If The Army Can't "be The Best" Who Can?

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/defence-secretary-halts-plan-to-scrap-be-the-best-slogan-11183651
Thankfully the defence secretary has seen sense.

[Baldric]

I do seem to remember they had more than a little help from The Royal Marines with that one.

[New Judge]

Marks & Spencers’ ad campaign is directed towards people who have money to spend in their stores. They don’t pay for adverts on cardboard packing cases that rough sleepers use as a bed.

The Army’s ad campaign is directed towards people who will make good soldiers. As 3Ts says, those feeling “alienated” by an ad campaign that suggests they will be joining an organisation composed of “the best” are not really suitable as recruits. A change of tack might get more people through the door of their recruiting office but it is unlikely to result in more successful applicants.

[Ryzen]

Could Gavin be the next PM? I was talking to him at a funeral a few months ago and I dont think he thought he would be in the position he finds himself in today.

[woofgang]

NJ, its the people who the army want to attract who are saying they don't feel attracted by the ads!

[New Judge]

How do they know? If they are not attracted, they won't apply and the Army will not have heard from them. Anybody who seriously wants to join the Army (and who are of the calibre the Army wants) would be encouraged by the slogan, not put off.

[woofgang]

NJ, they know because they asked....did you not read the article?
"It said: "Market research in May 17 found that Be the Best did not resonate with many of our key audiences and was considered dated, elitist and non-inclusive."

[Jackdaw33]

Dated? Not sure about that. Elitist? Yes, because you are trying to attract the best. Nothing wrong with that. Non-inclusive? What The Funicular, how?

[New Judge]

We're going round in circles.

If I was running the Army I would not want in it people for whom "The Best" does not resonate. It strikes me that the Army (or its advertising advisors) need to re-identify their "key audiences". Their key audiences should be composed mainly of people for whom joining "The Best" is an attraction not a deterrent. Fortunately it seems the Defence Secretary is thinking along the same lines. For once a politician is considering the real world and not the psychobabble and claptrap ridden version that advertising agencies and their associates dream up to encourage periodical "rebrands" . (Clue from the report (which I have read): "...the slogan and crest depicting crossed swords, a crown and a lion were to be dropped as part of a £520,000 rebrand exercise."

[Prudie]

I should imagine that those questioned in the market resesrch who found it elitist had zero intention of ever joining the Army in the first place. Probably a wasted exercise that only lined some consultant's pocket.