What’s with the dog?
May 14th, 2008 — Michael CayleyNo sock. No talking puppet. This dog just came to us. It wandered in and now it is part of our group.
It is not Toto. This dog doesn’t even have a name. Maybe we should have a contest to name the dog? This dog is an empty vessel. A shadow. But Toto is our dog’s hero. Toto has inspired “dog” here, to help us with the SCVA mission.
SCVA contends that the narcotic numbness that Marshall McLuhan used to describe our continuous embrace of our own technology, explains why the vast majority of corporations insist on using the same old hammer of traditional brand management when new tools and management methods focused on maximizing social capital must be fervently developed and employed.
The transition required is no less abrupt than that moment when the search of Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion reaches confrontation with the Great Oz façade and the curtain is pulled back to reveal a mere mortal.
The corporation is at risk of being the “humbug” caught shouting into the loudspeakers and pulling at the mechanistic levers of the past.
I hope that we discover together that if we make the kinds of investments that SCVA points us towards, we will all become “clever enough wizards” to quickly transform from Great Oz into leadership of great courage, heart and brains.
Playing a role in personal identity formation by recognizing our social network connections with certifications (the Scarecrow’s diploma), testimonials (the Tin Man’s ticking heart) and medals of honour (the Lion’s courage) will be familiar aspects of our strategy and tactics.
Our dog does not want Naomi Klein hassling him. So let’s not pick “logo” as a name. Let’s just say he helps animate our cause. He is the SCVA mascot.
Okay … what’s with the thinking behind “the dog”?
