Some investments aren’t meant to make a profit.

The business of.. business isn’t only about profit. It’s about people. Particularly people who have made a difference. We often meet these people at moments when they feel at their most vulnerable or helpless. But it’s in such moments that the human spirit can shine through. That’s what this story is all about. The “ You Are The Big Picture” campaign pays tribute to these people in giant portraits designed to match the size of their compassion, resolve, determination or integrity. A great communications campaign by Aviva.

Is Internet making us stupid?

Do you think the Internet has altered you mind at the neuronal, cognitive, processing, emotional levels? Yes, no, maybe. Philosophers, scientists, writers, journalists reply to the Edge annual question 2010, in dozens of texts . In the summer of 2008, American writer Nicholas Carr published in the Atlantic Monthly an article under the title Is Google making us stupid?: What the Internet is doing to our brains, in which highly criticized the Internet’s effects on our intellectual capabilities. The article had a high impact, both in the media and the blogosphere. Edge.org – the intellectual online salon – has now expanded and deepened the debate through its traditional annual challenge to dozens of the world’s leading thinkers of science, technology, thought, arts, journalism. The 2010 question is: “How is the Internet changing the way you think?" They reply that the Internet has made them (us) smarter, shallower, faster, less attentive, more accelerated, less creative, more tactile, less visual, more altruistic, less arrogant. That it has dramatically expanded our memory but at the same time made us the hostages of the present tense. The global web is compared to an ecosystem, a collective brain, a universal memory, a global conscience, a total map of geography and history. More than 120 scientists, physicians, engineers, authors, artists, journalists met the challenge.

Glass packaging respects planet’s natural resources and the …arts.

An exhibition, organized by FEVE, was held during the month of October 2010 in the premises of DG Enterprise of the European Commission(Breydel Building, Brussels). It aimed at reproducing the bottle-to-bottle production system of glass packaging., as glass is 100% and infinitely recyclable. At the end of its life, glass is collected and it can be recycled in the production of new bottles. Glass packaging is non-toxic and does not contain any chemical substances. It protects human health and it preserves products. The exhibition consisted of an artistic reproduction of two glass bottle banks and a piece reproducing the shelves of a supermarket. The stand was completed with four banners with some key messages on glass packaging. It was realized by a Belgian sculptor – Ladislas de Monge (www.demonge.be).

Restoring Confidence in the Corporation: Rethinking the Business of ..Business

”Business is a necessary evil in society… only the worst sorts of people are involved” (Plato)
Corporate power, accumulated by the US lead “Arrogant Capitalism” of the inequalities, is dramatically deteriorating, also as a result of the recent financial crisis. “Disaster Capitalism”(see Naomi Klein’s latest book) and the School of Chicago failed. Now a European lead “Nice Capitalism”(see Costas Kataras latest book) is wanted. Long before the crisis, a number of studies showed a growing lack of trust in business and their leaders, ie only ¼ of the public trust them. Further on, brand importance goes also steadily down. For example, brand loyalty today is only 9%, from 40% some years ago. The crisis also showed that the notion of “Powerless State” is a myth. Society is now pressing harder for a new “corporate social contract “ and the new issues for the businesses are endless, including: regulation, environment, unions, privacy, safety, off shoring, civil society, governments as owners, consumer activists , NGOs and others . How modern corporations could respond to these strategic and organizational challenges, beyond simplistic CSR, “Green Wash” practices and the recently invented by brands concept of “social missions in the supermarket shelf”, at a moment where “shareholder value is growing increasingly irrelevant as government and society take a larger role in shaping business and industry” ? The above were some of the topics of the recent lecture, 14/12/2009, of Costas Kataras in the Athens University of Economics and Business, MBA International Program, about Business and Society. You can access his presentation here. The lecture was part of the "Nice Way" strategy series.
The Nice Way initiative of The Costas Kataras Organization includes information, ideas and advice equipping organizations for a competitive advantage in times of turbulence, delivered through a number of tools, including: lectures, presentations, seminars, workshops, strategic foresight, scenario planning, studies, market intelligence, consulting, counselling, networking tools and others, based on Costas Kataras’ fascinating book Nice Capitalism. Lecture topics include: A New Paradigm: The Application of “Chaos Thinking” to Strategy, The European Effect: Is Corporate Europe Beginning to Surpass America? , Restoring Confidence in the Corporation: Rethinking the Business of...Business, The Uncertain Future of Brands: The Next Colossal Corporate Challenge?, The Economics of Happiness: Mastering the New Competitive Advantage ,The Revenge of the Psych: Is Consumers’ Dominance Over Corporations Near?, Rethinking Marketing: Surviving in a New, Polarized, World. More info and a short description of the Nice Way series of lectures, is now availiable.

Corporate social responsibility still makes good business sense

With the recession in full swing and no reprieve in sight, one might expect interest in corporate social responsibility to wane, or perhaps even die a natural death.

Not so, according to Craig Smith, INSEAD Chaired Professor of Ethics and Social Responsibility. He believes that corporate responsibility has never been more prominent on the corporate agenda, according to a recent report by INSEAD Knowledge.

The financial crisis and its effects on the global economy have made it clear, he says, that the stability of our global market system depends on responsible behaviour, sustainable business models and proactive management of business impacts on society, as well as regulatory frameworks.

A CSR Toolbox for European Companies

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is of crucial importance for competitiveness in Europe, says the latest European Competitiveness Report published by the European Commission. The annual report analyses productivity and competitiveness issues in the EU. In that context the so called CSR Toolbox was launched. CSR Europe's Toolbox includes information, ideas and advice designed to help companies and their stakeholders address socio-economic and environmental challenges and integrate corporate social responsibility (CSR) into mainstream business practice. The Toolbox is based on the first results of the CSR Laboratories, cross-sectoral business-stakeholder cooperation projects under the umbrella of the European Alliance for CSR. (Photo:Günter Verheugen, Vice-President of the European Commission )

What's Wrong with Drug Marketing Communications ?

Prescription drugs have brought many benefits for many people, but their marketing is mired in controversy. Weak government regulation and inadequate industry codes mean that drug companies are using irresponsible marketing to push their pills on doctors, the public and patients. Consumer International's (CI) Marketing Overdose Campaign is all about highlighting the unethical and irresponsible marketing practices of drug companies around the world. Get the latest updates from this blog.According to CI the winner of the Marketing Overdose Award for rampant promotion for 2008 goes to...Eli Lilly. According to CI "the company has run foul of marketing regulations in the promotion of it's erectile dysfunction(ED) drug Cialis on a number of occasions".With sales of over $1.1 billion, Cialis is one of Lilly's biggest sellers and the company only for 2007 spent $152 million on marketing communications and promotion.The company , according to CI, has been "officially censured by British and Australian authorities no less than three times in the past few years"

Top 3 most listened podcasts for 2009 in The Engaging Brand

The Engaging Brand (TEB) site announced the ranking of the most popular shows (podcast ) produced in 2009, series of interviews of Mrs Anna Farmery with global business and marketing personalities . The interview with Costas Kataras, Are We Facing the Death of the Brand? ranked No 3 for 2009. TEB produces The Engaging Brand podcast , that was nominated two years running for the Best Business podcast . The show interviews a wide range of people looking for creative ideas of how to develop business. More info, including the top 5 list, here. Also in other blogs.

The “Nice Way” business advantage, now in a series of lectures

A number of new research findings, recently published bestseller books (ie The Brand Bubble, John Gertzema, Chief Insights Officer, Young & Rubicam / WPP Group, November 2008 and The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, 2009) and the winning business strategies of a new species of Nice Brands / Corporations that is now emerging (ie Patagonia ) as predicted in the book Nice Capitalism by Costas Kataras , are all confirming the advantage of the Nice Way strategy and Costas’ unique foresight ability to foresee the shape of things to come in the new corporate world. The Nice Way initiative of The Costas Kataras Organization includes information, ideas and advice equipping organizations for a competitive advantage in times of turbulence, delivered through a number of tools, including: lectures, presentations, seminars, workshops, strategic foresight, scenario planning, studies, market intelligence, consulting, counselling, networking tools and others, based on Costas Kataras’ fascinating book Nice Capitalism. Lecture topics include: A New Paradigm: The Application of “Chaos Thinking” to Strategy, The European Effect: Is Corporate Europe Beginning to Surpass America? , Restoring Confidence in the Corporation: Rethinking the Business of...Business, The Uncertain Future of Brands: The Next Colossal Corporate Challenge?, The Economics of Happiness: Mastering the New Competitive Advantage ,The Revenge of the Psych: Is Consumers’ Dominance Over Corporations Near?, Rethinking Marketing: Surviving in a New, Polarized, World. More info and a short description of the Nice Way series of lectures, is now availiable.

The Kataras Collection : "Theses on Contemporary Art"

The Kataras Collection of contemporary art is now available in the web, initially with a simple form, to all interested audiences. The collection supports modern art and aims at promoting particularly new artists and movements with the purpose to promote a fertile dialogue of ideas. Indicative list of artists includes: ANGELOU Babis, FASSIANOS Alecos, FIDAKIS Panos, GANOUTAS Ilias, GONTIKAS Aggelos, HERETAKIS Alexandros, HOMATAS Costas, HRISTELI Natasa, LEVENTIS Argyro, MANIATAKOS Anastasios, MARA Magda, MILIONIS Dimitris, PAPOUTSIDIS Nikos-Yorgos, PARMIGIANI Aldo, SPERANTZAS Vasilis, STATHOPOULOS Giorgos and others. The collection aims in the future to embrace all forms of visual expression, including painting and sculpture, drawings, prints, photography, architecture and design, and film and video. To see sample art work from the collection, including artists biographical notes in Greek and English, please click here (Word document, low resolution photos). For more info send email to: info@costaskataras.org (Art work above by LEVENTIS Argyro).

Trends That Will Drive Consumer Thinking in 2009

JWT, one of the world's largest advertising agencies, has released its fourth annual year-end forecast of key trends that will drive or significantly impact consumer behavior in the year ahead.

According to JWT, major trends for 2009 include the energy race, which will heat up as nations, corporations and research institutions compete to find cheaper, renewable and more eco-friendly energy sources; simple pleasures, which cash-strapped consumers will favor over extravagant indulgences; and a new "we over me" attitude toward addressing social problems.
Other key trends cited in the report "10 Trends for 2009" include:

• Redistribution of Power: 2009 and beyond will see widespread power-structure shifts in the political, economic and social spheres.
• The Mobile Device as the Everything Hub: As the availability of wireless broadband expands and the cost of advanced phones drops, the mobile device will become the preferred hub for digital communications.
• The Small Movement: Everything is getting smaller, from stores to cars to mobile technology to packaged goods.

The Big Question of 2009

Every year Edge Foundation asks a number of forward-thinking people a provocative and big question.This is the Edge Annual Question for 2009: "What will change everything?" . Writer David Bodanis suggests that some kind of massive technological failure would be game-changing. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, says that reinventing industry to have less impact on the environment will alter the way we live. Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek believes everything will continue to become smaller, faster, cooler, and cheaper—with implications of an Internet on steroids and exciting new designer materials. And Sherry Turkle, a psychologist at MIT, looks forward to the day when robots will serve as companions to humans. Read the full responses to the Edge annual question here .

Frontiers of Happiness

Dan Gilbert presents research and data from his exploration of happiness, sharing some surprising tests and experiments . To watch this TED video click here. Dan , a Harvard psychologist, believes that in our ardent, lifelong pursuit of happiness, most of us have the wrong map. In the same way that optical illusions fool our eyes -- and fool everyone’s eyes in the same way -- Gilbert argues that our brains systematically misjudge what will make us happy. TED is a global community that believes passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world and offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers.We are very pleased in this blog that we collaborate with this community and we look forward to contribute to it's motto "Ideas Worth Spreading".