Why does controversy drive our society? What happened to the days of when we respected the "good guys" and disregarded the bad ones? This blog will bring out a few examples of how controversy takes precedence over principles.
1. Toyota: First off, I believe that any company should take the proper precautions to protect their customers. Do I believe Toyota did something wrong in this situation? Yes. Risk management is a major factor that all companies should take into account and invest in. Do I think the American media & government blew the situation out of proportion? Absolutely. I am a consumer who has never driven a car that was not American made, but I can tell you that might not always be the case in the future. I believe the American government & GM (which is one in the same) jumped all over this controversy to boost their own sales but forget that less than a year ago they were the headline news. I don't think any less of a Toyota vehicle because of this negative publicity; I just find it that much more important to do research when purchasing something, especially when it comes to the safety of my treasured family. I can tell you this much... I've done the research (along with other consumers who care enough to educate themselves) and I think manufacturers as well as consumers will be surprised at what you don't hear in the media.
2. Tiger Woods: You know I could not write a blog about controversy & publicity and not mention this guy! I will begin by saying I am a Tiger Woods fan. I believe he is one of the best golfers of all time and will continue to be successful throughout his career. Do I agree with all of his choices he has made in his personal life? HECK NO! At the end of the day, I have to evaluate why I became a fan in the first place, and it definitely wasn't for his personal choices in life. I am sure every sports fan was glued to the television yesterday in anticipation of his big return to The Masters (at least that was the case at my office). Everyone was eager to know how Tiger was doing all day long. But why are people so interested now? Are they true Tiger fans or is all of this brought on by the controversy of the past 6 months? Even during family dinner time, Tiger's interview came on TV to which my husband responded by relocating to the couch to "hear it better". I was floored! While my husband is a Tiger Woods golf fan, I know that his interest last night had nothing to do with how Tiger played and everything to do with the controversy from the last several months. The interests of the American public are peaked and golf is all of a sudden a lot more entertaining.
3. Position Replacement: Oh goodness, this could go so many places but I will work to keep it very focused on controversy. Why is it always the case that people are more interested in the reasons someone was let go from a company, but not nearly as concerned when a newcomer is hired? Why do we care more about why a legislator is retiring rather than focusing on who could be replacing him or her and will be making decisions about our future?
Many who voted for him look at President Obama and are mad because he isn't delivering on all of his promises. I would have to suggest that people pay closer attention from the beginning to what we know people WILL do instead of what they say they WON'T. Pay attention to who someone IS as opposed to who they're trying NOT to be. This is also the case in the business world. So many companies construct their philosophy and beliefs on what not to do, usually based upon their competition. It's a shaky foundation to build on. Know who you are and what you stand for- focusing on trying not to be something or someone else will ultimately lead to failure. This just proves my point of people are more interested in what is going wrong than what is going right! Sometimes to the point of being blinded by it.
I can think of so many "hot" topics in our society that are driven by pure controversy and I look forward to the day when people begin to look past that to what's the truth. I know it is a daily struggle for me at work and home but I find it much easier to fix a problem when you are aware of the reality of the situation.
Why do you think our society has become so focused on controversy? How do you engage or not?
Kimberly Kelly, Director of Marketing
Unified360
Yes, it's the newest shining star to come out of "über-cool" world of Apple... the
iPad. In case you've been living under a rock this week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed the company's newest product on Wednesday. A lightweight, slim, and portable touch screen slab has everyone buzzing and will be available for all to use this March. It's a state-of-the-art device that gives all forms of entertainment, news and print media a chance to move their content into the digital age.
The gadget has a 9.7-inch, high-resolution screen and comes at merely half an inch thick and weighs under 1.5 pounds. It's an iPhone or iTouch on steroids and runs just about all of the 140,000 apps available at the App Store as well. The iPad without 3G arrives in about 60 days and models with cellular are due about a month later. The device lets you surf the web, play games, watch movies, listen to music and access email along with reading electronic newspapers and books. It basically puts the Amazon Kindle to shame, being much more versatile and competitive in price.
Speaking of price... that was one of the biggest shocks at Wednesday's big reveal; $499 for a 16-gigabyte model. The iPhone cost equaled that when it first came out. And with Amazon's single-purpose Kindle costing around $260, the iPad may prove to be a game changer.
Along with being versatile and all around "magical", it looks pretty dang cool, too. Its sleek and smooth hardware makes it attractive and the soft or virtual keyboard allows for a clean workspace (although you can connect a physical keyboard if you need it).
But almost just as important as what it can do is what it can't. Apple customers may still have some concerns. The iWork software suite is still in the works, which will include Pages word processor, Numbers spreadsheet and Keynote presentation. Adobe Flash videos are not accessible on the iPad (so long, Hulu and Dailymotion), and there's no memory card slot or USB port for uploading photos or videos. And while it is a step in the right direction (smaller than a laptop, bigger than an iPhone), it doesn't quite have the ability to replace either one. So will people really carry all three? We'll have to wait and see about that.
No matter what the downfalls may be, I think the iPad will prove to be pretty popular... even with HP, Intel and Dell coming out with similar models in the near future. Apple users are loyal and love all the new flashy gadgets. I'm a Mac user myself and I have to say I'm intrigued. It combines so many media capabilities that will surely impact books, newspapers, magazines, gamers and others in ways we've never seen. I don't think Apple even knows quite how it will evolve yet. But we're all excited to see where things are headed.
Tara Young, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360