The Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility!

Corporations becoming more socially responsible in their communities is a new trend that is popping up in window displays around the city. This new trend is hitting corporations at a fast pace; it is no longer about providing consumers with the best product, its about how it was made and who got hurt in the process. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is a new wave of conscious selling and buying, yet nowadays, it seems to be the biggest trend. Consumers control the trends for companies to follow. When they demand a product 5 or 6 companies will compete over the same idea. Having consumers force the big bad corporations to be more conscious about the products they produce is better for everyone involved. What these companies don’t realize is that they are no longer selling a product, but instead, a lifestyle that they too must follow.

CSR and Branding:

CSR is a great plan for huge corporations such as Coca Cola and Walmart that are often in the news because of their stance on ethical buying. Truthfully speaking, consumers are considerably smarter than they were 1 or 2 years ago. You can no longer claim to offer a green product without having someone dispute it if it’s not true. The rise of social media has given consumers a voice. If a company does something inexcusable, they can longer carry all the unanswered complaint letter with an air freight service over to the dump, they simply must speak to their faults. With sharing sites such as Facebook, twitter and YouTube, nothing is hidden from the public, and when addressing your consumers, you must be prepared and focused on the matter at hand. A great example of this is Nestle and the Indonesian Palm oil debacle. 90% of the world’s palm oil exports come from Indonesia and Malaysia, giving Indonesia the crown for highest deforestation rates of 4.4 million acres per year between 2000-2005. Nestle uses palm oil heavily in their chocolate bars, and in 2010, they started getting negative responses on Facebook because of it. It was no easy day at a Toronto bed and breakfast for Nestle, when a Facebook group was created with the primary purpose to shed negative light on the company. In order to take away from the bad publicity Nestle got heavily involved in the community and started to support charities to clear their name. this was a positive strategy but the company was only covering up the bad with some good and that will not hold for long.

The future of CSR is now:

Recently, I went into the store Lush Handmade Cosmetics purely for the scent. I was walking around, smelling and poking the products when I stumbled on a wall sized poster titled “ A Lush Life, we Believe.” I stood there for 10 minutes simply marveling at some of the things the company stood for: ethical buying, fair trade and quality products. At first, I was skeptical, so I called over a sales associate and asked her to explain further. She raved about the company and kept saying “we,” sounding like an extremely enthusiastic exclusive group. I nodded, picked up a copy of their Lush Times and bought my preservative free bubble bar on my way to the Yorkville salon. Even though it’s hotter than a furnace outside, I still could not shake the image of the writings on the wall. I couldn’t help but think, is this the new trend? Lush is a company that has been around for over 20 years, but CSR is not a thing they do on the side, it is their mission statement. With CSR on the rise, is this their time to shine globally? Is this the rise of the new company? Is it the evolution of the big bad corporation?

Corporate social responsibility is slowly evolving and turning into a necessity for a corporation’s survival. Within a year, I suspect it will grow and become part of corporations mission statements and lifestyle choices.

Why I will NOT vote for Stephen Harper

Here in Canada we have a federal election on May 2, 2011.  Here’s some important old information to help readers make a more informed decision before voting in what appears to be a very important Federal election.

There is no doubt, this election will be a ‘game changer’ in Canada. Here are some very good reasons not to vote for Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada during this 2011 election:

The Conservative government is the first government in Canadian history to be found in contempt of Parliament for refusing to reveal the cost of its planned crime bills,

Conservative minister Bev Oda has admitted that she lied to Parliament, and narrowly escaped being found in contempt of Parliament.  Harper Government stops funding CAIROS

Harper’s G20 Summit wasted 0ne billion dollars; Canadian democracy vanished for three days and there still hasn’t been a full public inquiry!

Internal government directives insist that the Government of Canada be referred to as the “Harper Government”:

The government is spending millions of dollars on Economic Action Plan ads, which are thinly disguised partisan advertising. More taxpayers’ money has been spent on ads in three months than major advertisers normally spend in a year.

The Conservatives are proposing harsher punishments and more prisons, even though the crime rate is falling and “tough on crime” measures have proven ineffective

Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament in 2009 to avoid questions on the Afghan detainee issue.

In recent campaign speeches, Harper has repeatedly raised the spectre of a “Bloc/NDP/Liberal coalition”, and has implied that a coalition not containing the first-place Conservatives would be illegitimate.

The Conservatives claim that the new fighter jets that they plan to purchase will cost $15 billion. The Parliamentary budget watchdog says that the cost is actually $29.3 billion.

Here are details from Wikipedia on the “in and out” election scandal, which may have made the difference in the 2006 election:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_and_Out_scandal

The government lobby in the House of Commons now contains far too many photographs of Harper.

In the current election campaign, Stephen Harper is limiting the press to five questions per campaign stop.

In Parliament, Conservative cabinet ministers are often not allowed to answer questions:
http://bit.ly/c6m9Uj

The view from Australia (written by a Canadian): “Canada watches its democracy erode”:
http://bit.ly/fJ0OZE

Photographers Love Lenzr in February 2011

There are nine photo contests on Lenzr in February March 2011. The contests end on April 1st, when nine winners win nine different prizes! I should tell you that Lenzr is growing and becoming more relevant with every successful match – there are some great contests and lots of people are entering the action because of dedicated storytellers that use Lenzr as a base for their own multi media marketing campaigns who spread the word on several different contest media discussion forums. One of my favorite forums is Smart Canucks and you can see here how Maram has told the story about Smart Canucks finding reflection in swimming pools on a hot summer night, while out for a moonlight swim.

The picture shows an exciting array of challenges for amatuer and professional photographers alike. If you click that picture you’ll be transported directly to Lenzr. Register and upload photos – you wont regret the exposure. And these competitions are all FREE to enter and win. There are absolutely no entry fees and your email address is secure and will not be spammed.

Have a look at this month’s original challenges,

People Dancing:

Dancing on the dance floor, alone by the mirror or at the front door? People Dancing is an easy contest to enter and win dancing shoes. You probably already have pictures of people dancing in your photo collection on your computer – pick something

You can dance in your living room. You don’t need to be a professional to take a good party picture of people dancing or take pictures at dance classes in a progressive dance studio in downtown Toronto.

On Stage at Home photo contest

The On stage at home contest. This home stager contest focuses on group fun. Take pictures of your night and send them in to Lenzr for a chance to win an animal skin rug courtesy of a home staging company in downtown Toronto.

Soap bubbles used to fill the air during the Lawrence Welk show in the 1960s and 70s , but in today’s television savvy society they would have to be added digitally for the exact perfect effect. Studying soiap bubbles and foam is a passion of detergent deputies and shutterbugs charged with keeping cleaning safe. Upoald to the Soap Foam and Bubbles contest and win a great prize courtesy of a of a rigid foam insulation company.

there will have to be more

Up Against the Wall:

Flat out lying up  against the wall a buskar plays his mandolin on a quiet street in Sao Paulo Brazil. Alone with hios shadow he is satisfied by simply creating music

but Up against the Wall asks contspecializes in wall systems in Toronto.

Reflections in Pools:

The crazy contest Reflections in pools, asks shutterbugs to survey small lakes puddles and ponds for pictures of a reflection – the prize comes courtesy of a green landscaping firm in Toronto that is first for swimming pools. Capture a green landscaping company in Toronto.

Making Green Power:

And the last contest is Making Green Power. This contests asks you to think about how far you have come in improving the hydro electric system in canada and how much farther do we have to go… Lets look at wind power and cellulosic ethanoil production facilities that can use forest waste to make alcohol based fuels

Programs such as Ontario MicroFIT are e best photo wins a portable solar kit.

Contests were launched February 1st, but there is still time for you to think up some great ideas and get your images up.

There are plenty of new resources for Canadian photogs  to take better photos with their fancy digital cameras and advanced photo editing software – anything is possible. There is a new Canadian Photographer discussion forum that has has given Lenzr space in the index, and we are very happy about it down here in the office.

Best patio in Canada:

Have a party and take pictures of  The Best Patio in Canada.  and you could win bistro table and two chairs made from plastic resin extruded as wicker and heat adjusted so that its safe and will not breakdown or fade or become mishapen due to weather – so its perfect outdoor furniture for Canadian patios. See the connection? – the prize of three pieces of  patio furniture comes courtesy of Velago Patio Furniture.  Resin wicker patio furniture is made from recycled plastic? I dont think so – not all the time anyway…

Beautiful Factories:

Assembly plants and processing statsions dont have to be ugly all the time – there can be some marvelous looking machines that fill viewers with awe and inspire a mechanical creativity. Beautiful Factories celebrates efficiency and massive machines working with proper manufacturing software to turn out profits and dominate markets. Win Apple iPad courtesy of Solarsoft in Richmond Hill.

Unlikely Marriage:

There’s no avoiding the truth sometimes and admitting that some things just don’t belong togther all the time, or ever.  An Unlikely Marriage photo contest asks folks to get creative any of a marriage counsellor in downtown Toronto.

yeah thats fine

Voting starts on the 15th of March and ends on the 25th of March. Open to all Canadians (excluding residents of Quebec) 13 years of age or older.

Solar Power Industry Embraces Lenzr in August

Thanks to government support and a multitude of determined environmental groups lobbying, we have new legislation, and now all Canadians can make and sell electric power to ‘the grid’, ostensibly the power can be made and consumed anywhere in North America, (but I’m told that small operations do present a challenge in terms of meeting and coordinating supply and demand).  Nicola Tesla would be proud; today there are almost a thousand independent power producers in Ontario alone.  Most of these individuals have solar panels, but some are selling wind power (and a rare few have small hydro electric dams – yes there is such a thing)

The  solar power industry now employs almost a hundred thousand people in Canada, and is rapidly expanding all over the world. Canadians import components from USA, Netherlands, Germany and Japan and China. In most cases the pieces are assembled in Canada, and some notable advances in the applications of solar power and batteries are exclusively Canadian.

In the months of August and September 2010, Lenzr can count itself among those employed in the rapidly expanding solar power sector in Canada. Three new contests are actively marketing solar power production and promoting solar energy to consumers.

The View From The Roof photo contest endeavours to collect the strange and wonderful scenery that’s ofetn only visible from rooftop, and consequently seldom seen by people who dont rise to the challenge. The sponsor of this challenge is a industrial roof repair expert who specializes in installing white roofs for solar power production. This contest shall collect the views from properties all across Canada. More details at the end, and on the Lenzr blog, All Weather Roofing Asks for your View From The Roof, win an iPad.

The Morning Sunshine photo contest on Lenzr is all about capturing and using solar power, in photography.

Participants are expected to use their cameras  to capture people and objects in the early morning sunshine.

Solarline Power assembles portable solar power generators (PSG’s) that quietly collect  deliver clean renewable energy to eco friendly habitats and construction sites, outdoor events and film productions.

Solarline Power makes and sell a mobile work unit that has on its top surface a giant adjustable solar panel that can be programmed tofollow the sun. below there are work stations that can be custimized to suit any business These units charge batteries that can replace small engines as a power source for many new eco conscious outdoor events and construction sites .

rimary objective is to help you create a backyard paradise.

People Building Things photo contest is also related to the solar power industry, and not just because the sponsor is an eco friendly solar powered deck building company.

Construction sites a more interesting when they happen at home, show us people building cool things in the basement, driveway, garage or backyard. Submit pics of  People Building Things and tell us the story behind the picture. Be sure and mention what’s being put together. 

In all three challenges, voting begins September 20th, the highest ranked photo will automatically Win an Apple iPad prize when all three web challenges end October 1st 2010. Must be 13yrs old or older to enter, open to all Canadians. Contest not valid in Quebec.

Wall of Shame video by Business Phone Systems installer

Here’s another crazy video by a local business phone systems installer,  S.E. Telecom.  This media was manufactured from their wall of shame photos turning into a video and put to music – to satisfy their sick sense of humour.

These are the nightmare data racks and assemblies that they’ve been called in to fix over the years.

This is good social media because everyone can relate and has seen or experienced something that’s bizarre and tangled like this – hopefully you don’t have to rely on it everyday.

Four Lenzr Photo Contests For Tent Rentals, Geothermal, Grasscutting and Business Phone Sponsors

On Thursday March 18th 2010,  Carly Anne Fairlie of Toronto’s foremost  social media talent agency arranged to have her top three ‘blogstars’ speak to the public about their experiences and share tips and tactics for building personal brands.

It was well worth the cost of admission. Twenty bucks was a bargain; listening to these people is pure inspiration.

Lenzr is packed full of photo contests in the spring of 2010 and they are all quite unique. And the prizes are better than ever.  In this session you can win a battery powered lawnmower, an air filtration unit, a 10×10 pop up tent and and an AT&T business phone that’s years ahead of its time. Read on for more details.

Geothermal Design Company Sponsors Fire and Ice photo contest on Lenzr

Steve Hamoen is a geothermal consultant and floor heating and boilers expert that lives in Cambridge Ontario. On Saturday Feb 27th 2010  I journeyed down to the National Home Show and met Steve Hamoen of ZoneLife.ca in the Better Living Centre in Toronto.

We chatted for almost two hours in the Better Living Centre in Toronto at the National Home Show.  I enjoyed watching him answer questions about geothermal heating and cooling systems.

Steve likes to remind people that this new energy source doesn’t just come up out of the ground in easy to use levels, but rather in units that are commonly referred to as low grade energy and needs boilers to be part of a zone strategy solution to residential heating and cooling applications.

The Fire and Ice photo contest on Lenzr is probably the coolest theme, and will be no doubt be the hottest competition on the index as photographers show off their skills. The Prize is GeoAir PCO air purifier that uses Photo Catalytic Oxidation (PCO) and is probably the most advanced air purifying technology available in the marketplace today. Unlike existing air cleaning systems that rely solely on ultraviolet light, the GeoAir PCO device integrates a titanium dioxide semiconductor to leverage photocatalytic oxidation allowing it to vaporize mold spores, bacteria, viruses in an 187 square-inch Ti02 grid. The system is cost-effective, maintenance-free and provides maximum energy efficiency with negligible resistance to airflow.

Grasscutting Firm in Toronto asks How Green Are You?

Could a photo contest help change the world? Its possible that for the next sixty days the Lenzr photo contest will actievly help spread the green message and remind patrons that it doesnt take much to be green. Its really just about making choices. All March and april 2010 Lenzr is wondering  How Green Are You? The new photo challenge hopes to collect one sentence stories and pictures of  eco friendly concepts. Pictures submitted to Lenzr should be notions of green ideals that could be readily inplimented by all members of lenzr, and society. The photo contest could indeed become a repository of green inspirations.

How Green Are You? photo contest is funded by a solar powered grasscutting operation in the city of  Toronto Ontario that has biofuel trucks and trailers necessary to transport battery operated lawnmowers that are charged with electricity gathered by the sun. The company can therefore offer sustainable, organic lawn care service that is also a relatively silent; their Neuton battery powered lawnmowers are almost silent.

THE PRIZE for being green and uploading the most popular photo is Neuton CE 6 Battery-Powered Mower with DURACELL® battery technology.

The Greenest snapshot gets a lawnmower where there’s no gas or oil to spill and no engine emissions to pollute the air. The 360 watt-hours of battery provide plenty of power. The Neuton CE 6 mower can cut about 1/3 acre (approx 15,000 sq. ft.) on a single charge. If you need more time, just swap in another battery and keep on mowing! Approx retail value $489.00 + shipping.

Toronto Party Rentals Company seeks Backyard Party Events photos on Lenzr

Backyard Party Events is a photo contest for the those super cool people who would rather be hosts than guests.

The contest sponsor is a Toronto party rentals company that wants to see pictures of people who stay home and do it themselves, renting tables, chairs, tents,  stages and fences for their own parties.  Let’s help immortalize the people that have rented the big stuff and made a big splash; its worth it sometimes to make a memory that will last forever.

The sponsor is a Toronto tent rentals company that’s a central depository of tents and party appliances like BBQs and stereos, fences, chairs, tables, and even things you cant imagine like plastic chandeliers and that rigid AstroTurf green carpeting and heaters and buckets. You can read about this company through the eyes of an employee, Laura the Absolute Tent and Event Services Blogger who writes about life inside downtown Toronto’s busiest party supplies and rentals house. It will be interesting to read what she writes about the best photographs in the Lenzr contest, and we know she is watching because of what was written about her in the and the Toronto tent rentals on the Lenzr blog.

The prize for the Lenzr member that uploads the highest ranked picture is a spiffy new 10×10 Popup Tent, and $500 Gift Certificate * for anything in Absolute Tent and Event Services catalog.

Toronto business phones installation company issues a challenge for Obsolete Office Equipment

Obsolete Office Equipment is a photo contest that’s centered on the workplace. The web challenge hopes to uncover out of date systems and mechanisms that are still being used in today’s offices.  Show us the most obsolete objects that are still being relied upon by frontline staff. And show us the junk that’s foisted on backroom employees and the people who manage them.  Show us that much hated office things that impede business.

The sponsor is a business telephones consultant and designer and installation wizard. The company believes that understanding each businesses’ needs is the most important part of helping them choose the right telephone system. The closer your chosen telephone system comes to meeting your specific requirements, the greater the value it will add to your business.

The Prize is a 4 Line office telephone AT&T Model 1070. This state-of-the-art communication device has 4 line speakerphone & answering system capability. With Caller ID / Page / Intercom / Call transfer / Expandable to 16 stations / 32 # speed dial / 3 party conference / 6 number redial, it has so many wonderful functions!

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