Mediaboss Marketing

With more than 17 years of experience in retail, real estate and the hospitality industry, with extended competences in communication, loyalty, strategy, and management programs, as well as handling complex systems, but at the same time volunteer for different social causes, Raluca Mihaila launched Utopic Brain, a creative boutique for different clients that have in common one thing: they do good around them. More than that, she has 4 books published, the last one being called Glasvand, and is passionate about photography.

By Romanita Oprea

BR talked with Mihaila about her almost 2 years of freelancing and how has her previous extended experience in marketing helped her and influenced her path, as well as the current covid-19 pandemic and its influence on the marcomm industry.

What would you say that have been the most important steps and decisions you took in your career so far and why?

The benchmark of my professional choices was to never stick to what I had to do and always find ways to go the extra mile. Its part of who I am.

The second most important thing was to try and face my fears, up to the point of risking panic attacks. Although it gave me anxiety, it also provoked new ways of looking at life. From facing a vicious boss to denying my conformity to an unethical procedure, there were plenty of occasions when I had to confront my fear of unpopularity and job threat.

The third was to learn the lesson of saying NO. I learnt it the hard way, but its important that I learnt it after all. I am still too young to be too late J. Plus, after understanding this, I realized that what remained as a YES was a choice worthwhile.

What determined you to choose your independent path and why did it happen precisely at that time?

The time I decided to take this step was in a moment of personal hopelessness about the probability of remaining authentic in a corporation with a heavily procedural environment and with the inability to capitalize on their peoples talents. After having tried for more than 7 years to fit in, I decided that the probability was too low to handle. At the heart of who I am is a rebel wanting to learn how to embrace its freedom.

How would you characterize the marketing industry in Romania at this moment?

Shallow, consumerist and empty of meaningful or inspirational ideas. A shape without an essence. Its meant to solely sell, hence it remains sadly superficial.

There are a few exceptions, but, as they say, the exceptions only conform we have the rule.

How did youchoose the name Utopic Brain?

It is a branding inspired by both my imagination and my limits. An imagination I want to challenge and a limitation based on my experiences, traditions, beliefs, desires which I also want to attack. We usually want what we cant have and once we have it, we forget to want it. I wondered if the missing piece in this behavioral flaw (and others) lies in the percentage of the brain we, humans, dont use yet. I am dreaming of an utopic brain able to give the answers for the questions we dont know yet.

Part of your philosophy is Challenge patterns & clichs through borderless creativity . Tell us more about it.

I dont like the big crowds or the packed roads, nor do I like absurd guidelines and how tos. Regardless of their obvious utility in everyday life, any additional procedural stiffness that comes on top of human rights, respect and common sense its useless to me. I learn every rule just to see the breach I can break in order to better the process. I think life is too short and the world too big to waste our minds and senses on repetitive activities, identical places and uncurious people.

You have at present three directions you are focusingon: marketing, photography and writing. What is your main target for 2020 on each one of them and why?

I stopped making any plans for 2020. I think the moment we live now is about breathing in the idea that we might not, after all, control everything J. Luckily, my mind wanders a lot, so I take every creative new idea I have and put it into practice alone or with my clients. One day at a time, one idea at a time. This is the only plan for now.

You also launched 4 books. Where do you find your inspiration and how are you positioning yourself as a writer?

My inspiration comes from observation (of myself and of the people I encounter), introspection (I question everything and spend a lot of time alone in my head) and experience. All three of them come together in what are now a collection of a research on high potential people, a Socratic dialogue, a satirical fiction and a dystopia. I am not sure I know or want to position myself as a writer and actually, I dont think its my place to do that. Plus, I dont like labels and once Id have one, Id probably want to escape it J. I want to believe that no writing piece is like the other. Oh, and one thing I can say about my writing is that its not light and, at times, quite abstract J. I have an extremely troubled and restless inner life which I express throughout my blog for more than 11 years now. Its my unofficial hello to the world.

Your latest book Glasvand is partly inspired by your professional experience. To whom is it addressed to and what do you wish from it?

Now, I see in Glasvand a mirror able to make you wonder if youre in the right (professional) place.

It is a book initially meant to be a post on my blog. I wrote it in an afternoon and then shared it with some close friends. To my surprise, I realized that was I wrote there was something people needed to read, so I considered publishing it. It is a satirical story supposed to be a nuanced and humoristic manifesto against any form of corporate abuse. The target are women in top corporate positions denying their personal and emotional discomfort for the purpose of maintaining their social status and financial security.

What I wish with it is to let people know that its ok to be hurt by abuse, that they are not alone in this and that wanting to be genuine happy is more than a nice to have. It should be a priority.

How has the covid-19 pandemic impacted you and your business?

What inspired this period was a question to myself: does what I do still stands tomorrow? I am not sure about the answer J but I know for a fact it makes all the sense for me. And it seems like it also makes sense for all the partners I work with.

How do you think it will change you this experience for the future?

I hope it would teach me to let go.

What do you believe the marcomm industry will learn from it?

Nothing.

What about the market itself?

For companies:

For the general public:

What are clients, in your point of view, looking for at the moment?

Acts, not ads. And optimism, touching the ones they have to avoid, empathy, generosity, utility of the products of value.

What pieces of advice would you offer the marketing industry representatives right now?

To stop insulting their audience with valueless products.

Go here to read the rest:
Raluca Mihaila (Utopic Brain): The moment we live now is about breathing in the idea that we might not control everything - Business Review

Donald Trump has posted highly incendiary tweets stoking protests against physical distancing and other coronavirus stay-at-home measures in three states led by Democratic governors.

LIBERATE MINNESOTA! the US president wrote in capital letters on Friday. LIBERATE MICHIGAN!

He followed up with a third tweet: LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! a reference to Virginias governor, Ralph Northam, last week signing into law new measures on gun control.

Trump has repeatedly ignored his own entreaty to put partisan politics aside during the coronavirus pandemic. His latest provocative interventions followed demonstrations against stay-at-home orders in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and other states that have drawn elements of the far right.

Some protesters have carried guns, waved Trump and Confederate flags and sought to frame the debate as a defence of constitutional freedoms. They have been egged on by conservative media hosts such as Fox Newss Jeanine Pirro, who said: What happened in Lansing [Michigan] today, God bless them: its going to happen all over the country.

Trump, known to watch Fox News closely, has offered mixed messages. On Monday he claimed total authority to order an end to the stay-at-home measures, but on Thursday he issued phased guidelines that passed the buck to governors to make decisions on the ground about when and how to reopen. His tweets on Friday appeared to undercut his own experts warnings and drew sharp criticism.

Jay Inslee, the Democratic governor of Washington, tweeted in response: The presidents statements this morning encourage illegal and dangerous acts. He is putting millions of people in danger of contracting Covid-19. His unhinged rantings and calls for people to liberate states could also lead to violence. Weve seen it before.

Beto ORourke, a former Texas congressman who like Inslee ran for the nomination to face Trump in November, said: Republicans will turn a blind eye [and] too many in the press will focus on tone. But history books will say: in April of 2020, when the pandemic had already claimed 35,000 lives, the president of the United States incited people to storm their statehouses with AR-15s and AK-47s.

Michigan has taken big hits in both coronavirus cases and job losses and will be a critical battleground state in the presidential election. Wednesdays Operation Gridlock, a demonstration against strict stay-at-home policies ordered by Michigans governor, Gretchen Whitmer, attracted the Proud Boys and other far-right groups who have been present at pro-Trump and gun rights rallies in Michigan.

Most protesters stayed in their vehicles and circled the state capitol building in Lansing, but a small group stood on the capitol steps to flout physical distancing guidelines. They brandished signs that included Trump/Pence, Recall Whitmer, Heil Whitmer and Stop the Tyranny, and briefly chanting Lock her up!, echoing Trump campaign rallies targeting of Hillary Clinton.

Whitmer, who dismissed the stunt as essentially a political rally, has emerged as a possible a running mate for the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden. Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said at an online Women for Trump event Whitmer had turned this crisis into a platform to run for vice-president.

The protests have earned comparisons with the Tea Party movement of a decade ago and more are expected in coming days, with the tension between public health and economic reopening viewed through an increasingly partisan lens.

The Washington Post reported: Uncertainty and fear over the economic impact of stay-at-home orders is fueling a sort of culture war between conservatives, whose political strength now comes from rural America, right now less affected by the virus, and liberals, whose urban strongholds have been most affected by it.

Last Saturday, for example, the Republican senator Ted Cruz, a Trump ally, tweeted that he was going to the beach with his children. Fortunately, I live in Texas where we protect public safety, but arent authoritarian zealots so they wont arrest me! he wrote.

According to Pew Research, 81% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say their greater concern is that governments will lift these restrictions too quickly. About half (51%) of Republicans and Republican leaners say their bigger concern is that state governments will act too quickly while slightly fewer (46%) worry more that restrictions on public movement will not be lifted quickly enough.

At Thursdays White House coronavirus taskforce briefing, Trump was asked if he would urge protesters to listen to local authorities. He replied: I think theyre listening. I think they listen to me. They seem to be protesters that like me and respect this opinion. And my opinion is the same as just about all of the governors. They all want to open. Nobody wants to stay shut, but they want to open safely. So do I.

On Friday, he let rip with more tweets attacking Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic governor of New York, and Obama and Biden, the former Democratic president and vice-president. The States have to step up their TESTING! he added, though the federal government has not devised a national testing strategy.

Cuomo shot back: If hes sitting at home watching TV, maybe he should get up and go to work.

Link:
Trump appears to stoke protests against stay-at-home orders - The Guardian

The bleak,stereotypical image of the lonely, socially isolated video game player is rapidly falling away.

As the COVID-19 pandemicforces peopleto findnewpursuits while stuck in their homes, theres been a surge in online gaming and a growing realizationthese gamescan contribute toa healthy sense of connectedness and community, experts say.

The shift in perception was inevitable, says Kristopher Alexander,professor of video gamesat Ryerson University in Toronto.

What this pandemic has done is highlight some of the more positive aspects of video games that are often lacking inthe media, says Alexander, whospecializes in video game design, e-sports and broadcasting.

Todays online games offercountlesschallenges and immersive experiences, but most also provide players with the option to chat live with teammates and exchange texts during play.

As well, people whotake part in multi-playergamesare oftenrequiredto co-operate to achieve a goal, which contributes to a sense ofpurpose and belonging.

The pandemic has brought on a new kind of awareness forthe video games medium, particularly in terms of how it can help us connect with our families, friends and traditionally offline communities, says Alexander, who as a teenager was ranked17th in the worldonthe Street Fighter 3 video game.

Video-game researcher Rachel Kowert says the perception of the anti-social gamer was never based on reality.

Theres no evidence to suggest that the people who play online games are less socially competent than the people who do not, she said in an interview.

Kowert, who is based in Ottawa, says well-designed games help players meet threebasic needs related to good mental health: competence, autonomy and relatedness.

Competence is aboutachieving goals.Autonomy isabout making choices. Relatedness is about feeling connected to others.

The recent restrictions imposed on our social lives, including physical distancing and self-isolation, have short-circuited our ability to meet those needs.

We cant go where we want to go, we dont have control over the pandemic, and were being socially distant, said Kowert, who works for Take This, aWashington-basednon-profit thatsupportsmental health in the gaming community.

Online gaming with family, friends and strangers can offer players a sense of accomplishment, virtually unlimited choices and a sense of connection through real-time communication that doesnt always focus on the game.

Its not a singular activity, Kowert added. They are chatting with their friends. Theyre reducing stress, reducing depression and releasing endorphins all of the things that we could really use right now during a very stressful, anxious time.

Even some of the industrysmost outspokencritics have recognized that gaming can play a key role in keeping people connected during the pandemic.

The World Health Organization, which has frequently raised red flags about excessive use andsomething it calls gaming disorder, recently announced its support for a gamingindustry initiative that encourages players to #PlayApartTogether.

Im not surprised that the WHO has altered its stance on gaming, saysAlexander. People are now having to take a look at the richness of this medium . The shift in their stance comes from education.

The gamingindustry now rivalsthe musicand film industriesin terms of revenue.

According to a January 2020 study from the Canada Media Fund,more than 2.5 billion gamers spent about US$152 billion on video games last year. And all that money isnt just for solitary gaming.

It may look like kids spend an awful lot of time in their rooms, on their screens, the study, titled Closer, Wider, Faster, says. But dont be fooled. Instead of meeting at the mall or the park, they convene on platforms like Fortnite and YouTube, where they socialize and meet other kids.

The Entertainment Software Association of Canada says thevideo-game industry in this country, which employs 27,000 people,generated $3.6 billion in revenue last year, up 15 per cent since 2017.

And theres plenty of evidence to suggest the industryhas received a bigboost since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 12. Nintendos popular Switch console, for example,has sold out around the world in the past few weeks.

There has been a boom, says Alexander, pointing to online platforms like Steam, which hit a new recordearlier this month withmore than 25 millionusers logging on in one day.

Scott Stewart,a senioranalyst withinternational market research firm Mintel, says video games have evolved from a niche hobby in the 1990s to a mainstream form of entertainment that cant be ignored.

A recent Mintel consumer survey suggests that 67 per cent of Canadian adultsplay video games, and among them 39 per cent play online with other people.

If we ask people why they play video games, 32 per cent of them say they do it to connect with others or to compete with others, said Stewart, whospecializes intechnology and is based in the Toronto area.

Among those who play online games,47 per cent say they do so to connect with friends and family.

At a time like this, theres a need for social connection while were all stuck at home, says Stewart. Thats a reason why people are gravitating towards (gaming).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2020.

Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press

Read more here:
There has been a boom. Surge in video games linked to need for connection - CityNews Winnipeg

Dear Amy: I've been with my partner for two years -- he is 15 years older.

We don't want kids together for the foreseeable future.

I hate using birth control. I hate what it does to my body/hormones, despite the fact that it protects me from unwanted pregnancy (which I am grateful for).

I've asked my boyfriend if he could store his sperm at a sperm bank and get a vasectomy so that I can go off of birth control.

He comes up with excuses as to why he shouldn't, such as: "It'll change me as a man" and, "I need to do more research." I certainly understand needing to do more research -- who wouldn't! However, it's been almost a year since I originally brought this idea up to him.

The idea behind this decision is: If we decide to have kids later on (I'm still in my 20s), I'll still be able to try and conceive with the sperm that we've stored.

I resent that I'm forced to continue to use birth control, despite the fact that neither of us wants children, just because "he doesn't want to." I also resent the fact that a man's only forms of "birth control" are abstinence and condoms.

If we were the same age, I would probably just get sterilized myself. But again, I'm in my 20s and I don't see this as the best option at the moment.

He's in his 40s and has yet to conceive children.

I feel like I'm forced to suffer just because my partner doesn't understand my point of view and isn't viewing this situation in the most ethical, economical sense.

What should I do?

-- Not Planning on Pregnancy

Dear Planning: Underlying this birth control challenge might be questions about your relationship, as well as perhaps unexpressed feelings (on his part) surrounding the idea of possibly never having children.

A vasectomy is a surgical procedure that, while low risk (and surgically reversible in some cases), is considered permanent. In order for your boyfriend to participate in your plan, he would "donate" and store sperm, and then also have this surgery. Either of these things might cause anxiety in some men -- the idea of having both of these experiences might be paralyzing for him. His: "It will change me as a man" is a nonstarter -- but is indicative of how reluctant he is to make this commitment. He should communicate with other men who have had this procedure, to see what it is like!

You should both do additional research with medical sources (I am not one), and you should do this together -- and share and discuss your findings. Together.

Otherwise, you should investigate using an over-the-counter spermicide along with him using a condom. Every single time. This more-or-less balances the responsibility for birth control between the two of you.

Your other option is abstinence. You might force the conversation by exercising this 100 percent effective form of birth control until you two have come to a mutual decision that works for both.

Dear Amy: My boyfriend and I have been dating for a while now -- long distance.

Things were going well, then he started not returning my calls or texts, and flat-out ignoring me.

Before we got together, he posted on his social media that he deals with anxiety and depression. We are in a long-distance relationship, so I can't go to him in person.

Why is he ignoring me, if he said the day before that he loves me so much and values me?

I am genuinely confused.

-- Confused

Dear Confused: During this very anxious national moment, a lot of people are seeing their anxiety and depression spike. It is possible that your boyfriend is pulling away from you because he is pulling away from everyone. Unfortunately, you cannot force him to the phone if he is dodging you.

For the next few weeks, be extremely gentle and understanding. Ask him if he is OK, tell him that you are always available to talk, but do not push too hard.

One resource for people in crisis is Crisis Text Line. Simply text 741-741 and a crisis counselor will quickly connect with you.

Dear Amy: I was somewhat taken aback that "Lea, in Santa Cruz, CA," refers to her adult children living at home as "tenants." What's with that?

-- I'm a Mom, not a Landlord

Dear Mom: Well, the law considers adult children living at home with their folks as "tenants," also. Parents quickly learn this when trying to "evict" them.

(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)

View original post here:
Ask Amy: Woman wants partner to go under the knife - masslive.com

MALAYSIA as a nation has completed four weeks of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and semi lockdown period.

And there is a strong suspicion that we are going to continue with imposing stricter measures to combat the spread of the virus that seems to be besieging the whole world at the moment.

The hardest hit in our communities are the underprivileged, the poor, the disenfranchised, the refugees, the physically disabled, and of course our four-pawed friends.

Ask yourself what you can do in a small way, to alleviate the troubles of the people around you!

In my case, I have used my food and beverage business, The Fire Grill restaurant to start a drive to raise funds from friends and family, colleagues and clients, as well as my followers on social media, to help provide meals for the people who need it most.

Over a period of 10 short days, with the generous contributions of my kind friends, my team and I have raised over RM30,000.00 to provide 4,400 meals to the underprivileged and to our frontline heroes.

I know that this is just a tiny fraction of what is needed in our country at the moment. But we plough ahead, because most of all, our efforts show my team and I that we must, and can, focus only on solutions and not the problems.

Even at work, with all the uncertainties everyone is facing, it becomes significant for you to just focus on the solutions ahead, as opposed to thinking constantly about all your difficulties.

The world is bracing for the seemingly inevitable rapid increase in the Covid-19 pandemic.

In some ways, many parts of the world have already been overcome by paralysis, and fear has isolated millions of people.

Businesses and your organisations cannot delude yourselves by saying that you will not be affected by this. We are all affected, but we are all in this together.

These are some things that I feel you should concentrate on as you think about the potential solutions at this time of dire need for you, your family and your career.

Everyone has to remember, whether you are a leader, employee or even as a self-employed person, that communication is paramount. Learn quickly to communicate with clarity and empathy.

Employees, clients, and your consumers need to know that you have their best interests at heart.

In this crisis situation, although a solution has not been found yet, the people who depend on you must know who they can communicate with. If you are a leader, dont wait until you have all the relevant information at hand, before communicating in a crisis.

Even if you start by identifying the underlying difficulties that you and your organisation may have to face in the near future, your people will feel that at least they have a boss who is capable of addressing what everyone is thinking.

This emergency isn't your fault as the leader, so you do not have to take any blame. But recognise that it will cause some harm or inconvenience to the people who work within your teams. So, talking openly with your team is the way forward.

The next thing I recommend that you do, is to concentrate on developing a resolution to solve the problem. The people who work with you need to know that you are making an ongoing effort to rectify their problems, and you are handling their fears.

If you show that your company is determined to help your team as much as possible, it will offer some semblance of hope to employees, and even stakeholders.

You have to communicate in a manner that induces confidence, and shows that you are competent to handle the crisis. But most importantly, you will have to be completely honest about what you are facing.

As you communicate with sincerity, you will demonstrate your ability as a good leader.

Perhaps the most critical thing to develop during this period is a growth mindset, or what is termed, an entrepreneurial mindset.

This simply means that you accept that you are in control of your own ability and you recognise that you can learn, and improve under any circumstances.

Many people who start businesses end up failing because they don't have this mindset.

It is only the people who have this type of steadfastness who can manage the robustness of a new enterprise. And it is having this robust mindset that will help you find solutions, fix problems, and prevent them from recurring again.

This way you are able to handle any crisis that besets you right now.

Develop the confidence, and build your competency up, through the belief that you have the capacity to ride through the difficulties.

The single most important thing you can do right now, is to quickly learn to identify the people who are toxic in your life, and at work. The chances are extremely high that when calamity strikes, toxicity also increases.

These people may even be friends, or family members. Don't let them confuse you. Stay focused and be single minded in your recovery.

Remember, we are all in this together.

Shankar R. Santhiram is managing consultant and executive leadership coach at EQTD Consulting. He is also the author of the national bestseller So, You Want To Get Promoted?

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times

Originally posted here:
Work Matters! What will save you now? - New Straits Times