The truth about what motivates people. Awesome whiteboard animation!

Social Media: What is actually social about sitting in front of a computer for hours!?

In the past few years Social Media has risen from a special interaction between a few tech savvy people – especially among younger generations – to a broad and widely spread phenomenon. Everybody is using some sort of Social Media today – sometimes even without knowing it. It is not only the coders and digital natives anymore but people of every age and gender as well as more and more brands and businesses. Have a look at this demographics to get an impression. I can see it in my own environment. Let me give you a personal example: When we first started using Facebook back in 2006 to promote an e-learning project among students – Facebook was exclusive to students! –  and nobody of my family and friends was on. Today, I communicate more often over Facebook with some of my relatives and friends around the globe than through any other channel. I share my life with them and vice verca with thousands of miles between us. It is like we always know of what`s going on in our lives.

Social Media tools and platforms reach from social networks to forums, from blogs to microblogging services, from sharing platforms to social bookmarking/news sites and so on. The picture below gives you a quite comprehensive overview of the tools, websites and technologies summed up as Social Media. The landscape is changing on a daily basis though. New tools and services emerge and become popular day-by-day. It is a truly dynamic field and forces us to “keep walking” / learning.

Now, let`s have first a look at some commonly used definitions before I give you my own explanation of why I think Social Media is “social”:

• Wikipedia: Social media is media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.
• Creative Media Farm: Social media are primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings.
• Webtrends: Any website or web service that utilizes a ‘social’ or ‘Web 2.0′ philosophy. This includes blogs, social networks, social news.
• Formic Media: An umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words and pictures.
• Online matters: Social media is any form of online publication or presence that allows end users to engage in multi-directional conversations in or around the content on the website.

If you look at these definitions and the fact that we are talking about an computer-centric activity you might assume that Social Media is actually not social at all. Some people criticize that all of this time we spend online is probably the most un-social activity of all! They call it an anonymous and not personal interaction at all. Do you agree!? I don`t and let me explain why:

1. Social Media empowers human networking: Tools and sites like social/business networks allowed us to bring our offline networks online and to stay connected 24/7. Every human being is part of multiple networks. It starts with our family and friends, neighborhood and society and spreads to our business relations or other special interest groups (e.g. our sports teams). No matter what we do we are moving within some kind of human networks. The latest web technologies simply allowed us to bring these relationships online and leverage them in many ways: Saving time, creating synergies, collaborating, sharing, caring, being up-to-date, etc… Besides that it also gave us the opportunity to connect beyond borders and with completely new people. In this case we first connect online before we bring these online connections back into real life. I am sure who have experienced this yourself or somebody related to you did. I met a lot of people by working together online and later this turned out to become real friendships.
2. Social Media enables conversations: Tools such as online publishing (blogs) and WYSIWYG (=What you see is what you get)- solutions made it easier than ever before to publish our stories, speak out loud and start any kind of conversations. With a few clicks people can create a little stage for their voice share their mind. It has never been easier to create a website/blog or to use other channels: Chats, instant messaging, email, personal messages, posts, tweets allow us to communicate constantly. Another basic human need is satisfied: To express ourself and to communicate. And in the shelter of a computer even people who might be a bit shy in real life engage in this conversations feeling more comfortable in this form of “anonymous” interaction. Conversations can be simple bilateral acts of kindness (“likes”) or long, scientific and multilateral dialogues.
3. Social Media  facilitates collaboration: Another kick-ass element of “Social Media” is that it allows people to share and collaborate. One could say that a massive brainstorming is taking place online which never stops. People share hints and support each other, they leave comments or “likes” and thereby create probably the biggest collective source of wisdom human kind has ever seen (also check out the book “Wisdom of crowds”). You might also have heard the term of “crowdsourcing” which comes from a more technical background to describe an open collaboration of coders improving the source code together and allowing the public usage of their work, e.g. Linux operating system. There are tons of positive examples of how this opportunity has helped in open innovation or problem solving. And the “crowd” aspect doesn`t stop here: Think of the million causes supported by Social Media or “crowdfunding” projects. We are ready to share and collaborate more than ever before. Team play goes online! Inspire and get inspired.
4. Social Media gives the power to the people: If you ask me – one of the most distinctive improvements is that users and the public in general has become more powerful (again). First of all power is defined in this case by matters like access to information and quick distribution of it. Today we select relevant information through our network and care more about our peer group than anything else. It is not the ad on TV or the newspaper or magazine which matters but the opinion of our peer group about a specific product or service. Especially in times of information overload like ours. We decide where our attention goes! Secondly, anybody can share his (bad) experience with his network putting pressure on the service provider or businesses he is dealing with. Thereby Social Media is a driver for business excellence and it pushes people/business to perform well and to be as good as they can. I like the hypothesis of Eric Qualman in his book “Socialnomics” where he stated that Social Media forces us to be a better person because we cannot separate betweeen our private and business personality anymore. We are who we are. So we stop being schizophrenic and try to be the best person we can. If not – it will be publicly known in the long run. What happens in Vegas, (un-) fortunately doesn`t stay in Vegas!  Gary Vaynerchuk the energetic guy behind the video blog winelibrary goes even further saying that every single human being is a brand nowadays. We are personal brands which are cultivated and displayed in Social Media. We should take advantage of this life changing opportunity and thrive by doing what we love. In his case it has been a powerful booster for his business so far. Read his book “Crush it!” to get a flavour of this new way of life and business.

Summing it up: Social Media is social because it brings our basic human needs (networking, communication, collaboration, power/influence) into the online environment and allows us to be human again in a more and more digital world. Besides that never forget that behind every single profile there is a real person. This person has strengths and weaknesses, emotions and moods, personality and character and functions like anyone else in real life. So in Social Media the same rules apply: Be the best person/brand you can be. Care and share. Be your true self. It`s all about relationships and they are based on honest and open interaction. Trust needs to be gained first. If you want to thrive in Social Media, simply be the best you can!

Feel free add your comments and let me know if I have forgotten important things. It is a fast moving world, right!?

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  http://www.dirjournal.com/guides/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/social-media-fredcavazza.jpg

Success fundamentals of a Greek American: What I have learned from Alex Spanos

I just finished the autobiography of Alex Spanos “sharing the wealth” and I have to admit that it was an inspiration to me. Maybe because I not only understand the business side of his life but also his cultural background including the influence of family and coming from an immigration background. When I look at his life achievements – and he is only one of those Greeks who made there way from “rags to to riches” (you can watch some examples in this series of youtube videos) – it really touches me and I feel some sort of connection. There are so many outstanding personalities and leaders from a Greek background spread around the globe and it makes me really wonder how the situation in Greece would look like if we had some more of those people within the country!? Imagine if all or some of these people would step up and join forces. Creating a movement for change and creating a vision for a country that has been simply run down and exploited over the course of the last decades by a few dominating family clans. But enough about the Greek story for now as I wanted to share some take outs of his bio.

This book had some really valuable lessons for me. And it was very interesting to read how Alex Spanos broke through the domination and dependence of his father at the age of 27  taking the leap into an absolutely insecure future with his wife and a kid at her side and another one on the way. It was then when he started unfolding his full potential facing this no way out situation. Imagine how it must have been to break free and stretch into untapped fields of opportunities within himself. I believe there a lot more among us who are trapped in some kind of dependence or other kind of restrictions and some – I fear – will never be released. Or will never free themselves.

Alex Spanos had no choice. He needed to “function” in order to cater for his family. He focussed on what he knew, made a plan and simply started walking into a direction which seemed to be right. He managed to borough a few hundred dollar and started some sort of catering business for farm workers. Simply because that was what he had learned by working in his fathers restaurant and bakery. And as he started walking and digging opportunities came across and he recognized them. His business journey and network – people are indispensable for business! – made him a labor magnate, a real estate and construction giant and last but not least the owner of a sports franchise. He ended up being one of the richest immigrants in America owning the San Diego Chargers. If you want to know more about his business adventures read his book in which he gives a lot of details.

I would like to share some elements of his winning strategy with you which he calls “success fundamentals”. I will not mention all of them but those which I find most important. As always I will add my own flavour to it:

1. Family first: Alex Spanos underlines the importance of a strong family sense which was always some sort of source of energy and motivation for him. He says that it was always due to his family and that he sought for financial security first. He did not start of with a “get-rich- fantasy”. It is a clear statement to mention this point as the very first, right!? Coming from a 6 person household I can only stress that family is like a rock you are holing on tight. It is all about unconditional love and supports which gives you peace of mind.
2. Purpose: In life and in business you need to know and feel what you want and if you are on the right track. Some people find their purpose early in life others come across later on and some will never get to know it. How will you know if you found your purpose? Simply look at your heart! Do you love what you do? If work does not feel like it but gives you pleasure, you probably are on target. There is a whole science on this called logotherapy which was founded by Viktor Frankl. I have read his book “Man`s search for meaning”. It has been interesting, however very scientific.
3. Believe in yourself: In order to succeed you need conviction. You must be convinced of being capable to do it and never stop believing in yourself no matter if you go through ups or downs in your life. The dips will come but never ever give up yourself.
4. Vision: The successful entrepreneur sees opportunities and obstacles and develops plans for dealing with both. Great ideas are often at odds with conventional wisdom. In order to get through this phases you need to have a clear vision why you are doing what you do: e.g. Henry Ford envisioned the impact of an affordable , reliable automobile on the American landscape or Ray Kroc who envisioned a world in which McDonalds`s restaurants would provide quick, consistently tasty meals at affordable price. There more examples but I am sure you got the point.
5. Taking risk and trust your instincts: Some risks are small, others enormous. All are important! Especially the “first” risk. To get out of our comfort zone and take action no matter if there maybe question marks or not. He also said that no business deal should be a do-or-die proposition. Take it or leave it does not work according to his experience. In business win-win wins in the longrun. It is always good to consider the advice of others and get some more opinions on various topics. However, at the end you have to take the decisions and listen to your gut feeling. Nobody else will do it for you.
6. Don`t be defeated by failure: Success demands perseverance in the face of repeated adversity and failure. Think of a baby who starts walking. Falling down and standing up again over and over again. Failure is where success begins. Let go of your emotional involvement in projects. When projects don`t turn out the way you expected, take your losses while they`re still small. Learn from failures and move on. This rule is so true. How many stories have I heard about people who were nothing but failures. They did the “trial and error” thing until one day opportunity met readiness.
7. Lead the way, Don`t follow: Stop being concerned about anyboday else and focus on your performance, product and services. Let the competition worry about you! Create and grow and stop chasing the “other guy”. Don`t imitate, lead, don`t follow.
8. Take your profits whenever you can: Alex Spanos was in the construction business. What he mainly did was to develop appartments/buildings/malls and selling them. Most of the time he sold the whole thing even before it was build. He could have been holding onto them which would have brought considerably higher profits but he always prefered the early dollar and to move on. The point is clear: Stay liquid, never be pressed for cash. Therefore keep your capital flowing. Rather have a small profit now then “maybe” a higher profit some day.

I have read a lot of books and I have shared some of them already with you, however this one was special. Special because I found it very inspiring to experience the life and success journey of a Greek immigrant. And it summed up so many of the lessons I learned in other books about successful people. He gives insights and has a simple and hands on style of explaining things. What I like most about him is his unshakeable sense of family and values and his dedication to excellence. Whatever he did, he did it whole-heartedly and that is probably one of the strongest drivers to success. Passion and commitment to get the most out of yourself. Do what you love and love what you do!

I hope this post inspires you as the book did inspired me. Go and get it. You won`t regret it! I hope to hear about your very own success story soon. So make sure to share your progress with me every now and then Thrive in whatever you were made for! And please share YOUR lessons learned.

Some thoughts on the European situation: When things sound Greek to the world!

As stated on the About page I am a descendent of Greek immigrants in Germany holding both the Greek and the German citizenship. Therefore latest developments in Europe do not leave me untouched. The whole story cannot be covered by one single post but I will try to give you my two cents on at least a few aspects of it. To be honest I am both concerned and angree. Why?

Because a great nation like this has been run down by a few self-centered families and because media did a great job in spreading wrong information or at least not-thoroughly investigated facts. Destroying the reputation and dignity of a nation which actually was the mother of it all. To state a french politician – whose name I cannot recall at the moment:

“A European Union without Greece is like a child without birth certificate.” And even if things seem to be different today. This is exactly where we come from. I am proud of my heritage and of the achievements of my ancestors. Who have fought for us to be free and who have sacrificed so much in order that we have more opportunities. I am very thankful and inspired to see so many Greeks succeeding – especially outside of Greece.

We are in a big chaos now full of uncertainty and in the middle of a disatrous playground for speculators. We all can see the results of it! Psychology being a driver of the markets there is little chance to calm the markets down. Who would have imagined the Dow Jones plummeting over 1000 points in only 3o mins due to the crisis and related riots in Greece – even if afterwards it was stated to have been been the result of a human failure. Who cares!? The damage is there and we have still the worst ahead of us.

So far it has discussed how Greece can cut down their expenses and save money. Which was definitely the right short- term move. But as we all know in a free market economy the driver of wealth and stability is economic growth. All decisions made so far – cutting down public headcount, raising VAT to 23% , tobacco and luxury product taxes, postponing retirement age, “chopping” pensions and so on – will indeed save money. But I am sorry to say that they also are thwarting a positive development in Greece, too. The effects will be less purchasing power, less consumption, less investments, a shrinking economy, less tax income, less jobs and starting again less purchasing power, less consumption, etc. – a truly vicious circle! I don`t want to be too pesimistic, however this is the way it goes. The long term effects of the current decisions lead exactly towards this dark scenario.

What makes me angree – having my parents and other family members living and paying their taxes in Greece – is that the ordinary people – who might have never “hided” a cent and who always paid their part – will pay for the mistakes, mismanagement and criminal action of the few on top of the Greek population. If you look at the saving plans it hits them most!  The average wage of 700-800 Euro definitely doesn`t leave much space for big moves.

What you may not know is that in Greece most of the kids have to visit expensive after hour schools in order to pass tests – which is another big problem in Greece by the way: Education! – , “fakelakia” (=bribe money) is paid to doctors and public authorities in order to get your things done. It sums up at the end of the day and it is not as trivial as reported in the media. It is an omni-present system which is learned and in place which needs to be changed right from the top.

How can you expect the “little man” to be in line with rules and regulations if you have the biggest criminals in leading positions? How can the government keep on leaving these criminals alone and maintain the political amnesty of political leaders who actually caused this crisis!? Because they are all part of the bad game. It is there where the change should start. Top down! Start with the few who have sucked all live blood out of this great nation`s veins. Make a example of them and start gaining the trust of the population again. Otherwise nothing will change and we simply postponed the inevitable.

I would also like to outline a little bit the bigger picture in Europe before I give some ideas on what I believe could help creating a future for this country. The Greek problem is a European problem. And the European problem is a global problem. The global community has a fair interest in tackling the current challenges. It is for the sake of all of us. A collapse of Greece could initiate a chain reaction with tremendous consequences for the rest of the world. And coming already from the current crisis it would be a serious setback again. Please do also not forget that most of the European countries do not match the European debth standards. Even strong economies like Germany are far behind target levels. So the problems is even bigger than that.

I also would like to address one issue which is discussed in German media which is not exactly reflecting the truth. As long as Greece is paying their dues back Germany and the rest of the lenders will make a serious profit out of this transaction. They receive the lent money much cheaper and simply pass it to Greece for a surplus interest rate. And ONLY if Greece will go bust – which we do not hope – will the tax payers have to pay the bill. And even in this case do not forget how much business and money comes from Greece to Germany. Many infrastructural projects (the airport of Athens, the Olympic Games, etc.) have been given mainly to German companies which made a serious amount of money, creating jobs, paying taxes, bringing economic growth back to Germany. And also keep in mind that a lot of German products still are bought in Greece. So it is in the interest of us all that we get Greece out of this sh..! It is not as easy as stated in the newspapers and on TV.

Now, I would like to talk about some ideas which I believe could be the right way to go. I would also like to invite you to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments:

1. We need political alternatives: A new party with capable leaders, a vision and role models for the whole population. I know a lot of incredibly talented and gifted Greeks around the globe. Being achievers and leaders in various areas of life and business. The current selection of parties is biased and there is too much historical involvement in order to make real CHANGE happen!
2. We need a clear vision and plan: What exactly will happen within the next 3, 5 and 10 years!? We need to know more than only how we will pay our bills within the next few months. Long term planning is the basis for stability and security for both the private and the public sector as well as investments into Greece.
3. “Tax police”: We need to create a independently operating organization which is investigating tax issues and which is rewarded for every success with “head money”. The more criminals are convicted the more the organization gains. And they should start with the big fishes.
4. Amended return: We should create a time frame in which people can report themselves and pay a comparably low fine to clean their records. Otherwise they will be hit harder in case they are convicted. I would start put those criminals behind bars!
5. European business development in Greece: Europe should create incentive packages for business to invest into Greece and build up factories and facilities there. Instead of lending money incentivizing business to come to Greece. Why not outsourcing some parts of industries to Greece? (Long term time frame means not under 10-20 years!)
6. Building up the industrial sector: At the moment Greece is relying on tourism, agricultural and services (banks). We need to bring in more business and the preconditions are good: Geographical position right between America, Asia and Africa, easy shipping, relatively “low” wages, etc.
7. Further privatization: There is still a lot of facilities etc. which could be privatized. And as we know the private sector is better in managing due to the expected profits.
8. Education: Besides the fact that the whole education system is lacking I would start creating awareness in young age already for unlawful acts. Kids must understand what is right and what is wrong and that it is not normal to pay extra money to see a doctor – as only one example of many in daily life.
9. Interim outside observers: I believe that it would be helpful to bring in some experts and oberservers into the country for the transition phase. They could revise and give advice to the government. No clue though who this could be and how such a team would look like.

I would like to pause here. I am sure that the one or the other post will follow. As this is not an easy topic to reconsider within a single post. Feel free to ask me for specific topics. I would love to explain the situation a little bit more from my Greek/German perspective. Let`s hope that once a again a crisis is the beginning of CHANGE to the better.

Akropolis (Greece, Athens)

Textile: Why is it so difficult to make this old industry profitable AND fair?

I have read a lot about various brands and business in the textile/clothing/fashion business recently. And it was always related to issues like exploitation, unfair working conditions, fake “fair trade” labels, etc. !  It made me curious to read a little bit more about it and I came across some interesting infos. There are a few new concepts out there which tackle this problem already: For instance armedangels – a young social fashion brand – which I have mentioned already in one of my post some time ago. It was about how brands can make a difference by making being green some kind of sexy.

My biggest question: Why is this industry and the big players in particular not able to make the shift from exploitation to fair business practices!? Why is it so difficult for established brands – which sell their products with price premiums anyway – to pay fair wages and stop exploiting workers around the world – especially in the developing countries. And why do consumers still buy these products hearing all of these stories? I truly believe that it is possible to earn “clean” dollars with “good businesses”.

I came across this video on saubere-kleidung.de - an initiative which is trying to create awareness for this problem:

What are your thoughts about this? Do you know of scandals and stories of other brands? And do you know other “social and good” brands and businesses which make the change? Share them with us, please.

The Power of NOW… Embracing the presence!

As mentioned already in my last post I really struggle to make time to post more often. I need to get my priorities right as it has always been and still is a high priority for me to share my thoughts and ideas with you. So, let me share some thoughts about the past, present and future orientation of human beings. It is my recent take-out of an audiobook to which I was listening during my irregular sports sessions at the gym. It is called “The power of NOW” by Eckhart Tolle.

It first took me a while to get used to the tonality and voice of the speaker. It was a very “heavy” tone of voice which actually seemed to be more depressing than positive in the beginning. Until I realized that it was due to his inner peace and total balance that his voice sounded strange to me. And probably because I expected one of those loud motivational speakers who usually tell such stories (–> stereotyping!). But let me get to the core of this post. What is it all about?

Well, human beings tend to live either in the past or dream of the future instead of focussing completely at the current moment. Every single person has his own record of past experiences, mistakes, failures etc. which influence his life in a very strong (and probably not always positive) manner. We carry this “mental weight” within us and the mind keeps reminding us about all of this burden. You might ask what is wrong about it!?

It is important to consider these experiences as lessons learned, however they are also distracting us from our present life. Eckhart Tolle recommends to let go and stay focussed on the NOW which is the only situation we actually can influence. And remember: Some time ago the past has also been the presence.

The same counts for our future orientation. Most of the people see the improvements or changes in their life in the future: “One day I will do this”, “when I get older I will…”, “when I have enough money…”, etc.. All of our dreams and positive changes are projected into the future. But the future, too, is NOW! It is now when we can start making things happen. It is now that we need to start being the change we want to see in the world.

Another interesting statement was about the human mind. He recommends to be an observer of the mind and the inner voice and not to see it as integral part of ourself but as a separate element. Why? Because it is the mind that often creates destructive thoughts of fear and blocks us of being our greatest self. By seeing it as part of ourself we accept it as a real fact but in reality it keeps us of being pure and present in the NOW.

Looking at my own life I can confirm that it applies to me as well. My mind seems to be endlessly working and reminding me of the past or planning my future. I often have difficulties on really focussing on the present moment when I actually should be my greatest self. To perform successfully it is important to be present and focussed and direct our full attention to the present task and moment. To enjoy every drop of it!

And this is not only related to performing but our life in general: When did I last observe the beauty of my surroundings consciously? When did I last decelarate to watch the perfection of nature and human kind around me? I really need to keep this in mind and start embracing every single moment in my life more and with the awareness it deserves. This will not happen easily but I will try!

What about you? Do you live in the NOW? Are you present? Stuck in the past? Or dreaming of the future?

Greenpeace viral campaign against Nestle. Shocking but effective!

A book recommendation for the meantime: “Hot, flat and crowded” by Thomas L. Friedman

I don`t want to find excuses for not being able to write sooner. Simply accept my apologies and know that I`ll be back soon. Promised!

In the meantime I would like to share a book which I will be finishing within the next couple of days. It includes some interesting theories and correlations of our “hot, flat and crowded” world. I really enjoyed reading it and it did spark my desire to do something about it. We are facing serious challenges and some of them are listed and reflected in this book. From energy to climate, from biodiversity to terrorism. It covers most of the important issues of our time! What I like about it is that it is not only based on profound researches but also gives potential solutions and strategies. If you are interested I will sum it up in one of my next posts adding some of my interpretations and comments. Let me know! In the meantime read it and spread the word. We need to stand up and do something.

Click here to buy it directly on Amazon.

ISBN-10: 0312428928

ISBN-13: 978-0312428921

Carrotmob fever: Let`s make it happen in Stuttgart in spring 2010

I have written already about Carrotmob in the past. A really great and inspiring project promoting climate change and sustainability in a very practical and hands-on manner. The so-called “carrotmobs” are a gathering of people who organize themselves over the net and show up at a certain time and date in a shop or business which was selected before. The selection is based on a reverse bidding process: Whoever gives the highest percentage of his additional turnover to “green” improvements of his shop or other “green” projects gets the crowd into his shop. The whole thing started in California and spread to various cities across the US and reached Europe, too. One of the next carrotmobs is taking place in Frankfurt on December 12, 2009. It is organized by Christoph Harrach and his team who are the leading LOHAS bloggers in Germany. Their blog “Karmakonsum” is very established and added more than only digital value. Once a year they organize the Green Camp where people from various backgrounds gather and discuss the latest topics, trends and challenges. I have attended on of this events and can only recommend it if you are interested in sustainability and social entrepreneurship matters.

Why do I tell you about this? Well, first of all becauce it is worth mentioning! Secondly, you should make time and pop up at the event in Frankfurt – if you are nearby – and last but not least because I invite you to join me and make the next carrotmob happen in Stuttgart. You are welcome to give feedback and contribute. Every additional team member and supporter can boost this beautiful project and create even more buzz. Thank you in advance. Keep on rocking…

Some useful resources for organizing a carrotmob:

• How to guide: www.carrotmob.org/organize/
• Past mobs: www.carrotmob.org/mobs/.

A quick walk around the block can be quite creative: Here is an idea I just came up with

I have written recently about the fun theory and my opinion that is important to transport serious matters in a funny and entertaining way. I am convinced that messages would reach and influence much more people if they would just consider this. Especially among the younger generation this would be more effective than pumping ad dollars into conventional media. Look at the developments in social media such as social networks like facebook and you will see that the mostly used applications are based on fun: Take games such as farmville or cafe world (by Zynga) for example who have reached an audience of tens of millions or numerous quizes about the funniest topics. If agriculture (farmville) is interesting enough there are tons of other stories to tell. Now, here is my idea for a sustainable business:

Let`s take the solar industry which I am observing and supporting for over 4 years now. What stops a company like solarworld – a leading brand of integrated solar technology from A-Z –  to develop a game named solar world or sushine world or whatever. Creating a funny virtual place where people can develop solar energy fields, set up solar modules on their houses reducing their carbon footprint and gaining points by spreading the word. I guess there are unlimited possibilities of how to create such a game and as a by-product increasing brand awareness and educating people about such important sustainability matters. I would love to assist in refining this concept and bringing people together to make this happen.

Tell me about your ideas of using social networks for sustainable businesses. I am curious to hear your stories:)

By the way: I will drop an email to the solarworld people and will let you know about their reaction.