germs are more prevalent in the aged, women, diabetics and catheter users. Antibiotics are rarely used to address this condition. This is due to the possibility that antibiotic treatment may cause other, more challenging bacteria to proliferate if the balance of the flora is changed.
The Connection Between Diabetes and Pee Odor.
For individuals with diabetes and an elevated blood glucose level, the kidneys excrete extra sugar in the urine. The urine has a sweet scent as a result. Other signs of elevated blood sugar include extreme thirst and frequent urination. You ought to speak with your doctor if you experience elevated blood sugar symptoms.
When to see a specialist if your urine smells strong
Even though urine may smell unpleasant, there may not definitely be a problem.
However, the cause should be looked into if the urine odor persists for a long
period and cannot be linked to specific foods or medications and you are concerned about symptoms. If there is pain while peeing, if the colour of the urine has altered, then more lab tests may be needed for a comprehensive diagnosis.
If there is an offensive odor coming from the genitalia, a bacterial unbalance, for instance, may be to blame. This might be due to overzealous cleaning, antibiotic use, or using harsh soaps.
The resistance of healthy epidermis to infection is higher. In order to maintain or enhance the skin’s capacity to defend itself against infection, the genital region must be kept clean and free from disease. In addition to thinking about how to prevent a urinary tract infection, you should also consider developing a good skincare routine, such as using skincare items created especially for intimate care and that maintain healthy skin.
It’s crucial to do the following to lower the chance of infection:
If there is any prior evidence of a urinary tract infection or if a person has been assessed to be risk-exposed, pay closer attention.
Consume enough liquids to maintain hydration
Avoid extended skin contact with urine (i.e. wet incontinence products containing a lot of urine)
Utilize skin-drying ingredients in your goods (e.g. by wicking away the urine into the product core to keep it away from the skin).
Use bowel and bladder emptying techniques when using the restroom, as residual pee may increase the risk of a urinary tract infection.
To prevent transferring bowel bacteria to the urinary system, wipe your body from front to back after a bowel movement.
Feces-covered goods should be removed right away, front to back.
Avoid using harsh soap on the delicate skin near the genitals because it can upset the equilibrium and irritate the skin. Always go for low pH cosmetics and cleaning supplies as these are gentler on aged and sensitive skin.
To sanitize delicate skin, use an excellent sanitizing wash cream or wet wash gloves.
For additional skin defence, apply a barrier cream.
After cleaning, carefully pat dry the skin before applying a fresh incontinence product
because bacteria thrive in moist environments.
As much as possible, expose the area to air to keep it dry.
Urine odor can reveal crucial information.
To summarize: Urine odor changes can be a significant predictor of a variety of conditions. The reason might be unimportant, like eating a lot of asparagus. But the unusual scent of the urine could also be a sign of infection or dehydration. A perceptive nose, along with an acute awareness of other symptoms, can offer helpful hints and, if required, lead to a request for a lab test.