Here’s the idea.

Contrabranding.

The idea is to provide information to defeat false images and ideas associated with brands. This information needs to be distributed as effectively, efficiently and as broadly as possible.

A gentle example, we’ll get to the sweatshops later. Disney make family friendly feature films (brand). Disney make films for mature audiences, like this one (contrabrand).

Why?

The first goal is to build awareness. Brands heavily influence our spending behaviour and thinking. The first step is to defeat misleading brands and provide consumers with a more accurate picture. This is important. businessess actively mislead their customers for economic reasons. Business based on deception is wrong, you should always know who you are dealing with. Normally this information is really hard to get, and I for one don’t have time.

The second goal is to change consumer behaviour. To stop people purchasing products by providing them with information about that product which defeats its brand image and gives them a more accurate understanding of the product and it’s cost and nature.

How?

I will open a wiki dedicated to contrabranding. This will accept submissions which will be edited by me personally at first instance. I would like volunteers to step forward to become part of a panel which will review contributions. I would also like someone to design some applications to access that wiki through mobile devices. A first vision would have this information readily available 24/7. You should be able to type in the product name and if it’s in the wiki access contrabrand information which reveals a more transparent picture of how and at what cost that product was produced.

Mechanisms?

This is an idea. Not a fully developed plan. I think all contrabrand needs to be drawn from public information, preferably information put into the pubic domain by the company who created the product and brand.

What is this all about?

Employers want to be able to differentiate between people. What’s the point of a system where so many people do well. It’s completely pointless. I’d prefer tests which no one can pass, where everyone falls somewhere between 1-100 and you then know exactly what you’re getting.

Am I being ridiculous?

Just read this over at the BBC.

That’s another swathe of jobs. How some local authorities can still be kidding themselves about how serious this government’s plans for cuts are beggars belief. Mind you, it’s good to see politicians putting their money where their collective mouth is for a change.

What’s next for the block?

This is funny.

I mean, clearly, I don’t subscribe to stereotypes but, er, maybe I do.

Chuckle away!

So, Mrs Newton-Williams clearly subscribes to the “website-name-should-match-the-url” camp. That broadly means that Big Hungry Giant should really be called Newton-Williams.com. While it’s accurate, I’m not sure it’s quite as much fun.

Now, if it’s only us using the website then it doesn’t really matter, but if there’s anybody out there reading this who prefers BHG to Newton-Williams.com then now is a great time to come out from wherever you are hiding and let me know about it!

Comment away!

It seems a shame that this man is destined for fame. At the very least infamy, depending on how the inquiries turn out. I suppose victims don’t have any appeal. Not unless they’re already celebrities that is. In which case we’re fascinated by the victim and the criminal or malcontent remains relatively faceless. Read the rest of this entry »

Persephone Newton-Williams was born today at around 7.10pm. She and her mother are healthy and happy.