That’s what award winning investigative journalist, Leah McGrath Goodman, writes in a comprehensive cover story for Newsweek magazine. She goes on to quote Dr. Michael Crane of New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital:

“We will never know the composition of the cloud, because the wind carried it away, but people were breathing and eating it. What we do know is that it had all kinds of god-awful things in it. Burning jet fuel. Plastics, metal, fiberglass, asbestos. It was thick, terrible stuff. A witch’s brew.”

As the National Resources Defense Council of New York acknowledged in a report in the months following the deadly attacks:

“An environmental emergency such as this, with hundreds, if not thousands of toxic components simultaneously discharged into the air on the scale of September llth is unprecedented.”

Dr. David Prezant, co-director of the New York City Fire Department’s Medical Monitoring program, described the long term affect on firefighters:

“Normally with lung exposure, you recover. I found that their lung function did not recover, despite treatment and despite time. I attribute it to the extremely inflammatory nature of the dust found at the World Trade Center site. When you look at (the dust particles) under a microscope, they are very jagged, and they are coated with carcinogens.”

But McGrath Goodman points out that just a week after September llth, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Christie Whitman, maintained that the air quality “did not pose a health hazard” and calls that assessment “wrong.” She quotes a 2003 U.S. Inspector General report that found “the EPA did not have sufficient data and analyses to make such a blanket statement.”

Now, on the 15th anniversary, Christie Whitman offered this apology:

“Whatever we got wrong, we should acknowledge and people should be helped. I’m very sorry that people are sick. I’m very sorry that people are dying, and if in any way the EPA and I contributed to that, I’m sorry.”

And New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced his signing of a law that gives rescue workers and volunteers a 2 year extension–until September 11, 2018–to file health claims:

“We still feel the pain and loss like it was yesterday, and the thousands of brave men and women who stepped up in our darkest hour are still grappling with the after-effects.”

As Dr. Jim Melius from the advocacy group Health Watch noted:

“Within the next 5 years, we will be at the point where more people have died from World Trace Center related illnesses than died from the immediate impact of the attacks.”

Newsweek, 9/16/16

The post 9/11’s Second wave: Cancer and other diseases linked to the 2001 attacks are surging appeared first on The Good For You Network.

How to pick the right metrics to get an accurate evaluation of your brand’s health.

If I told you that the consumer to brand relationship has undergone significant change, I’m sure you would reply and say, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

A 2015 study by Havas Media Group found that most people would not care if 74% of all brands disappeared completely, and only 28% are said to notably improve people’s quality of life.

Brands are becoming irrelevant because they are failing to do what it takes to survive in the 21^st Century with customers. Customers want brands to “pivot” more to fit their wants and needs and the way to do that is for brands to provide service and solutions using two-way communications. Yet the majority of brands and brand managers are trying to simply grow emotional love using tired tactics like television commercials, pre-roll video, display ads and static social advertising.

Today’s digital savvy consumers are more empowered than ever. As a result, we’ve become less responsive to traditional brand messaging, thus diminishing the power and influence of brands. The recent proliferation of ad-blocking technology proves that the social web is no longer a place which affords brands unlimited access to consumers.

In the digital age, the traditional rules of branding (big ideas, long-term margins, and emotional appeal) seem to be obsolete in an economy where consumers increasingly prefer products or services that provide convenience and top class user experiences.

So, what are the pivots brands need to make? Here are three…

1. Be Meaningful. In that same Havas study, brands considered meaningful around the world can expect 46 percent more share of wallet than less meaningful brands. So, what makes a brand meaningful? Customers now expect brands to be making tangible improvements to our personal well-being by making daily routines easier, helping us to stay healthy, connecting us to loved ones and being there for us when we need advice. We also expect brands to play increased roles in our communities through event sponsorships or Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives for our collective well-being. Expectations are also high that brands deliver on their functional benefits, making constant and relevant improvements to products and services. In an era of politics, many now say brands need to pay their fair share in the form of taxes and transparency. The downfall of not pivoting could be immense. Many customers have said they will pivot to finding other companies they can support who they feel support their community.

2. Listen. Brands have always taken the approach of talking and amplifying and never shutting up. But now that communication power is more democratic, customers want brands to listen to them. They want brands to take advice on how they can improve their customer experience, their products, their supply chain management and their shipping policies. Customers use products a lot yet brands have a tendency of ignoring customers in what amounts to the best form of product surveying ever. Brands need to not simply survey, but invite their most influential users to their offices annually to see how they improve the experience.

3. Empower. Meaningful brands drive emotional well-being by empowering self-esteem, self-expression and social status. Sportswear brands like Nike and Under Armour encourage us to fulfill our true potential and improve our skills, while food brands are offering more nutritional advice. Even the company I work for, Microsoft, has a motto that ties into this in how technology can enhance our lives: “Empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.”

Read more about how to remain relevant in the 21^st Century with your brand in my new book Disruptive Marketing.

The Blake Project Can Help: Accelerate B2C and B2B Brand Growth Through Powerful Emotional Connections

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

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Tic Tac, the Italian candy company owned by Ferrero has recently weighed in on the new released Trump video. In a tweet earlier today the company said: “Tic Tac respects all women. We find the recent statements and behavior completely inappropriate and unacceptable.”

Tic Tac respects all women. We find the recent statements and behavior completely inappropriate and unacceptable.

— Tic Tac USA (@TicTacUSA) October 8, 2016

In the video that I’m sure we’ve all seen and heard by now Donald Trump says: “I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her,” Trump said in the video. “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.”

Being the AdStasher, it’s our duty to remind everyone that Tic Tacs are simply sweet treats and we love their ads…

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); –ADVERTISEMENT–

Ten years on, TEDGlobal returns to Africa, and applications are open now to attend. TEDGlobal 2017: Builders. Truth-tellers. Catalysts. happens August 27–30, 2017, in Arusha, Tanzania.

Our conference in Arusha ten years ago felt like history in the making. The ideas and connections forged then have had untold impact. As curator Emeka Okafor says: “At the end of TEDGlobal 2007, we talked about ‘Planting Seeds.’ Ten years later, we will be mapping and imagining new directions. TEDGlobal 2017 will showcase the brave and the bold, the makers and creators, pioneers and builders, the advocates and activists.”

We want to invite anyone passionate about the future of Africa, and the future of the world, to come and be part of something special.

“Our speakers will provoke and confound, illuminate and clarify,” Okafor promises. “Join us in examining this emerging tapestry of activity across Africa.”

TEDGlobal 2017 takes place August 27–30, 2017, at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. We’re planning pre- and post-conference events as well, including tours of local tech clusters and enterprises, as well as excursions in the legendary Northern Circuit, a collection of parks and lands that encircle Arusha. Learn more and apply to attend >>

PLUS: On Tuesday, Oct 4, we’ll open applications to become a TEDGlobal 2017 Fellow, to attend the conference and join a group of 400 emerging leaders in fields from art and science to business and social justice. Watch this blog for details on how to apply.

TED’s Science Curator David Biello hosts TEDNYC: What Drives Us, a night of talks in our New York City offices. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

We’re creatures of curiosity. Our impulse to explore and investigate has led us to incredible discoveries about the world around us and about ourselves. Despite our amazing advances, questions still abound: How might we change, mold or reshape our nature and behavior? What inspires us to take action? What shifts our motivations? How do we uncover the hidden drivers of behavior and use that insight to unlock our potential?

On Wednesday night at TED HQ in New York City, during an evening of talks supported by Philips Sonicare and hosted by TED Science Curator David Biello, five speakers (and one wonderful performer) tackled these questions and another fundamental one: What drives us to explore, create and change the world?

First up was the author of The Confidence Game, Maria Konnikova.

The power of a well-told story. Good stories capture our attention, and the best ones engross us entirely. Con artists know this truth intuitively, says writer and deception expert Maria Konnikova, and it’s exactly how they deceive — they play to our emotions and exploit our tendency to get carried away by a compelling tale. Konnikova gives the example of Sammy Azzopardi, an Australian woman whose macabre knack for narrative allowed her to impersonate a cast of teenage victims of terrible sexual violence, duping the governments of both Ireland and Canada in the process. But grifters like Sammy aren’t the only ones spinning false narratives, warns Konnikova, which is why she believes that “the most powerful weapon in the world isn’t a gun — it’s a well-told story.”

Beyond BMI. According to Olivia Affuso, an academic researcher who specializes in obesity reduction, the standard we use to measure excess body fat, known as the Body Mass Index, or BMI, too often incorrectly labels otherwise healthy patients as having an unhealthy weight, and vice versa — sometimes with serious consequences. Affuso and her team have developed an alternative to the BMI that pairs digital photographs, easily taken with a cheap camera or a cell phone, with computer analysis to provide every patient with an individual assessment of his or her body composition. The results are highly accurate and inexpensive to produce, which means better, more personalized healthcare for us all.

Olivia Affuso discusses a cheap, easy and more accurate alternative to BMI, which could lead to better health outcomes for us all.  “Let’s move beyond the BMI,” Affuso says, “so everyone can get the personalized healthcare they deserve.” (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

The places we live aren’t inevitable. Infrastructure is the foundation for our economy, our social lives and our culture, and it matters to the way we live. In the twentieth century, as America expanded and the highways and automobiles of the sprawl changed the country’s landscape, the country’s cultural momentum changed with it, for good and for bad. But the effects of the sprawl were not inevitable, says urban planner, designer, and author Ryan Gravel, and we don’t have to be stuck in what he calls “the dystopian traffic hellscape” of modern cities. Gravel details how he and his team are working on a massive revitalization project of a 22-mile loop of rail corridors circling downtown Atlanta known as The BeltLine. What started as a grad school thesis and a dream has turned into a vision for a system of rails, trails and greenspace that will seamlessly connect 45 Atlanta neighborhoods. Today, with the help of fellow architects, community advocates, developers and nonprofit partners, the BeltLine is in the early stages of implementation, and it’s already changing residents’ expectations for living in the city. “The people of Atlanta fell in love with a vision that was better than what they saw through their car windshields,” Gravel says, “and the people of Atlanta made it happen.”

“If we want something different, we just have to speak up,” says urban planner, designer and author Ryan Gravel, as he details plans for a huge revitalization project in downtown Atlanta. “We have to participate actively in the process of shaping change.”  (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

A fresh take on a jazz legend. Accompanied by the strains of a single guitar, jazz singer Candice Hoyes treats the audience to poignant melodies from her debut album, songs Duke Ellington fans may already know and love. Blending jazz and classical styles, On a Turquoise Cloud reimagines rare songs from Duke Ellington’s career by offering fresh and creative arrangements of the songs from some of today’s jazz icons.

Candice Hoyes treats the TEDNYC: What Drives Us audience to a soulful performance of rare Duke Ellington songs. (Photo: Ryan Lash / TED)

Fighting climate change with mind … and heart. Alongside science and stats, Jill Kubit believes that we need to talk about climate change from a place of love — a concept inspired by becoming a parent, which transformed her view of the future. Her project, DearTomorrow, uses letters, videos and photos dedicated to loved ones to make the threat of climate change feel more tangible while connecting the issue to values we already hold dear. This is not an answer to climate change, she says: “This is about us and the people we love now.” By opening up the conversation between generations in such a visceral way and shifting our perceptions of what the future means to us, we may be able to solve this looming crisis not just with intellect and reasoning, but with heart, too.

Any chief brand officer, director or strategist who still thinks social media is solely an amplification tool that helps connect with an audience are missing five other spokes in their wheelhouse.

Social media now is much more complex and unique as businesses become more social by design. Social media practically runs modern business organizations when you speak with the most disruptive of marketers. Yet at many organizations, CMOs still designate social media as a small business unit, staffed by interns to control.

Even at Apple, one of the most relevant brands in the world, they have only recently paid more attention to social media. Some of the most progressive organizations were adopting its usage back in 2006 or 2007 as it became more commercial. All one could do then was simply amplify. A lot has changed. So what are the six areas of social media in 2016 and how should they play into your brand’s strategy?

1. Paid Media. Why do so many brand strategists not realize that 90% of social media is about paid amplification using targeting tools? The best platforms to test messages in a variety of formats (video, imagery, text) is on social. TV may be big, but it’s expensive and there are no ROI analytical measurement tools like there are on social platforms.

2. Influencer Programs have only grown in size and scope the past few years. But this is because of the spread of the social web and the ability to influence niche groups of people habituating the web around social, interest and economically-driven graphs. This is best done in one-to-one, personalized communication, not via mass, blast your 1 million followers with spam status updates.

3. Social is a testing lab as much as it is a place to communicate. The best brands test creative on platforms before they figure out what may work best for the brand overall. Instagram isn’t just a photo sharing network, but one of the best creative labs available in the modern era. Snapchat isn’t just a place to update followers in the moment but a forum to experiment with the moving image. If you’re not using social to test creative, you’re missing the point of a feedback loop in real time.

4. Vertical imagery, live video, podcasting. Almost everything that has become mainstream the past few years in communication broke with how people have hacked the user experience on social media. Just like the creative feedback loop, if you’re trying to embed innovation at your company and are not developing products or communication strategies that are social by design, you’re missing a huge relevant focus group ready and willing to give feedback in real time.

5. Top brands like Coca-Cola and Pepsi don’t just monitor social media for brand mentions but words people use with their brand. Coke noticed so many people used the word pizza with mentions of their brand that they made more co-op marketing deals with pizza restaurants and chains. There is a ton of intelligence in social listening yet too many organizations aren’t set up to use the tools necessary for their competitive advantage.

6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM). CRM is why Salesforce and Google are interested in purchasing Twitter. CRM and customer service happen more on social media than ever before. But not only is the action of customer service that’s important to retain customers but tying in listening with CRM can help you improve your business and elevate your brand. As Bill Gates once said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”

Learn how to keep your brand relevant in the 21^st Century in my new book Disruptive Marketing.

The Blake Project Can Help: Accelerate B2C and B2B Brand Growth Through Powerful Emotional Connections

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

Jun Group explains how value exchange ads consistently deliver the best results in the industry, especially on mobile.

The session provided a “cliff notes” summary of both reports, with an emphasis on suggested action steps for advertisers.

What brands are doing to show their support for the military and the nation’s veterans through their marketing and good works, and what other brands can do to get involved.