The other day I concluded that my job is much like a real life “Batman”. If I tell you where I work, but that would reveal the secret identity, but I will reveal it is a non-profit organization dedicated to highest ethical relationship between business and the public.
One such business had a new marketing director suggesting that “Batman” reallocate funds from new crime fighting technology to marketing. My boss responded with “The marketing director probably views what we do as advertising“. After all, anyone can pay for advertising and a for profit advertising business is not going to turn someone that wants to advertise away. Then he said “When was the last time you saw a profit driven advertising company out there chasing the bad guys and cleaning up the bad operators from the industry?”
That is what got me thinking we are superheroes. Batman specifically.
Unlike other superheroes that get their power from convenient extraterrestrial fiction, crazy experiments or radioactive snafus, Batman is a mere mortal victim. Too many of us learn about the mission of my occupation because we, or someone close to us was victim of a scam, misleading advertising or bad business practice. Spare us the spider webs and x-ray vision, because when someone wrongs or hurts us or someone we love, I think we can all find that hero inside of us. We want to do what is right, and make sure that doesn’t happen to someone else.
Batman is not the Police, but works closely with them and Commissioner Gordon. The organization that employs me meets regularly with enforcing agencies such as the Police, FBI and Attorney General, and often they seek assistance just as the Gotham Police uses the Bat Signal to seek assistance from Batman. Both Bruce Wayne and Batman do not dodge their civic responsibilities, and also know that corruption can occur at any level. Even going back to Adam West, Batman knew the importance of self-regulation and education. Law enforcers could only do so much and more was required to keep his community (Gotham) safe. He works both as Citizen Wayne and Batman to fill in those gaps. He is not the only wealthy superhero, but he is the only one giving grants and showing how philanthropy works by investing back into business and community.
Like Batman, we utilize the latest technology and strategic partnerships to accomplish the mission.
And then the villains.
The Joker: Many meet the joker when we ask a hard question about a competitor or the salesperson to substantiate trust. The roll of the eyes and laugh as they try to distract you with humor. In many Batman stories, Batman is often misunderstood as a criminal by strategies of the villains, and all the “sheeple” of Gotham have to do is a little research and exercise some independent judgment to see who is really looking out for their best interest.
The Riddler: This can be your misleading advertiser or high pressure salesperson. One of the reasons this organization which shall not be named was formed was to encourage people to advertise honestly. Many are just after the attention and the short term result, and not concerned about trust, ethics, loyalty or the client entirely because they felt misled or bamboozled. However, many advertising professionals are trained in the effective Code of Advertising. (http://www.dallas.bbb.org/bbb-code-of-advertising/)
Catwoman: There are business that have 9 lives or more. Catwoman can be seductively charming for as long as she can get away with it, but eventually when her actions don’t match her words, she may switch sides. There are plenty of businesses out there that re-invent themselves under a different name instead of cleaning up their act. Even a good company can go bad with subcontracting a bad operator or making a bad choice. The ratings and status are in real time, and just because they have been great in the past, does not mean they will continue to do so. Every month multiple businesses are suspended or revoked because they are no longer following the superhero standards. This organization will not be funded by businesses that have practices that are suspect or bad. There are also many stories of businesses that clean up their act through consumer and business education because they were unaware they had a powerful ally to help them do the right thing.
As the last trilogy of Batman films showed us, Batman is a symbol, and each and every one of us can rise. If you are a community or business leader and think you have what it takes, or would even like to, please message me. I will show you how you can be a super hero too, possibly a better one than I.
shanespeare 