The appearance of large graffiti on various structures in and around Palma have been prominent in the local newspapers over the last few days. The targets for the spray paint are old or restored buildings including parts of the old city walls. The stories are newsworthy because of the scale and location of the graffiti and also because of the costs of removal.

Writing and drawing pictures on walls is possibly one of the oldest forms of self-expression but these are not prehistoric cave paintings, this is vandalism. I am fairly sure that the time needed to remove the paint will be more than it took to deposit it. The costs will be higher too.

It seems that humans have long had an urge to leave their mark in some way or other but I think there are better ways. It is better to be known for creating something of value in society than for causing damage. This is where a well crafted corporate or even a personal brand statement can act as a guiding light to anyone who wants to know ‘what is this for?’

I have seen two such statements in social media posts this morning:
‘Science for a better life’ from Bayer and ‘Building a better working world ‘ from EY.
Both have the clearly stated intention of making things ‘better’. Of course, simply announcing our intentions isn’t enough to truly leave our mark on society. Actions speak louder than words.