OpenMagazine

Greenwashing is the act of making misleading or unsubstantiated claims to depict something as more environmentally friendly than it truly is. The rise of the sustainability movement has led to more environmentally conscious consumers who prefer to support “ethical” products, and greenwashing is an attempt to capitalise on this growing demand. 

Companies will plaster products with claims like “natural”, “non-toxic”, “chemical-free”, recyclable”, or “vegan”, occasionally even colouring their products green to appeal to this market. Another form of greenwashing is when companies attempt to distract from accusations of unethical practices with the phrase “sustainably sourced”, an often unverifiable claim. 

Remember when hotels would leave a small card letting guests be more “save water” by hanging up their towels? In reality, the hotel is presenting itself as greener than it actually is while benefiting from reduced laundry costs. That major instance of “greenwashing” would lead to the coining of the term. Nowadays, major companies will often make exaggerated or unsubstantiated claims in order to “out-green” their competitors. Rebranding, repackaging, or introducing new “eco” lines are just some of the tactics used to garner good faith from consumers. One of the current biggest offenders are energy companies, who are some of the largest carbon emitters in the world, and fast-fashion retailers. 

  A recent example of corporate greenwashing that became headline news was the Volkswagen emission scandal. Eleven million of their “clean diesels” were rigged with devices designed to cheat emission tests when their pollutant emission was actually way above the legal limit. Other instances include Nestle baselessly claiming “sustainably sourced cocoa” as the cocoa industry is rife with child labour concerns, or when 60% of donated clothes ended up in landfills across third world countries from H&M’s “reuse all textiles” recycling programme.

While there are brands that are actually green and better for the environment, it can be difficult to distinguish them in a sea of green-washed products that are more widely distributed as they are produced by larger corporations. The best way to ensure you are supporting legitimate ethical companies is by doing research and staying informed. A good way to start would be to find information online provided by activists and organisations who are demanding transparency from brands regarding their business practices. 

Before the pandemic, businesses and companies alike were afraid to dip into digital transformation and adoption. This was due to the potential challenges that business owners will reasonably face. 

The main challenges include:- 

Lack of Funding: Some smaller businesses and startups still lack the necessary financials to implement good and functional software needed to better business processes, customer experiences and overall company culture. 

Lack of Resources and Machinery Experience: 45% of executives don’t think their company has the right technology and talents to implement a digital transformation. (PwC)

Cybersecurity: The vulnerability of exposed data is fearful for businesses as there are high risks for data leaks and breaches to happen, leading to a digital crisis.

But ever since the implementations of national lockdowns and the emerging culture of working from home, businesses were forced to transition online and make the best out of the situation. Hence, digital adoption essentially boomed over the pandemic and the advancement of technology was also pushed to further enhance in order to cope with the overwhelming demand for better business processors. Ever since the pandemic, 89% of all companies have already adopted a digital-first business strategy or plan to do so. (IDG) 

The detailed changes are:- 

Consumer Demands & Consumption: Online websites and marketplaces emerged in abundance in order to allow the now stay-at-home consumers to access shopping and daily consumption for entertainment via a digital route. Many businesses and brands also upgraded their digital platforms and social media sites to garner sales and convert leads in order to stay afloat. 

Omnichannel Usage: All in one app/website, product/ service browsing, payment processing as well as providing customer feedback. More brands and businesses also opted for this option on their website or app in order to improve tracking of sales for their products and services and also ultimately lessen physical contact. 

Social Commerce: Over the past few months, more people were forced to perform commercing online via social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and even Twitter. Though social commerce has already existed and was already in practice, we can’t deny that more consumers gained trust in online shopping platforms and sellers through social media platforms amidst the pandemic.

What will digital adoption look like in 10 years, with the impact from the pandemic? 

1. Advancement of technology focusing on better cybersecurity: As more people adopt digitalisation into their business processes, we cannot deny that a lot of business owners are worried about the vulnerability of their exposed data to hackers and potential threats. This is essential as now, many are focusing on advancing their technology, whereas cybersecurity has remained rather stagnant. 
2. Digital transformation and adoption will need to become more accessible: As bigger companies are able to attain better and more advanced technology, hence leading to better business and customer solutions in the long term. While compared to smaller businesses and startups, with big competitors gaining more speed, it will be harder for them to attain advanced technology and improve themselves in terms of financial gain and business leads.

To conclude, digital adoption will only continue to move forward to improve business solutions, but it is up to us to keep up with the changes and use it wisely to bring positive to ourselves and our organizations.

Since its premiere in 2014, Selangor Cyber Games, has been a staple in the Malaysia esports competitive scene ever since. It is an esports tournament event that provides prize pools for a number of games ranging from four to six, depending on the prize pool. Unlike events that are typically hosted by gaming leagues, the Selangor Cyber Games is hosted by the Selangor government.

Anyone is welcome to join the tournaments and players can register at www.selangorcybergames.net with their teams to be a part of the tournament. There is a first come, first serve basis however, and no qualifier rounds, so all action is carried out live during the tournament!

The Selangor Cyber Games team is quick to adapt to the times considering in 2020, due to the restrictions on large gatherings, they held an online tournament titled“Stay-At-Home Cup” which featured Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and PUBG Mobile. This particular tournament also served as a fundraiser for the Selangor Covid-19 fund through registration funds.

A former FlyFM radio DJ, Maggy Wang is now the co-founder of Motion lab Fitness Studios, host and founder of the Head Over Heels podcast and one of the most sought after event hosts in Malaysia! This episode she shares about her career journey and tips for those looking to be a radio presenter or looking to start a business with their partners.

Starting a property development company at the age of 22, Dian Lee is one of the most successful young property developers in Malaysia. Juggling multiple businesses, she shares the secrets behind her success and some of the most crucial thing’s she’s learnt on her journey.

Gaming surged in demands and popularity in this pandemic. Let’s talk about streamers and professional gamers. Video game streamers do not necessarily have to be professional gamers, but professional gamers can stream video gameplay to garner viewership. The similarity in these two walks of life is that they both can earn a living as well as receiving sponsorship. 

But the question is, how do you actually be a streamer or professional gamer if you’re just a normal day-to-day gamer where competing amongst those of the worthy ones seems more like a far-fetched dream? Continue reading to find out now!

The Game Matters

First and foremost, choose your game. You can play multiple games but there has to be one where you are able to knock opponents down easily. This is the game where you will be spending most of your time in, so you need to make sure that this game is the right one for you. 

The Size of Screens

After that, you will need to choose your platform. PCs, mobile, and console gaming attracts different audiences. Even though most e-tournaments are PC based platforms, streamers can choose from different platforms to showcase gameplay as most viewers would like to see how a game looks on different screen sizes. 

Patience is Key

You will need to practice. Understand the systems of the game. Know the rules and your opponents. This part of the process requires effort and discipline as the more you practice, the better you become. Use this part of the process to determine your special skill set as well. Try to figure out if you are better in the frontline or in the backline of attacks. 

Battle It Out

Once you’ve gotten the skills and techniques down, you will need to network and market your skills. Go to conventions, self-register into local tournaments, and beat top-rankers in your community to gain recognition. The right people will pay attention as they are always scouting for new talents. 

Good Teamplay is Good Gameplay

Once you’ve gotten some recognition, it’s best if you join a team of gamers. Being in teamplay is generally more engaging and exciting as the amount of people involved is higher. But choose your team players right, or at least choose the right team. This is because with incredible team play skills and chemistry amongst the team members, you will be able to support and lead when the situation needs it.

Work it Till You Earn It

E-tournaments are the main stages for you and your team to showcase your gaming talents. This stage is where the real fight goes down, as potential sponsors and investors are present in order to choose their next big ambassadors for their brand or product. 

This is the full cycle. You play to get sponsorships for you and your team for future e-tournaments. Video game streamers garner sponsorships with the help of their viewers. The more viewers you have, the higher the chance of getting sponsored. And using sponsored products while streaming will not only help sponsors in promoting and marketing their brands but also help you sustain your loyal viewerships. 

Do YOU Have What It Takes?

With all that is said, it is understandable that a job in the frontline of gaming is not for everyone, because it is easier said than done. You will need a high level of discipline and patience in order to get to the big stage. But if you truly are passionate about battling in the arena of guns and fights, you can give it a go. But ultimately, the real deal is, do you have what it takes to be a streamer or professional gamer?

A QR code is a type of barcode anyone can scan and read with the camera in their smartphone. In addition, QR code stands for “Quick Response code”, “quick” because consumers are able to scan the QR code with a smartphone and get instant access to the information or be directed somewhere such as a website. Once scanned, QR codes can either send the user to a PDF, landing page or video, or prompt a text message conversation, and so much more. Will 2021 be a breakout year for QR codes? It has been buzzed about for years, but adoption has been slow.

In addition to this, QR codes first started gaining attention around 2011 and 2012 when smartphones were first gaining traction, you would see these QR codes everywhere, but their usage didn’t really take off due to reasons such as usage difficulties, slow internet speed and so on. QR codes have started to make a comeback recently due to the global pandemic, which forces brands to re-implement QR codes, as there is a need to remain as contactless as possible in the current pandemic. 

Due to the straightforward usage of QR codes without the need to download a third-party app, QR codes have become a highly affordable solution for businesses, organizations, and brands that wish to transform their print communications into a more connected digital experience. Retailers and marketers are also able to strategically incorporate them into their ad creatives to drive users down the sales funnel and fulfill a variety of objectives. 

Without a doubt, QR codes can definitely be a helpful tool to help you to better engage with your audience, enhance customer experience, boost sales, and drive values in your businesses. Try it out now for your own brand if you haven’t already!