TED: Ideas Worth Spreading

As my December graduation draws nearer I find myself being bombarded with advice to get the upper hand on entering the world of advertising. I am sure you have heard it is extremely important to keep up with news in the advertising world about what campaigns brands are executing and which agencies are taking on new clients but I feel that taking some time out of the day to listen to TED talk or two on your way to class can be more beneficial and inspiring than all the rest.

So what is TED you ask? It is a nonprofit which started in 1984 bringing people together from areas such as technology, entertainment, and design. Their mission is simple, to spread ideas. They firmly believe in the ability of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately the world so they took the most inspired thinkers and curious people to do one thing, talk. TED talks are available on a variety of subjects and the site makes it extremely easy for you to find what your looking for. You can search by language, events, length, tags, and the most convenient of all by subject. So next time your head out the door for that 15 minute walk to campus try listening to a TED talk instead of some tunes.

The last TED talk I listened to was Roy Sutherland’s Life lessons from an ad man. Sutherland talks of how to add value to a product by changing perception rather than the product. He discusses perceived value and “real” value and how an idea can change ones entire outlook on a product without any physical change at all. Using humor to convey his message Sutherland keeps the talk down to earth and relevant to all ages. Check it out below and visit TED’s website to hear other  inspiring ideas that are worth spreading.