Give us a Brand Yorkshire Smile
Yesterday at Brand Yorkshire which took place in Harrogate, Merewyn pre-celebrated World Smile Day by posing for selfies with fellow business owners.
Although World Smile Day is officially celebrated today, the 7th of October, Merewyn was eager to put herself out there and strike a pose for the camera with fellow business connections – the only requirements being the need to smile!
What better way can you think of to spread some cheer and build your network?
Merewyn had a fantastic day out at Brand Yorkshire. Meeting businesses in person (not just through a screen) and is looking forward to following up and building mutually beneficial relationships!
But what exactly is the history behind this celebration day?
Well, it all started with the smiley face icon/emoticon that we are all familiar with … designed by Worcester, Massachusetts-based graphic artist Harvey Ball in 1963, after he was commissioned to make a graphic which would boost employee morale at an insurance company (Stark and Crowford, 2015).
This symbol’s acceptance into popular culture has skyrocketed. Every artist hopes that their product will be valued and replicated, and few symbols have left as lasting an impression as Harvey’s.
The happy face has evolved into one of the most recognisable icons in history.
It has been featured in films including Forrest Gump and in the graphic novel and film The Watchmen, and its design has since been infamously integrated into the evolution of emojis – used by folk daily to express feelings in a non-physical manner (Pittman, n.d.).
The symbol is also intrinsically linked to the Rave music scene that Merewyn of Sayers Solutions so passionately adores.
The smiley face became overused and to reclaim power, World Smile Day was declared a national holiday in 1999 in the US.
Simple but powerful celebrations as part of World Smile Day include encouraging people to smile and perform random acts of kindness all throughout the world.
As a result of smiling, you can in turn makes someone else smile – creating a universal chain reaction guaranteed to immediately brighten a dull day.
Which was a game that High-School-Merewyn played when working in her Bakery Saturday job– miserable customers would come in, and Merewyn challenged herself to not only send them away with their choice of bread and cakes, but also with a smile and happiness in their soul (okay, she was slightly overreaching there, but you’ve got to dream big!)
But don’t mistake a smile for weakness!
Some may find that smiling can be the result of feeling awkward or in some cultures or countries such as Japan – it’s used to show respect or hide your true feelings (Solomon, 2020).
In some Eastern European countries, smiling to those outside your family or circle is simply seen as bizarre.
In fact, most authoritative figures choose not to smile as it shows a lack of control and uncertainty.
But here at Sayers Solutions, we welcome you with a smile, no matter who or where you are in the world!
And whilst there will always be a smile, we are serious about business.
So why not schedule a chat with us! We are sure you will leave the meeting smiling!
Sayers Solutions works with you on your business, helping you to build, implement, and measure an effective strategy for your organisation! While having a smile, a giggle, and some fun at the same time!
Make the most out of this national holiday and spread some smiles!
Were you at Brand Yorkshire? Did it make you smile?
We would love to hear about your experience of the day!
References:
Stark, L. and Crawford, K., 2015. The Conservatism of Emoji: Work, Affect, and Communication. Social Media + Society, 1(2), p.205630511560485.
Pittman, C., n.d. World Smile Day – October 2. [online] National Today. Available at: <https://nationaltoday.com/world-smile-day/> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
Solomon, C., 2020. What Smiling Means In Different Cultures. [Blog] Culture Wizard, Available at: <https://www.rw-3.com/blog/the-cross-cultural-implications-of-smiling> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
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