Has anyone else noticed how popular the color blue is with social networking sites? For example, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Reddit, Skype, Formspring, and (previously) MySpace all have a shade of blue as their main, defining color. Upon further research, I discovered this is no coincidence. It turns out different colors have different psychological effects on people. Of course everyone will perceive colors a bit differently but this article outlines the general feelings and ideas that each color evokes. These implications, if used correctly, can be a great tool when it comes to marketing a product or service. It turns out blue is the most popular favorite color in the world. Perhaps this is because so much of the world is blue, like the seas and skies. Blue is associated with calmness, restfulness, steadfastness, dependability, wisdom, trust, and loyalty. However, too much blue or certain shades of blue can represent an uncaring coldness. This concept of color in marketing is another example of how complex and subconscious marketing really is.

I recently came across an article on the Canadian Business Magazine website titled “Samsung, Chinese workers, and labour rights”. The article highlights a few issues relating to the treatment of labourers.

Samsung, an international electronics brand, produces everything from smart phones to washing machines. Many of their factories are located in China. The following points are some of the accusations being made regarding labour:

–        Employees working overtime up to 100 hours a month

–        Factory workers that are under 16 years of age

–        Failure to provide safety clothing and equipment

–        The lack of a system for workers to make complaints

All of these issues need to be addressed and made a priority. However, things get a little hazy when it comes to the issue of overtime hours. Although working overtime is voluntary, perhaps wages need to be raised so this isn’t as necessary. Working excessively can lead to fatigue, boredom, and even sickness. This may lead to inefficiency within the company which is a weakness in accordance with the concept of SWOT analysis. It also endangers the safety of those working overtime and their coworkers. The main ethical issue here is the rights and dignity of workers.