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For Gary Kaplan of the HG Kaplan Foundation, Vacations Take a Different Path

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Vacation time is typically synonymous with taking a break, taking time out for fun. That could be anything from seeing the sights to just kicking back. It can also mean taking a different path and seeing what locals do or finding what life is really like even further off the beaten track, such as learning about slums and areas of poverty in cities like Mumbai.

Gary Kaplan of the HG Kaplan Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children around the world achieve dreams, finds more vacation value in seeing life firsthand. And having a positive impact through interaction.

He donates his time. He delivers food and clothes and necessary supplies and gives money and services wherever he sees a need.

Gary Kaplan is an international businessman and founder of three charitable organizations, each operating on different continents, helping distressed populations around the world. While on family trips to India, he not only attends to his business engagements but also spends the off hours on unplanned visits with his family to slum-area communities, distributing meals as a group to the men, women and children living there.

Wherever Gary Kaplan finds himself, he will spend days at a time out of vacation visits on chance encounters and assisting local communities. When on his first day in Mumbai on an excursion through the streets, he met a tour guide named Torab. As it was Kaplan’s first visit to India, he accepted an offer for a tour through Dharavi, a location appearing in the Academy Award-Winning Bollywood film, Slumdog Millionaire.

Dharavi is one of Mumbai’s largest slums – about two-thirds the size of Central Park – and the site of approximately 60,000 predominately shanty shelters and one million Mumbaikars carrying out their lives and businesses.

At the 13th Compound, for example, a recycling industry of some 15,000 single-room workshops recycled 80 percent of the plastic waste created in Mumbai.

According to the tour guide, many of the structures in Dharavi were unauthorized but rented per-room nevertheless by local landlords. The majority of the structures comprised a garment industry where workers in small spaces produced and packaged brand-name apparel later sold at a high markup in developed parts of the world.

Kaplan discovered that Dharavi was a center of skilled industry where small factories produced goods ranging from crafted leather and aluminum bricks to wax prints and pottery. He realized that Dharavi diverged from his original concept of a slum. It was an area with a high poverty-rate but, at the same time, an area of hardworking people meeting basic needs.

Kaplan asked the tour guide if there were other parts of the city where he could provide help or deliver food. After disappearing into the neighborhood, the tour guide came back, reporting that he had learned of places selling prepared meals intended as handouts to people who needed them. Kaplan agreed to the idea, and both of them continued their day.

Their first stop was an orphanage for girls where they provided lunch for some 60 girls or more. They next visited a mosque, where they brought more than 40 meals to a group of resident boys. Kaplan and the guide concluded the day by handing out an additional 50 meals or more to passersby and other people in the area, whether they were young or old.

The experience was worthwhile for Kaplan, and he asked to make arrangements the next day. Also knowing his daughter would be arriving for a short visit, he and the tour guide found a work area where Kaplan and his daughter could prepare bags containing basic needs for particularly-impoverished areas.

After his daughter arrived, the two of them, along with the tour guide, visited a Mumbai wholesale area, or black market, where they bought enough bags and towels and necessary items like toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap to make 100 care packages.

Having gathered the items, they passed a school where loud children’s voices caught their attention. Gary Kaplan inquired and, after meeting with the headmaster and receiving a tour, they took note of areas where he would be able to help at the school as well.

They carried out the morning assembling gift bags and went with Torab to some of the slum’s most desolate areas where whole families lived on roadsides or in small, 4×4 tin shacks stacked on one another. With the help of another local, they went to every living area and asked one representative from each to create a line and pick up one or more care packages.

It was during this time they validated the reason Gary Kaplan and his family take time from their vacations for giving: the excitement in the children’s faces as they handed out care packages and some lollipops.

For this reason, Gary Kaplan’s one request sending for donations to the school was that the headmasters send back a photo – once the donations and some candy arrived – with all the kids in it, each with a lollipop and a smile he was certain would be there.

Is Social Media Paid Advertising Taking Over?

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The division of advertising budgets that have been designated for social media has unwaveringly improved since the day the first tech giants that introduced these platforms have made their promotion spending programs accessible. With more specific targeting options available to advertisers online, many companies are recognizing the more prominent value and higher return in using social media for lead generation and for growing their brands than promoting in print.

Hitting an Important Milestone

Ad spend devoted to social media is suspected to make up 13 percent of all the total money spent on advertising globally in 2019. This signifies a 20 percent year over year increase which will bring total expenditures for social media advertising to 84 billion dollars.

This increase means that for the first time ever, money spent on social media for advertising purposes will exceed that spent on their more traditional print media counterparts. Newspapers and magazines have been watching their numbers decline as social media has gained popularity in recent years with many traditional publishers resorting to offering online versions of their publications.

Social on the Rise, But Print is Still Kicking

Social

Although print advertising including magazines, newspapers, direct mail and other printed media has been on the decline, it is not expected to go the way of the dinosaurs just yet. Offering tangible promotional material can still be part of a successful marketing campaign and small and large companies alike are expected to continue employing printed material. However, there is an obvious trend that supports the growth of social media and constant innovations in the space make advertising on social networks a profitable strategy for businesses.

What Does This Mean for Businesses?

For business owners that are looking to compete in their niche, having a strong presence on social media will allow them to compete as well as monitor the conversation that is happening online with regards to their brand. Exploring the advantages of social media can allow you to take advantage of the laser-targeting and local marketing options that will bring customers through your doors and online shopping carts to stroll through your proverbial online checkout lane.

Looking Ahead

Success on social media is not only about understanding the current landscape but also looking ahead to the innovations that are coming down the pike. Being able to spot trends in social media use allows you to position your brand ahead of your competition so that you can be a first-mover.

Up til now, social media platforms have allowed users to post text, photos, and videos on their profiles where it can be shared with their friends and connections. The next evolution in social media behavior is expected to be a meta-interaction that moves past simply posting content ‘at’ someone. Being able to share content with, and explore the content of, people you deem as friends and loved ones on a level that approaches real human interaction will dominate the coming years.

AllSocial is a new social media platform that puts the user first and creates an experience that allows you to discover exciting stories, connect with friends and share content that matters to you. With a mission of connecting your world, AllSocial creates an open, safe and secure community that fulfills the Internet’s original promise of connecting people.  Users are able to post content from all major social media platforms with the promise that 100% of a user’s posts will be shared with all followers. AllSocial is available via desktop or app from the Apple or Google Play store, for more information please visit www.allsocial.com.

Download AllSocial Now!

Sparkling Ice Debuts Brand Refresh Featuring Natural Flavors and Colors

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Sparkling Ice, the popular line of flavored carbonated water, recently announced a new look to showcase the brand’s transition to naturally sourced colors and flavors of its sparkling water. The brand refresh included a new logo, new bottle design and a new formula for each sparkling water. The main goal of the logo and packaging redesign was to announce Sparkling Ice’s move to source the colors of its sparkling water from natural sources, becoming one of the first brands in the category to make this transition while maintaining the bold colors and flavors the brand is known for. Sparkling Ice has always been known as a standout in the sparkling water category for its packaging’s vibrant, colorful look.

SPARKLING ICE


Why Use Natural Flavors and Colors?


Sparkling Ice’s decision to become one of the first brands in the sparkling water vertical to use natural flavors and colors was a carefully thought-out and researched decision. The brand spent two years conducting extensive market research with the input of more than 8,000 consumers. The market research also included taste and another sensory testing. The end result supported the brand’s desire to utilize a new formula that would use natural flavors and colors in each of the 16 flavors of Sparkling Ice.


Why the New for Sparkling Ice?


With the transition to using natural flavors and colors, Sparkling Ice wanted to use visual and branding elements to support the announcement of the new formula. Sparkling Ice has always been known for having a bright, bold appearance to match the sparkling water’s taste. During the two-year market research project that worked with over 8,000 consumers, Sparkling Ice found that consumers would appreciate a fresh, new look for the beverage. This feedback led Sparkling Ice to develop a modern, sleek new bottle design. The new bottle design also includes a larger emphasis on the fact that the carbonated drink contains zero sugar, a fact that many consumers appreciate in their quest for healthier beverages that still pack a great deal of delicious flavor. Additionally, Sparkling Ice developed an updated logo that puts the emphasis on the fruity flavors of each sparkling water, yet also appears more fresh and modern.


Sparkling Ice’s Commitment to Fans


Sparkling Ice was launched with the goal of delighting fans with deliciously fresh, flavorful sparkling beverages that were unlike anything that was available on the market. Sparkling Ice wanted to delight consumers by offering a zero-sugar carbonated beverage that didn’t compromise on delicious flavor. The brand refresh showcases the company’s ongoing commitment to delighting its fans. The company states that fans had told them that it may be time for a change and they dove in with a two-year market research project to determine exactly what consumers wanted in that change. However, they still wanted to showcase a flavorful, zero-sugar carbonated drink above all else.

About Sparkling Ice


Sparkling Ice offers a line of flavorful, fruity sparkling waters that taste delicious without the addition of any sugar. There are 16 flavors of Sparkling Ice, and all are crafted with fruity combinations designed to refresh and hydrate without adding any extra sugar. The company is part of Talking Rain Beverage Company and is based out of Preston, Washington. The company was launched over 30 years ago with a commitment to providing flavorful sparkling water that contained no sugar. All Sparkling Ice carbonated beverages are made from sparkling water, real fruit flavor, vitamins, antioxidants, and contain zero sugar. The sparkling water is lightly carbonated for sparkling hydration.


Sparkling Ice Flavors


Flavors of Sparkling Ice include:
• Grape Raspberry
• Black Cherry
• Black Raspberry
• Pomegranate Blueberry
• Cherry Limeade
• Strawberry Watermelon
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Kiwi Strawberry
• Pink Grapefruit
• Peach Nectarine
• Orange Mango
• Crisp Apple
• Coconut Pineapple
• Ginger Lime
• Classic Lemonade
• Lemon Lime

Additionally, the company is currently hosting an online contest where people can guess the new “mystery flavor” of Sparkling Ice with the opportunity to win one of more than 500 prizes, with the grand prize being a 7-day Caribbean cruise package.


Antioxidants and Vitamins


In addition to being sugar-free, Sparkling Ice also contains antioxidants and vitamins, giving your body an extra boost. Vitamins include: vitamin A, vitamin D, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Each bottle of Sparkling Ice contains 10% of the average person’s daily value of each of those vitamins and antioxidants.

Sparkling Ice Gets Social and Digital


Sparkling Ice has a following of loyal fans that love to engage with the brand. The brand refresh of the new bottle design and the use of natural colors and flavoring are supported by specific hashtags across multiple social media platforms. Fans can engage with other fans and with the Sparkling Ice brand by using the hashtags: #SparklingIceLife, #GetFizzy, and #NTRLY.

In addition to social media, Sparkling Ice announced integration with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. This integration will allow the voice platforms to provide consumers with cocktail and mocktail recipes using each of Sparkling Ice’s flavors. Consumers simply need to tell Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa the Sparkling Ice flavor they want to drink and the virtual assistant will receive various recipe recommendations.

CUSTOM AWARD AND TROPHY DESIGNERS ‘SOCIETY AWARDS’

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Custom Awards

Custom Awards are an important part of any field because they are able to honor those who have had some kind of incredible service and those who have had some kind of positive impact on the field that they are working in and because it establishes a clear distinction between those who have truly stood out from the lot.  David Moritz is the companies founder and CEO who wanted to establish a company that would be able to support any kind of honors that industry leaders should be given. The founder also wanted to cement the guidelines on which companies and employees are evaluated and improved the overall design of the awards industry as a whole.

Custom Award Designers and Manufacturers

Contrary to popular belief, Society Awards does not actually give out any kind of awards by themselves, The company is merely a manufacturer that offers lets companies and clients offer recognition articles and awards to those who have had some kind of exemplary success within their field. The company was founded in 2007 and since then has experienced an immense amount of growth and development within this sector. Because of the extensive growth that the company has witnessed, it is being regarded as one of the fastest growing companies in the entire country. The company has even been recognized by Inc Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies, five times in a row. The company has also been recognized for its exemplary skill and expertise when it comes to business practices and marketing strategies. The work that the company has done has been nothing short of remarkable and is something that the company has repeatedly been recognized for. In addition to implementing strong business practices, Society Awards is also known as one of the busiest designers and manufacturers of awards and custom luxury art products.

Some of the biggest awards organizations in the entire world choose to get their trophies and awards made with Society Awards. The company has worked with some of the biggest award show names such as MTV, People’s Choice, AFI, Dancing With The Stars, Golden Trailer Awards and many more. The service that the company provides has been nothing short of remarkable, which is also why so many awards organizations and shows tend to depend on them every year for their award creation needs. Because of the strong dependence that Hollywood as formed on Society Awards, the company has managed to surpass several of its competitors and has emerged as one of the more well-known names within this industry.

There are three main core values that Society Awards believes in operating on. The first facet that the company likes to focus on is the design of each award that they offer. The company believes in paying incredibly close attention to detail and tries to produce some of the best-looking awards that one has seen.

The second value that Society Awards stands by is excellence in service, which is what the company tries to do with every client coming to them. The third point is offering some kind of value to the customer, which the company has been able to achieve with the services that they provide.

Sparkling Ice Debuts New Look

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Sparkling Ice Debuts Brand Refresh Featuring Natural Flavors and Colors

Sparkling Ice, the popular line of flavored carbonated water, recently announced a new look to showcase the brand’s move to naturally sourcing the flavors and colors of its sparkling water. The brand refresh included a new logo, new bottle design and a new formula for each sparkling water. The main goal of the logo and packaging redesign was to announce Sparkling Ice’s move to source the colors of its sparkling water from natural sources, becoming one of the first brands in the category to make this transition. Sparkling Ice has always been known as a standout in the sparkling water category for its packaging’s vibrant, colorful look.

Why Use Natural Flavors and Colors?

Sparkling Ice’s decision to become one of the first brands in the sparkling water vertical to use natural flavors and colors was a carefully thought-out and researched decision. The brand spent two years conducting extensive market research with the input of more than 8,000 consumers. The market research also included taste and other sensory testing. The end result supported the brand’s desire to utilize a new formula that would use natural flavors and colors in each of the 16 flavors of Sparkling Ice.

Why the New for Sparkling Ice?

With the transition to using natural flavors and colors, Sparkling Ice wanted to use visual and branding elements to announce the new formula. Sparkling Ice has always been known for having a bright, bold appearance to match the sparkling water’s taste. During the two-year market research project that worked with over 8,000 consumers, Sparkling Ice found that consumers would appreciate a fresh, new look for the beverage. This feedback led Sparkling Ice to develop a chic, sleek new bottle design. The new bottle design also includes a larger emphasis on the fact that the carbonated drink contains zero sugar, a fact that many consumers appreciate in their quest for healthier beverages that still pack a great deal of delicious flavor. Additionally, Sparkling Ice developed an updated logo that still puts the emphasis on the fruity flavors of each sparkling water, yet also appears more fresh and modern.

Sparkling Ice’s Commitment to Fans

Sparkling Ice was launched with the goal of delighting fans with deliciously fresh, flavorful sparkling beverages that were unlike anything that was available on the market. Sparkling Ice wanted to delight consumers by offering a zero-calorie, zero-sugar carbonated beverage that didn’t compromise on delicious flavor. The brand refresh showcases the company’s ongoing commitment to delighting its fans. The company states that fans had told them that it may be time for a change and they dove in with a two-year market research project to determine exactly what fans wanted in that change. However, they still want to put making a flavorful, zero-sugar carbonated drink above all else.

About Sparkling Ice

Sparkling Ice offers a line of flavorful, fruity sparkling water that tastes delicious without the addition of any sugar. There are 16 flavors of Sparkling Ice, and all are crafted with fruity combinations designed to refresh and hydrate without adding any extra sugar. The company is part of Talking Rain brands and is based out of Preston, Washington. The company was launched 26 years ago with a commitment to providing flavorful sparkling water that contained no sugar. All Sparkling Ice carbonated beverages are made from sparkling water, real fruit flavor, vitamins, antioxidants, and contain zero sugar. The sparkling water is lightly carbonated for sparkling hydration.

Sparkling Ice Flavors

Flavors of Sparkling Ice include:

• Grape Raspberry
• Black Cherry
• Black Raspberry
• Pomegranate Blueberry
• Cherry Limeade
• Strawberry Watermelon
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Kiwi Strawberry
• Pink Grapefruit
• Peach Nectarine
• Orange Mango
• Crisp Apple
• Coconut Pineapple
• Ginger Lime
• Classic Lemonade
• Lemon LimeAdditionally, the company is currently hosting an online contest where people can guess the new “mystery flavor” of Sparkling Ice with the opportunity to win one of more than 500 prizes, with the grand prize being a 7-day Caribbean cruise package.Antioxidants and Vitamins
In addition to being sugar-free, Sparkling Ice also contains antioxidants and vitamins, giving your body an extra boost. Vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, biotin, and pantothenic acid. Each bottle of Sparkling Ice contains 10% of the average person’s daily value of each of those vitamins and antioxidants.

Sparkling Ice Gets Social and Digital
Sparkling Ice has a following of loyal fans that love to engage with the brand. The brand refresh of the new bottle design and the use of natural colors and flavoring are supported by specific hashtags across multiple social media platforms. Fans can engage with other fans and with the Sparkling Ice brand by using the hashtags: #SparklingIceLife, #GetFizzy, and #NATRLLY.

In addition to social media, Sparkling Ice announced integration with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. This integration will allow the voice platforms to provide consumers with cocktail and mocktail recipes using each of Sparkling Ice’s flavors. Consumers simply need to tell Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa the Sparkling Ice flavor they want to drink and the virtual assistant will receive various recipe recommendations.