Those working in the advertising world know better than any of us that complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image. A simple image can bring out character, emotion and colour into the message we want to convey.
“ A picture is worth a thousand words.’’– Fred . R. Barnard advertising executive.
Human beings have five primary senses namely sight, sound, smell , taste and touch. We use these five senses to collect information about our environment and send them to our brains for interpretation. This serves one main purpose – enabling us to survive in our environment. Sight is our dominant sense while hearing is the most sensitive. About 80% of what we learn from the world around us is due to perception, learning, cognition and activities are mediated through vision. A child learns from those around her/him mainly by observing, listening and imitating.
In today’s world of consumerism, manufacturers and service providers have to compete to capture our attention. They study our behaviour then target us with well designed, clear messages and bold colours. They do this consistently to increase our awareness about the products and services- influencing our behaviour and creating familiarity. Living in this era of digital marketing and online advertising, outdoor advertising like use of billboards, banners and signs usually in public areas are still very effective in capturing people’s attention and conveying the intended message aiming at motivating consumers to take the intended action.
Writers are being constantly reminded to write with brevity- brief, simple and concise. Be objective and focused; avoiding verbal clutter. Practice a bit of “Kiss: keep it Short and Simple.
“If It is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out .’’– George Orwell
In this post, I have decided to express my thoughts loudly throug some photographs from my collection.
Nature:
SUNRISE OVER the Atlantic ocean in Cape Town , South Africa.
Table Mountain overlooking a calm ocean
Midmorning by Lake Nalubaale.
TIME CHANGES US:
Maama at her best.
Seasons change
Harsh winter is usually followed by a glorious Spring.
There is a Time for Everything
A time to sow and the time to harvest.
Last but not least, let me briefly talk about two important elements that affect how we navigate the ever changing Digital world.
Working online or offline is the order of the day in this Digital era. Nearly every online activity leaves some form of digital trace: digital footprint. This data is stored by third-party services and is relatively permanent. It includes website visits searches ran, social media posts , comments or any other interaction. It can reveal a lot of personal information about you. Once data is made public or semi-public the owner has very little control over how it can be used. it can be abused. It can be used to distort or destroy your reputation, relationships and employment opportunities both negatively and positively. We are advised to minimise our Digital footprints.
http://www.keeper security.com advises us to reduce information publically available about ourselves. Among the actions that we are advised to take to limit data that is left behind after working online are:
- Use tighter privacy settings
- Use strong passwords
- Delete accounts
- Delete social media accounts
- Limit your online accounts.
- Always to update your software. Not updating the software for your computer or mobile phone increases their risk for a cyberattack.
- Restrict mobile app permissions.
While trying to protect and reduce our Digital footprints, we have also to prepare ourselves for both the potential of positive and negative effects of Artificial Intelligence ( AI).
Computer scientists have long been in the quest to develop machines that control the world- machines that can see, read and at least appear to think. This is what is called Artificial Intelligence(AI). AI is gradually empowering people in a myriad ways. It has the potential to make the world a better place like increasing the access to education and health care but at the same time , it has the potential to be grossly abused if not well regulated worldwide.
We have to brace ourselves to accept and work with AI experiences. As of now, Computing power can be used in many things like :
AI can write anything for you.
It can outperform many humans
AI can generate photographs, videos- creating pictures of events that have never happened. It can generate made- believe photos and videos.
This potential comes with new challenges as well as opportunities.
We live in a world that changes so quickly; knowledge changing fast. AI
is here to stay and demands that we minimise its potential for abuse worldwide immediately.
www.linkedin.com. The largest professional network on the internet
suggests the following actions:
- All countries should establish clear legal frameworks that foster responsible AI practises.
- Promote education and awareness and encourage international co-operation in a manner that benefits society while safeguarding human values and interests.
- Label synthetic AI generated content to distinguish it from human –created content. It has the ability to mislead and misinform thus threatening both individual and democratic institutions at large.
In today’s fast-changing Digital world; flooded with information and an explosion of video content, the mantra of “ less is more’’ defines effectiveness. Research has shown that the average human span is low: around 8 seconds. It is now a daunting task to capture and retain viwers’ attention. The viewers need concise, focused simple message: easy to understand and remember.
Both writers and content producers have this daunting task to deliver the message quickly and effectively.
“ Transformation is not a future event ; it’s a present activity.’’- Jillian Michaels
QUESTION: How are you navigating the digital transformation for your development and success in a rapidly evolving digital landscape?
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