At the end of this decade, scientists discover that giant solar flares have caused the temperature of Earth’s core to increase at an incredible rate. As the fragile balance of the planet’s structure is tipped by this unprecedented event, cracks begin to appear in the Earth’s crust, creating earthquakes of increasing ferocity. Despairing governments hatch a plan to ensure the survival of life via the creation of modern-day Arks – but while this desperate plan unfolds vast swathes of the world are consumed by mega-tsunamis, gigantic volcanic eruptions and the clash of mountain against mountain. Billions die – and the fate of humanity rests in the hands of… John Cusack?

The more observant among you may well have noticed that this is not in fact a representation of the near future from the perspective of shared services and outsourcing; rather, a precis of the plot of disaster movie 2012. However, while such cataclysmic challenges remain (for the moment…) in the realm of Hollywood sci-fi, the threat posed to smooth back-office operations by smaller (but nevertheless potentially devastating) phenomena is very real. Organizations without clear, coherent and agile disaster-avoidance and disaster-recovery strategies are courting catastrophe – and in many respects the challenges will only intensify over the years to come…

If that sounds too doomladen for many readers’ palates, it’s worth taking a look at a few critical issues. Firstly, from an organizational standpoint a catastrophe doesn’t have to be global to have global implications: the amazing advances in technology that have paved the way for IT-enabled centralization and the rise of the shared services model have resulted in countless benefits but have also created incredible dangers for any companies foolhardy enough to put all their data eggs in one basket – the oft-imagined (and thankfully unlikely) scenario whereby Company X’s sole SSC is destroyed in an earthquake without that company backing up its mission-critical data is the archetypal nightmare here.

Secondly, the increasing interconnection brought on by globalization has similarly led to innumerable benefits but has also led to the possibility of almost unthinkable dangers, both natural and artificial: the headlines over the past year have been dominated by the consequences of the financial crisis, a “near miss” event in many ways which at one point looked as though it could result in systemic collapse with the global banking superstructure within hours of collapse; and by the avian ‘flu pandemic which – fingers crossed – appears now to be less problematic than was first feared but which could – thanks again to globalization and easy travel – have reached every corner of the earth more rapidly than any previous pandemic and with devastating consequences. In this case, disaster-recovery teams would have had to cope not with acute trauma at any one location, but the consequences of a significant proportion of the workforce being rendered unfit for purpose (ie, dead) and of the impact of a substantial depletion of the consumer base on profitability. Two near-misses in a single year: it’s easy to imagine the Sword of Damocles swaying gently overhead…

Coping with that kind of catastrophe might seem beyond the domain of shared services (as if they didn‘t have enough to cope with); however, it seems logical to assume that, in the case of a seriously destabilizing event like either of the last two mentioned could well have become, shared services would be perfect to lie at the heart of any recovery strategy developed by a global organization: a number of small, agile centralized groups (as long as they’re not too depleted or rendered useless by whatever’s transpired) are far better placed to mount coherent resistance to disaster than widely dispersed (and probably pretty terrified) local teams – as long, crucially, as the lines of communication remain open and the aforementioned mission-critical data is not lost. Any element of disaster-avoidance strategy dealing with major global events should therefore include well-defined roles for shared services teams maximizing the advantages conferred by this model.

However, such events remain, thankfully, unlikely in the short-term. Much more immediate and pressing is the risk of local catastrophes which threaten the shared services units themselves – and dealing with these, and minimizing their impact on the organization as a whole, is what disaster-avoidance and -recovery are really all about. After all, in the case of a truly disastrous global pandemic or systemic collapse we’re all probably going to have a lot more to worry about than whether the business processes are still up and running; however, a localized event could have very little impact on the world at large but prove fatal for an organization which hasn’t taken the time to take preventative measures. Unfortunately, in many ways it seems that the likelihood of such localized events – whether of natural or artificial origin – is on the up, for a number of reasons.

Foremost amongst these is the ongoing impact of climate change (and here it’s worth pointing out that while skeptics can rail against the assumption that humans are responsible, very few are actively denying that climate change is a reality) and other consequences of environmental degradation. Following the old adage that prevention is better than cure, a sensible starting-point for disaster avoidance would be to avoid locating critical infrastructure in areas likely to be worst affected by global warming in the foreseeable future – so global businesses are unlikely to be setting up shared services hubs on the beaches of the Maldives or the shores of the Ganges Delta, for example. The problem here is that nobody knows to what extent climate change is already impacting on what might previously have been thought “safe” areas via catastrophic meteorological events: anyone in the Philippines (an increasingly important shared services and outsourcing hot spot) during the fatal storms and floods earlier this year, or in New Orleans during the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, can testify to the effects of the weather on productivity. The bottom line is that now more than ever, location selection processes must include at their heart a full and rational assessment of the possible impact of climate change. In addition, once built, those responsible for a shared service center – no matter how sensibly sited – must also put in place contingency measures to cope with weather-related events of an intensity over and above what may have been expected only a few years previously. Back-up generators and plans to minimize the impact of disrupted communications and transport links are already an absolute minimum here.

At the other end of the spectrum, the possibility of a human-induced destabilizing event, which – thanks to an increase in terrorism targeting sites of commercial activity – has also increased over the past decade, is likely to rise exponentially if the worse forecasts for climate change are realized. Rising sea-levels and – ironically but no less catastrophically – increased drought are likely to see extreme population movements over the next couple of decades, fuelling existing social tensions and creating new ones. Predicting the stability of any given location ten years from now certainly isn’t an easy proposition – but it’s one that planners cannot now afford to ignore, especially as much new shared services activity is taking place in those fast-growing developing nations most likely to be worst affected by such pressures.

These points are by no means meant as an argument for keeping new shared services development wholly within the developed world (specifically within meteorologically “safe” locations); the benefits posed by siting infrastructure in the emerging hot spots are frankly too good to miss. The point is that those benefits will be for naught if they are not insured by robust disaster-mitigation practices which factor in the potential impact of climate change – and any board unwilling to face the realities of climate change, skeptical though its members may be about the underlying causes, is asking for the kind of trouble from which many businesses wouldn’t be able to recover. Splashing out a few bucks on getting a climatologist’s advice before investing millions in a new center might a few years back have been seen as verging on the lunatic; now it’s probably if not indispensable then pretty close to it.

Of course, it’s not just those looking at setting up new infrastructure that have to concern themselves with such gloomy matters: existing centers should also be assessed in terms of potential risks based on scientific data. But to a large extent such scrutiny will already have been carried out by most organizations – after all, severe weather events are hardly a new phenomenon: it’s their prevalence and intensity which are likely to increase over time. More crucially, firms now don’t just need to assess their own susceptibility to damage: thanks to the growth of outsourcing and the development of more disaggregated business structures, it’s increasingly vital to include in any due diligence an assessment of a potential provider’s ability to cope with the possible consequences of climate change. After all, the gains derived from a sweet outsourcing deal will look pretty paltry pretty quickly if your partner’s infrastructure is rendered useless by flooding or other weather-induced trauma.

For those who may be thinking all this is overly paranoid, it’s worth noting that the consensus within the business community is increasingly aligning itself with the climate-change evangelists. A survey conducted last year for insurance brokers Marsh found that 87 per cent of businesses consulted saw climate change as the single leading threat facing them over the next decade in terms of risks to future growth (while threats posed by the global economic downturn may well have risen to top spot in current thinking, it’s unlikely to have driven climate change off the agenda altogether). Regardless of cause – and that debate is unlikely to disappear despite the growing scientific consensus placing blame at  humanity’s doorstep – in the minds of those running the planet’s economic engines, the threat posed by changes in the environment is more pressing than those offered by terrorism, pandemics or anything else. Shared services, so clearly at the heart of so much of the transformation to have revolutionized business over the past few years, simply can’t afford not to be at the forefront of this most urgent issue.

_______________________________________________________________________

This article was first published on the Shared Services & Outsourcing Network (SSON) – Read it here: http://www.ssonetwork.com/topic_detail.aspx?id=6572&ekfrm=6&utm_source=ssonetwork.com&utm_medium=SMO&utm_campaign=DIRECTORIES&mac=SSON_External_Listing_2056

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Planetary conjunction of mercury, venus and saturn on 21 December 2012.
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The thought of the year 2012 brings to the minds of many images of gloom and doom, death and destruction, and the potential reemergence of mankind from its ashes.  In the last few years there have been countless books, movies and television specials discussing what the authors believe will happen on December 21, 2012.  After investigating all of the available evidence, I have come to my own conclusion as to what will happen on that highly anticipated date.

Before I jump to the punch line and tell you what I believe, let’s spend a few minutes investigating some of the prophecies that have been associated with the 2012 event.. And, take a look at as some of the theories describing what is believed will happen. 

The Maya created a number of different calendars to record the passage of time.  One of them is called the “Calendar Round”.  We learned about this calendar from a book, known as the Dresden Codex.  It was spared the burning frenzy of the early Christian priests in Mexico.  The Calendar Round is made up of two separate calendar systems used by the Maya.  The Tzolk’on or 260 day Sacred Calendar and the Haab, the 365 day vague calendar.  When combined they form a new calendar that measures 52 years.  

The Calendar Round can only distinguish 52 years then starts repeating itself.  The Mayans needed a more refined dating method.  To ensure that dates could be identified over these extended periods, the Maya devised the “Long Count” calendar.  We became aware of the Long Count through the study of various stelae found in the ruins of many abandoned Mayan cities. 

The Long Count identifies the number of days that have passed since the beginning of the last Great Cycle.  A great Cycle has a length of 13 baktuns or 1,872,000 days (5,125.36 years).  Once completed, like the odometer on your car, the calendar resets itself to 0 (zero).  The accepted start date of the current Great Cycle, as proposed by Sir J. Eric S. Thompson, is August 13, 3114 BCE.  By adding 1,872,000 days to August 13, 3114 BC we arrive at the date December 21, 2012 – the “end of the Mayan Calendar”. 

While the Mayan Calendar provides us with a date for its completion, some researchers believe that other prophecies support the end of a great cycle is fast approaching.  According to the Hopi Indians, as reported by White Feather – a Hopi of the ancient Bear Clan – to a minister named David Young in 1958, these are the signs of the end times: 

“The Fourth World shall end soon, and the Fifth World will begin. This the elders everywhere know. The Signs over many years have been fulfilled, and so few are left.”  

“This is the First Sign: We are told of the coming of the white-skinned men, like Pahana, but not living like Pahana men who took the land that was not theirs. And men who struck their enemies with thunder.” 

“This is the Second Sign: Our lands will see the coming of spinning wheels filled with voices. In his youth, my father saw this prophecy come true with his eyes — the white men bringing their families in wagons across the prairies.”  

“This is the Third Sign: A strange beast like a buffalo but with great long horns, will overrun the land in large numbers. These White Feather saw with his eyes — the coming of the white men’s cattle.”  

“This is the Fourth Sign: The land will be crossed by snakes of iron.”  

“This is the Fifth Sign: The land shall be criss-crossed by a giant spider’s web.”  

“This is the Sixth sign: The land shall be criss-crossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun.”  

“This is the Seventh Sign: You will hear of the sea turning black, and many living things dying because of it.”  

“This is the Eight Sign: You will see many youth, who wear their hair long like my people, come and join the tribal nations, to learn their ways and wisdom.” 

“And this is the Ninth and Last Sign: You will hear of a dwelling-place in the heavens, above the earth, that shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star. Very soon after this, the ceremonies of my people will cease.”  

“These are the Signs that great destruction is coming. The world shall rock to and fro. The white man will battle against other people in other lands — with those who possessed the first light of wisdom. There will be many columns of smoke and fire such as White Feather has seen the white man make in the deserts not far from here. Only those which come will cause disease and a great dying.  

Many of my people, understanding the prophecies, shall be safe. Those who stay and live in the places of my people also shall be safe. Then there will be much to rebuild. And soon — very soon afterward — Pahana will return. He shall bring with him the dawn of the Fifth World. He shall plant the seeds of his wisdom in their hearts. Even now the seeds are being planted. These shall smooth the way to the Emergence into the Fifth World.” 

The signs, over the years, have been interpreted as follows: The First Sign is the arrival of the white man with his guns.  The Second Sign is of the pioneers’ covered wagons.  The Third Sign is of longhorn cattle.  The Fourth Sign describes the railroad tracks.  The Fifth Sign is a clear image of our electric power and telephone lines.  The Sixth Sign describes concrete highways and their mirage-producing effects.  The Seventh Sign foretells of oil spills in the ocean.  The Eighth Sign clearly indicates the “Hippy Movement” of the 1960s.  The Ninth Sign was the U.S. Space Station Skylab, which fell to Earth in 1979.  According to Australian eye-witnesses, it appeared to be burning blue. 

The Hindu Yuga cycle has also been linked by many as supporting the December 21, 2012 date.  According to Hindu Tradition, the length of all life here on earth is described as one day in the life of Brahma, the god of this universe.  When Brahma awakens, the universe appears.  When he sleeps, it disappears.  It is said that one day in the life of Brahma lasts for 4,320,000 years.  

Each day in the life of Brahma is broken down into ages or yugas.  They include:  the Satya Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the Dwapar Yuga and the Kali Yuga.  Without going into a lot of detail regarding the math that supports these ages, it is believed that the Satya Yuga lasted for 1,728,000 years, the Treta Yuga, for 1,296,000 years and the Dwapar for 864,000 years.  It is also believed that we are now in the Kali Yuga.  The Kali Yuga is to last for 432,000 years.  At this time, Brahma will again slumber and our world (what we know of as our universe) will disappear from existence. 

Similar to the Long Count of the Maya, each Yuga has a particular characteristic.  The Satya Yuga, for example, can be roughly translated as the “Age of Truth”.  It is sometimes thought of as the Golden Age of Man.  During this age, goodness and high ideals ruled supreme.  Human intelligence and consciousness were at their peak.  After 1,728,000 years of enlightenment we entered the Treta Yuga.  During the Treta Yuga, there was a fall in man’s spiritual consciousness.  Moral and ethical ideals began to decline.  

As we moved into the Dwapar Yuga, man’s level of consciousness was now 1/2 of where it was during the Satya Yuga.  It was during the Dwapar Yuga that man began using what he knew for his own personal comfort regardless of its impact on others.  According to the texts, during the final age, the Kali Yuga, man experiences a total loss of spiritual awareness.  Trapped in spiritual darkness, we can only comprehend our physical bodies and the objects within our physical world.  

Meaning “Age of Vice”, the Kali Yuga is characterized by strife, discord and contention.  Evil and dishonesty has replaced the truth found in the Satya Yuga.  In the Hindu Text, the Vishnu Purana – thought to be written somewhere between 800 and 300BCE – we find a detailed description of the Kali Yuga.  Here are a few excerpts from this document. 

“The minds of men will be wholly occupied in acquiring wealth; and wealth will be spent solely on selfish gratifications. Women will follow their inclinations, and be ever fond of pleasure. Men will fix their desires upon riches, even though dishonestly acquired.” 

“The kings of Kali Yuga will be addicted to corruption and will seize the property of their subjects. Then property and wealth alone will confer rank; falsehood will be the only means of success. Corruption will be the universal means of subsistence.” 

“Princes, instead of protecting, will plunder their subjects; and, under the pretext of levying customs, will rob merchants of their property. In the Kali age everyone who has cars and elephants and steeds will be a Rájá: everyone who is feeble will be a slave.” 

Based on society today, it seems as if we are well into the energy dynamics of the Kali Yuga. 

Prophecies derived from the Book of Revelation in the Bible have also provided ammunition to the 2012 debate.  Talk about Earth changes, the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Anti-Christ have added fuel to the fire of this already hot debate.  

A number of theories have emerged to explain what will happen at the end of the Mayan calendar.  The outcome (according to supporters) fall into two major camps.  These camps are as different from each other as day and night.  The most popular theories promoted are apocalyptic in nature.  They foretell of dramatic events which will virtually wipe mankind off of the face of the earth.  If I had to pick from these scenarios, the most likely outcome would be that we would blow ourselves up.  Nuclear weapons, a troubled economy and the growing threat of terrorism, all add to the stress and pressure governments face.  It only requires one badly played card before we are all potentially toast. 

Other popular theories include the Rapture which is found in the Book of Revelation.  According to this theory, the Rapture begins with “the saved” being taken up and off the Earth.  In the movie “Left Behind”, these individuals just disappear, leaving the unworthy behind.  Once saved, Armageddon can begin in full force.  A war between good and evil follows and finally Jesus, flying in on his cloud, will return to end the fighting.  Associated with this theory (although not supported by fundamentalist Christians) is the belief that it is not Jesus who brings about the end of Armageddon, but aliens.  It is these same aliens who transport the worthy off the planet and save them from Armageddon. 

Additional end time theories include: the appearance of Planet-X (sometimes referred to as Niberu), solar winds, giant asteroids and even a magnetic poll shift.  Each of these potential events could end life on this planet. 

Switching theoretical sides, there are theories of a calmer and more transcendental nature.  According to some, on December 21, 2012 our planet will enter into what is called the Galactic Alignment.  This astronomical configuration is said to happen once every 26,000 years based upon the precession of the equinox.  Due to this astrological configuration it has been said that our planet will be aligned with the center of the galaxy.  This will cause our chakras (the energy centers within the body) to open, thus allowing the free flow of universal energy into our bodies.  

Similar to this theory is that the beginning of a new calendar cycle will usher in a new age.  It is often likened to the “Age of Aquarius” as a time of peace, love and understanding.  This shift would not be instantaneous.  Instead, changes to our consciousness and collective conscious would commence.  This shift would lead to a new, better and harmonious life here on Earth.  No one has identified how long this process would take, only that on December 21, it will have begun. 

The final theory associated with 2012 is that of ascension.  The Rapture describes saving individuals from an upcoming worldwide catastrophe.  In this scenario, the person is present on Earth one minute and gone the next.  Ascension theory is something like presented in the TV series “StarGate”.  The character Daniel Jackson ascends and becomes one with the Ancients.  The concept of spiritual ascension is associated with a number of spiritual beliefs and practices.  Through self transformation, we as humans would no longer need our physical bodies and will transcend into a higher plane of being.  Proponents of this theory are unclear if ascension will happen December 21 or if it is the process of ascension will begin on that date.  In any case, this one sounds pretty good to me.  

The question I am most often asked when talking about 2012, is what will really happen to us.  Based upon my research to date, this is what I have deduced.  Starting bright and early on December 22, 2012 the sun will come up, we will rise from our slumber and we will begin a new grand and glorious day.  

You might ask how I came to this conclusion?  I am happy to share that information with you now.  

Let’s return to the Hopi Prophecies.  According to their prophecies, it is the fulfillment of the identified events which will indicate the beginning of the Fifth World.  Compelling as they are, like the prophecies of Nostradamus, we are left with the question… Are we making assumptions about their true meaning?  What has been suggested as the fulfillment of the prophecies, is on face, value very persuasive but we will never know for sure. 

There are also problems when you factor in the Hindu Yugas.  The Kali Yuga is said to begin on the day Krishna died in 3100 BC.   The 3100BC start date of the Kali Yuga does make you contemplate its connection with the dates given for this cycle in the Mayan Calendar.  What many 2012 supporters do not tell you is that the Kali Yuga is identified as lasting for 432,000 years.  If you subtract the number of years that have passed since the start of the Kali Yuga, we still have roughly 427,000 years to go until this Yuga ends – and the universe as we know it will disappear. The math does not add up to any time in 2012.     

Over the centuries, prophecies derived from the Book of Revelation have been interpreted and re-interpreted to rationalize many of the difficult time periods we have encountered.  Is the Book of Revelations talking about what is going on now?  It could be.  But it could also have been describing the emperor Nero who banished John, the author of Revelations, to Patmos.  Over the years, this same text has been used to predict the end of the world numerous times. 

Finally we come to the Mayan Calendar.  The date of December 21, 2012 was determined by Sir J. Eric S. Thompson and is referred to as the Thompson Correlation.  As you may recall, Thompson stated that the current Great Cycle commenced on August 13, 3114BC.  This date has been generally accepted as the most likely start date of the cycle.  However, Thompson is not the only one who has proposed a start date.  If you add 1,872,000 days to some of the suggested alternative launch times , dates for the end of the Mayan Calendar have ranged from the year 1734 AD all the way through to the year 2532 AD.    

As you can see, there really isn’t anything that directly supports the December 21, 2012 date.  It is really just a bunch of smoke and mirrors.  The net effect has been that many of us are afraid of what may, or may not, happen on that date!  If you are worried that the world is coming to an end, let it go.  Take a deep breath and open yourself up to contemplating a bright future ahead.  Before I go, I would like to ask each of you for one thing.  When you open your eyes on the morning of December 22nd, think of me, this message and say thank you.

 © Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer – soulhealer.com 2011. All rights reserved.  

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Marketing is about selling people more. So can sustainable marketing really work?

- Marketing comprises a set of skills that generally enable companies to sell more stuff to more people to get a greater share of the market. These skills are usually portable: it doesn’t matter what’s being sold to whom in what marketplace. The social and environmental impact of the stuff that’s being marketed remains, for the vast majority of people in marketing, until recently, largely irrelevant. The idea of sustainable marketing is inevitably sort of ridiculous.

- Sustainable development comprises a set of ideas, principles, values, mindsets and practices that enable individuals and organizations to improve their quality of life in ways that simultaneously protect and enhance the Earth’s life-support systems, in other words, without destroying the planet. At the very least, it can mean consuming in more environmentally and socially responsible ways; for some, it means consuming less.

The idea of sustainable marketing is, therefore, sort of suspect. The marketplace is greener now than ever before and will become even more responsive to products and services promising environmental responsibility well into the 21st century. The reasons are many. People are worried. In the 1980’s, environmental calamities dominated the news. Almost daily, headlines trumpeted oil spills, toxic-waste dumps, and nuclear meltdowns. A hole punctured the ozone layer, a garbage barge searched in vain for a dumpsite; apples were not considered safe to eat. The issues were no longer in someone else’s backyard far-away, but in our own. The environment rose to the top of the public’s worry list.

Nowadays, businesses that fall short of developing effective value propositions have difficulties in taking advantage of market opportunities that are characterized by uncompromising market forces such increased competition, shortened product lifecycles and more sophisticated and variable customer demands. It is a disconcerting fact that many, if not most, businesses struggle to develop sustainable, innovative value propositions that help them sustain their market positions.

Marketing innovation and sustainable development are today’s hottest topics of our planet among intellectuals. Why not harness the creativity and innovation of one of the oldest professions there is to move forward our societies onto a much more sustainable footing? Humanity has been known to tackle far more challenging tasks, anywhere from placing a man on the moon, to persuading people to buy aloe vera toilet paper, as Steve Hilton from Good Business often illustrates. Surely, therefore, bringing together these innovators and persuaders needed to make the world more sustainable should also be possible.

Will we assist to less growth with marketing sustainability? Not really. I think if it is well done, it could mean better, smarter and much more efficient ways of buying and making stuff. What if marketing sustainability is just a pipe dream when consumers are largely ambivalent about the green credentials of the products and services they buy, and certainly find it difficult to pay ‘green premiums’? We don’t think it will be. If done properly, it will appeal to personal values and allow that twinge of “I would really like to do something”.

However, I have to notice that efforts by the odd responsible company are not nearly enough to make producer and consumer change stick. A much wider collective effort is needed if we are going to be successful at reversing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, considering most of us are not willing to sacrifice Aloe Vera toilet paper for banana leaves. If marketing can turn “lead into gold”, then it has the potential to make sustainable development a household word, a universally recognised way of adding both social and economic value. Marketing can create, influence and change target audience attitudes, beliefs and perceptions. In a nutshell, marketing works; that’s why companies do it. A more interesting question is how can it be used to reinforce sustainable development?

I have to mention that although sustainable development and marketing innovation are the 21st century most discussed topics, they are conflicting concepts. Today’s evolution about these topics is to set a challenging sustainable development benchmarks for every element of the marketing mix and build intrinsic brand value in and through sustainable development. Through engaging companies from a range of sectors that are both already active in sustainable development and have high brand awareness, as well as leading media and communications agencies open to new opportunities, we hope to build wider competencies in sustainable marketing within the profession and more broadly in businesses. 

Much of the discussion about marketing and sustainable development focuses on developed markets; on the levels of consumption amongst the world’s richest people and the changing nature of their preferences.Companies face fierce competition for growth in developed countries whilst, in contrast, the most disadvantaged people in the world represent a market with enormous potential. And if the world’s population expands in line with current predictions, over 90% of people will be living in (what are now) developing countries within 30 years. It is no surprise, then, that marketers are increasingly interested in the opportunities amongst the world’s poor, which may involve addressing their basic needs. But is this wishful thinking, or are there compelling commercial reasons for business to pay attention to developing markets? As the term sustainable development enters the business mainstream, the responsibility for managing social and environmental issues is slowly shifting from the corporate fringe to an important business function.

The implementation of communication strategies is a marketing innovation. Not only does the company inform the general public of its efforts to reduce its environmental impact, but in addition, it listens to its clients and tries to gain acceptance of its employees. A sophisticated form of the communication strategy consists of taking part directly in the development of restrictive measures (emission standards, branch agreements, etc.). This effort seems to show a proactive approach to companies on the environmental question, but on the other hand, it could be a way to impede environmental progress by means of a lobbying policy.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a company in possession of a good (or poor) fortune must be in want of innovation. Yet, by all accounts, some 40-90% of innovations fail in the market. In this elective we examine the drivers of market adoption, taking the perspectives of both ‘objective reality’ and the ‘perceived reality’ of the players in the decision. We then offer some suggestions for bringing innovations more successfully to market.

Invention and innovation have proven to be crucial components for the development of modern societies. However, 1.3 billion people who currently live on less than a dollar a day do not enjoy the benefits that many modern inventions have brought. At the same time some key new technologies are known to have caused enormous damage to the global environment.

Increasingly, business is investing in sustainable development strategies, often not fully embraced by their marketing departments.

The result of this means that mixed messages are being transmitted to shareholders and stakeholders alike. There is a real need to join sustainable development business strategy with the marketing departments that drive that strategy forward.
Because marketing influences the development of products and services, as well as the communication methods used to influence consumer behaviour, it is at the axis of one of the most challenging issues facing business today: addressing the current unsustainable levels of production and consumption in an uncertain world.

There are two key approaches to marketing and sustainability. One seeks to embed sustainable development within a company’s core marketing strategy from innovation to the market. The other aligns opportunities for marketing and advertising with the values of sustainable development, either overtly or covertly.

As mainstream marketing is changing and as we enter a ‘third age’ of branding, the context for brands is changing irrevocably. The first age of branding was the age of functionality, where product purpose was legitimised through trademarks. The second age was the age of aspiration, meaning brands served a self actualising purpose. The third age of branding is the age of reconnection, that is, solutions-oriented branding. Empowering consumers to make the world a better place through the products they buy.  For example, if we take the case of the refrigerators, we can say that in 1950’s, somebody could easily be convinced to buy a refrigerator just because it looked cool in his/her eyes, but in today’s uncertain world, we might ask ourselves about the impact of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that our refrigerator is emitting and demand a more environmentally friendly refrigerator.

So, if today’s successful marketing is about appealing to personal values and delivering consumer empowerment, then surely the time is right to inject sustainable development into the marketing mix to help address some of the gritty issues currently facing our planet.

Today’s fast technologies innovation and invention have made people worry about their living environment. Although they need improvements for the household equipments they are daily using, they started asking themselves about the future of the world. Based on this, we have to mention that marketing innovation is developing with consequences for humankind. In this 21st century,sustainable development remains a term which many marketers have become accustomed to hearing alongside jargon such as stakeholder engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Sustainable development is a compelling idea for many people. It is concerned with how business can contribute to some of the most significant challenges that the world faces today; from climate change and biodiversity, to working conditions and health amongst the poorest in the world. But marketing managers have struggled to translate these ideas into viable commercial propositions into marketing strategies that create competitive advantage, build trust or develop new business opportunities.

Moreover, marketers have often faced criticism for being part of the problem for pushing the consumption of unsustainable products and lifestyles.

Sustainable development is becoming a key strategic issue for companies. With growing pressure from global warming, natural resource depletion, widening social gaps, legislation, societal pressures, and the evolution of consumer expectation, the role of marketing within an organization is changing dramatically. Consumer demand for “ethical” products and services is increasing and the marketing is a lever for innovation to answer to this new demand. Social and environmental values are now elements of a brand, marketers need to tackle these issues. Sustainable development is the practice of protecting the environment while improving living standards for all, and invention and innovation is key to its success. Invention and innovation for sustainable development isn’t just about developing new technology, but includes new processes and new ways of solving old problems. Creative thinking is the rubric. Creative thinking has always been integral for improving well-being.

Despite the fact that people everywhere have an innate ability to be creative, rich countries are not doing enough to stimulate and harness invention and creative thinking, and poor countries tend to stifle innovation and creativity outright. This is typically due to a combination of factors: insufficient financial resources, lack of role models, education systems that don’t inspire or value creativity, and social/political environments that discourage creativity, invention and entrepreneurship. Sustainable development has different meanings and implications in different parts of the world. Julia Marton-Lefèvre, executive director of LEAD International, an organization dedicated to leadership for environment and development in a workshop on “invention and innovation for sustainable development” held in November 2003 said to understand the challenges and ramifications “not only in London and Paris and New York, but also in tiny villages in Nigeria and Indonesia and China.” Sustainable development is for all countries, not just developing ones. Based on what she said, I can mention that while rich countries need to develop alternative sources of energy and other technologies that reduce their own impact on the environment, poor countries need to develop their own innovation capacity, in order to address their own particular needs.

Companies create competitive advantage by understanding the shifts in society; from technological innovations such as the 3G communication system to the unwinding consequences of events such as May 12th China earthquake. These trends are the foundations of marketing strategy, and the emergence of sustainable development as a matter of public and corporate concern is one such change in the marketing environment. In recent years, hundreds of companies have developed ethical policies or mission statements. These initiatives appear to be grounded in market realities. For example, a Weber Shandwick survey of 8,000 consumers in 2001 indicates that 80% of high-education/high-income people in the USA have considered switching brands when a company was negatively portrayed in the media in respect of social responsibility issues. But today, the question for marketers is: is there really an opportunity for them to use sustainable development as a lever of brand innovation, rather than the greenwash?

Marketers rightly insist that appealing to sustainability values will not overcome a fundamental weakness in product quality, yet with excellent products there is evidence that social and environmental aspects can be used to differentiate or create a profitable niche. For them,Sustainability values can be a successful differentiator; a key part of the functional and emotional attributes of a product or service.Many of marketers argue that integrating sustainability values into a brand can contribute to market growth. As one professional has commented, “As long as performance, price and place are right, then corporate responsibility can become a differentiator, although a significant price premium is not possible.”

Nowadays, a lot of businesses have tried to differentiate specific products on the basis of their social and environmental impacts. For example, Toyota has used celebrity endorsements to promote the environmental credentials of the Prius, their hybrid fuel car; it has also approved plans to use more distinctive badging on its hybrid Highlander and Lexus models. And niche businesses (increasingly joined by mainstream retailers) supplying fair trade coffee and organic products have targeted consumer concerns regarding working conditions and chemical pollution in the food supply chain, often using eco-labels and social labels to enhance the consumer understanding of their products.

The opportunity for differentiation is perhaps more significant in the business-to-business sector. Business-to-business companies are increasingly identifying opportunities to position their products and services in the wider context of their social and environmental impact as well as their cost and functionality. As one marketer has suggested: “Corporate customers are more interested in these issues than individual customers” Another marketer has confirmed the basis of this business-to-business market: “The challenge is what do customers care about: sometimes it is just price and delivery, but functionality can include aspects of sustainability, like reducing your customers’ waste so their operations run better, helping them deal with and/or eliminate regulatory issues.”

Today’s challenge for marketers to achieve their goals by integrating marketing innovation with sustainable development is to build trust with customers, consumers and society.

Reputation – the goodwill that an organization has acquired from its past performance – is the foundation of future success, the basis on which a business will be trusted in years to come.Companies remain among the least trusted institutions in society, with some businesses particularly vulnerable to pressure group campaigns and consumer boycotts. As a result, many marketers are asking themselves how to minimize the risk of criticism from stakeholders, and whether sustainable development has a role to play in these efforts. Perhaps more positively, they are also wondering what part their companies’ ambitions and achievements on social and environmental issues can play in building and maintaining trust with consumers, customers and society as a whole.

Some marketers are also concerned that reputation and trust may not be sufficient to preserve their brands in the longer-term: current patterns of consumption are not sustainable, and so customers and consumers must be educated in order to protect or secure the resources on which business is based.

Products with sustainability attributes will only appeal if they are clearly consistent with the values and activities of the company.

Many people care about the social and environmental impacts of business. Yet people trust companies when they believe they are acting according to their values, and not just because it happens to make sense in that particular instance. Credibility comes from the confidence that a business will continue to behave ethically in the future: a business will gain little reputational benefit – and more likely harm – from helping a community if local people see the contribution as a short-term ‘bribe’ that will be withdrawn as soon as its immediate objective is achieved. Marketers have a critical role in building trust. In particular, they can help to create inspiring communications, which are honestly based on the abilities of the organisation and the resources that it can realistically devote to enhancing its social and environmental performance.

However, reputation and trust may not be sufficient to safeguard a brand. To succeed, marketers must lead the path towards more sustainable consumption.

International policy makers are paying more and more attention to some of the greatest challenges to society and the environment. For example, UK previous Prime Minister Tony Blair placed poverty in Africa and climate change at the top of the G8 agenda for 2005. These issues are critical to the long-run success of business. In short, companies cannot operate effectively in societies and economies which fail to protect and support the production and consumption of their products and services. Business needs reliable access to sources of raw material, safe working conditions for production, storage and distribution, thriving consumer markets, and safe mechanisms for the disposal of product waste. There is much that governments must do. But if consumers aren’t switching to more sustainable products, then it will also fall to business to break the current patterns of consumption. And it is often the marketer who will be best positioned to create this connection between business and consumers.

Purchasing organic or fair trade produce is now very easy, but making purchasing decisions about other products such as mobile phones on environmental, social or ethical grounds remains difficult. Innovation for sustainable development would inevitably lead to new product-service systems. Current consumer culture with its emphasis on ownership as a status symbol creates significant barriers to the acceptance of these new product service systems.

Although new products and services may be essential for future growth and profit,

companies must survive today to be around tomorrow. Short term financial objectives tend to focus companies on making incremental improvements that keep sales up, keep customers happy and satisfy city analysts rather than the more radical approaches that would promote innovation for sustainable development.

Transforming today’s companies into sustainable innovation stars is not a simple case of creating a new sustainable innovation tool. Product and service innovation is part of a much wider innovation system and is affected by conditions as wide ranging as government leadership on sustainable development and organisational structures within companies. Addressing the barriers to integrating sustainable development into product and service innovation, therefore, requires change to take place across the entire system; from the introduction of new tools into the immediate product development process to the integration of sustainable development objectives into innovation policy.

Sustainable development specialists (and those with equivalent positions or responsibilities) are no longer just responsible for the management of philanthropic initiatives, community engagement programs or environmental impact assessments.

Instead, in leading companies, these managers are expected to act as agents of change: to develop the structures, systems, ways of working and personal values that will support the organisation’s sustainable development objectives; and to encourage others in the company to act as enthusiastic agents of change.

 References

- Aggeri, F., Pezzet E. and Alii (2005), “Organiser le Développement Durable”, Paris, Vuibert

- Asselineau, A. and Pierre Piré-Lechard (2008), “Développement Durable et Entreprise Responsable : Une voie pour l’innovation de rupture ”, Communication présentée lors des 3èmes journées Neptune, 1ère université : Réalités et Prospectives du développement durable organisationnel, ERMES, IAE de Toulon, Observatoire du développement durable, Université du Sud-Toulon-Var, Toulon, 13-14 Novembre 2008

- Bridgewater, S. and Peter Doyle (1998) “Innovation in Marketing”, Business and Economics

- Buisson, J. (2006) “La Responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise”, Economie et Management, N°119, Avril.

- Commissariat général au développement durable (2009) “Stratégie nationale du développement durable 2009-2012”, Ministère français de l’écologie, de l’énergie, du développement durable et de l’aménagement du territoire

- Cravens, D. (2006) “Strategic Marketing global challenges and Opportunities”, Handbook of Business Strategy, Vol. 7, Issue. 1, pp.63-70

- Fuller, D.A. (1999) “Sustainable Marketing”, Sage Publication, London-New Delhi

- Guignard, S.and Claire Prendleloup (2008) “Le développement durable”, Agence de l’environnement et de la maitrise de l’énergie, Service Valorisation des informations et des connaissances

- Harribey, J.M. (2004) “Développement ne rime pas forcément avec croissance”, Le Monde Diplomatique, Juillet

- Hauser, J., Gerard J.Tellis and Abbie Griffin (2006), “Research on Innovation: A Review and Agenda for Marketing Science”, Marketing Science, Volume 25, Number 6, November-December 2006, pp.687-717

- Jaffro, V. and Anne-Gaël Girrard (2008), “Responsabilité Sociale et Développement Durable, comment construire un modèle d’innovation et de collaboration pour les entreprises ” www.biggerthinking.com/sustainability/innovation

- Kates, R.W., Thomas M. Parris and Anthony A. Leiserowitz (2005) “What is Sustainable Development? Goals, Indicators, Values and Practice”, Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, Vol.47-Number 3, pp.8-21

-  Lambe, P. (2003) “Marketing Innovations”, www.greenchameleon.com

- Lawrence, G. (2006) “promoting Sustainable Development: the question of Governance”, Research in Rural Sociology and Development, Vol.11, pp. 145-174

- Longhurst, J.W.S., Stephen A. Dalton and David C. Gibbs (1995) “Towards a sustainable future: Promoting Sustainable Development”, The Environmentalist, Vol.15 Number 4/ December 1995

- OECD (2001) “Sustainable Development: Critical Issues”, Policy Brief-September 2001

- Patris, C., Gerard Valenduc and Francoise Warrant (2001) “Technological Innovation fostering Sustainable Development”, Report on a Research Project at the Federal Service for scientific, technical and Cultural Affairs (SSTC), under the Levers for sustainable development programme

- Reynaud, E. (2006) “Le développement durable au cœur de  l’entreprise. Pour une approche transverse du développement durable”, Dunod

- Taylor, J. (2002) “Sustainable Development: A Dubious Solution in search of a problem”, Policy Analysis Number 449- August 26, 2002

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December 21 2012 is it the end? This is the question that everyone is asking. This is the date that the Mayan calendars end.  What does this mean to earth? Many believe this signifies the end of life on earth. What do you believe?

They Mayans were peoples who lived in Mesoamerica many many years ago. One day, they just disappeared. No one knows how or why. Many believe that alien beings took them somewhere else. Others have no idea what happened.

The Mayans were considered geniuses in Mathematics and Astronomy. They knew the value of zero many years before anyone else and developed 3 calendars. Many of the worlds disasters and catastrophes were marked on these calendars. These predictions were related to the aligning of the stars and planets. That’s why so many people believe that December 21 2012 could be the end.

According to the Mayan 2012 calendars, December 21 2012 will be the date that the earth aligns perfectly with the sun and the center of the Milky Way.

Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce were very famous “psychics” in history. They both made predictions about 2012.

Nostradamus predicted that the earth would either be struck or have a near miss with what he referred to as a comet planet. Whatever the case, he predicted that this would cause a lot of deaths and major turmoil on earth.

Edgar Cayce was considered the most famous psychic in the 20th century. He even predicted the date of his burial correctly. He predicted that the earth would experience a polar tilt. If this were to happen, the earth would begin to rotate in the wrong direction. This would cause major earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis and volcano eruptions. It would be very unlikely that anyone on earth would survive if this were to happen.

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Nostradamus predicted it…the Bible predicted it…the Mayans predicted it…

December 21, 2012…The End Of The World.

There is even scientific proof that a phenomenon which only happens every 360,000 years will occur.  Scientists say that the direct alignment of the Milky Way, the Earth, and the Sun with cause Earth’s poles to shift 45 degrees.

What will happen when the poles shift?  Polar shift can cause increased weather patterns and potentially catastrophic climate change. The polar shift wouldn’t cause earth itself to end, but rather an increased amount of damage dealt upon earth via earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes and so on. 

There is not much we can do when it comes to nature, just “ride the wave” per say.

And what is supposed to happen with the alignment?  Well, potentially the Earth could be lost in the Milky Way.  There is a black hole in the Milky Way that we could pulled into when the direct alignment happens.

So if we are sucked into a black hole, when it will be the end of the world or will we just be moving to another part of the solar system?  Does anyone know what the outcome of this would be?

A large meteorite could also slam into the earth causing us to be extinct like the dinosaurs.

Would this be an instantaneous end or would it cause weather anomalies like a polar shift?

The Bible predicts in The Book Of Revelations that the rise of the Antichrist will cause Earth’s final demise.  The battle between good and evil is supposed to destroy the Earth and send mankind into extinction.  Some believe that the Antichrist is already here but no one knows who he is – not even the Antichrist himself.  In the beginning, he will take all people under his wing and make the world’s population believe that he is the salvation to the turmoil that exists.  Once he has the confidence of the people and is regarded as the Messiah, he will then lead the people to self-destruction.  This is when the Second Coming of Christ will occur and the battle begins. 

The solution to this is actually quite easy – people can’t be followers and fall for what one man promises.  Keep faith in God and ourselves and don’t idolize anyone.

There are also thoughts that a mysterious planet called Planet X or Nibiru may collide into Earth but scientists say that there is no evidence that this planet even exists.  Comets from Planet X could also either hit Earth or disintegrate upon entering the atmosphere. 

My question is… If there is no Planet X, why is it still being spoken about?

Nostradamus is probably the most well-known and highly regarded prophecies.  He predicts that “the heavens will catch on fire”.  It is speculation that he meant nuclear warfare, solar storm, or maybe even Planet X crashing into Earth.  His predictions were correct with the likes of Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust, Julius Caesar, and even the attacks of September 11.

We can’t stop solar storms or mysterious planets…but nuclear warfare?  It doesn’t need to come to such a man-made, violent end…does it?

The thought of a 2012 The End Of The World is very disturbing.  I am going to keep my fingers crossed and hope that it is all just hype and we will all be able to breathe a sigh of relief and spend a nice Christmas season with our families.

I would like to hear your comments on this issue. 

Please feel free to visit 2012 The End Of The World for more information.

Tammy S.

Nibiru & the 2012 planet alignment is an increadible documentary produced by Anton lawrence and is a must watch film that talks about the spiritual evolution & alignment of 2012 & the tranfomation of black people’s DNA to a much higher vibration based on the planet alignment. A execellent AMEN-RA film production special guest featuring alim bey & aseer el bey produced by Anton lawrence.
Video Rating: 3 / 5

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