So the year-end is here and some of us would remember how delighted they were when they received the desk diaries and calendars from clients, business associates and friends.
The calendars were especially popular as companies see them as a platform to advertise their products as they are invariably placed on the table or hung on the wall for a whole year. The corporate phone and fax numbers would be prominently printed to make it easier for prospective clients to contact them. Competition was so stiff in the early days that some even resorted to using saucy female photographs to get a winning edge. This was particularly popular somehow in the maritime industry.
One Japanese chief executive proudly showed me his collection of photographs of scenic scenes from his business trips featured in his company’s calendar.
Diaries come in two sizes – one for desktop and the other to fit snugly into your trouser pocket. And, busy executives would religiously record their appointments on both. Others who were more fortunate would have secretaries to keep their diaries up to date.
The challenge was to write in the important dates to these diaries each year e.g. birthdays, anniversaries. And, the other was to remember to read the page daily to know what’s lined up for the day.
Some companies still give out corporate diaries and calendars but they are gradually becoming a thing of the past. These year-end freebies are becoming a rare occurrence. Businesses realise that people are turning to their smart- phones and other IT gadgets to check on dates and appointments, and the printed diaries and calendars are no longer in fad.
This is especially since the smart-phone technology allows you to carry your “diary” with you all the time wherever you are, and better still they prompt you with a reminder. From computers to ipads, you get these smart calendars. Best of all for anniversaries and other yearly events you can programme them till eternity instead of going through the process every year.
However, for older people some still prefer the “horse-racing” calendars where the race days are prominently decorated with an image of a galloping horse. Also in smaller print are the days of the month in Chinese characters – particularly helpful for those who may want to go to the temple to pray on the lst and 15th day of the lunar calendar month.
Some older people would still cling to the a-page- a-day calendar. Religiously they would tear the page daily to keep abreast of the date. Some companies would even include days that are deemed auspicious or inauspicious in the calendar which is particularly helpful to those who believe in fengshui.
So, if you are one of those who still have calendars / diaries at home or office, you may not want to throw them come 315t December this year. Keep them, and in a few years you would have a treasure of collectibles from the days gone by.
– This article first appeared in a lifestyle magazine
