The Inkstained Mind: This is Tahrir Square... yesterday

28 May 2011

This is Tahrir Square... yesterday

Yes. It is the afternoon of 27 May 2011... And Cairo's Tahrir Square is filling up with thousands of Egyptians in what organisers called a "Second Revolution".

Why? Because "people do not see any change," according to one volunteer. "The only change we see is that the Mubarak metro station has been changed to the Martyrs station."

Meanwhile packs of international financiers are licking their chops... On Thursday, 26 May, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated in a report to the G8, that "external financing" needs of oil-importing countries in the Middle East and North Africa will exceed $160 billion over the next three years - and that donor countries must step in to help.

The IMF has announced it is ready to lend about $35 billion to "stabilise" economies of countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Syria who are facing surging food and energy prices.

The same week, the World Bank said they want “to help the people there and seize the opportunities of historic change to modernize their economies and build more open and inclusive societies.”

Apparently, they want nothing to "undermine the transition to democracy".

Aw, how considerate of them...

So when is the Nile scheduled to be privatised? And are the pyramids going as a package deal?

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WHAT IS ADVERTISING?

It's often called the world's second oldest profession.

But while the scope of the oldest one has changed little over time, the evolution in the way we communicate has had profound impact on Advertising.

In the ancient and medieval world, Advertising meant word-of-mouth. In the 1500s with the development of printing it became a 'paid public notice', disseminating the message to many. And it had Copy & Art.

Then came radio, TV, computer, cable TV, Internet, mobile phones, Internet on mobile, and it's still not done... Even what we perceive as 'change' is changing. Continuously.

So what is Advertising today?

Honestly, I don't know.

But I do know from a dozen years evolving with the business, that Advertising is most valued when it can make a tangible difference for the advertiser.

That has not changed. And probably won't.

UPDATE: Nothing's changed. But in a way, everything has.

As you see, my focus has shifted - evolved in a way - to a larger canvas. The shift or evolution was gradual, and may be have been discernable to the more observant reader.

While I was delving into the influence of media in society to better understand how perceptions are created, evolved and disseminated, I chanced upon a thread of knowledge that I frankly never knew existed.

My conclusion is that a deep pool of awareness and consciouness exists beyond the shallow narcissistic boundaries created by the convention view of social media and the Internet.

My aim is to send my readers down any path that can lead to this quenching pool.