Working Wounded Blog: Tough Guys Finish Last
A $400,000 study examined how Iraqis were responding to our military "brand."
July 25, 2007 — -- Mobile billboards, pop-up ads and product placements in movies and TV -- brand advertising today is beyond ubiquitous.
Don't believe me? Then sort around inside your own head to see how many jingles are lying around just waiting to terrorize you. My latest tormentor is "Armor hot dogs, what kind of kid eats Armor hot dogs, fat kids, skinny kids, kids who climb on rocks, tough kids …"
Recently, a study on brands broke through the clutter for me. And I believe that anyone who is serious about being a leader today needs to pay attention to this remarkable look from the front lines of brand marketing.
I'm not exaggerating. The study was titled "Enlisting Madison Avenue: The Marketing Approach to Earning Popular Support in Theaters of Operation." Yep, this $400,000 study by Rand examined how Iraqis were responding to our military "brand" on the battlefield known as Iraq.
You just can't make this stuff up.
Rand summed up our current marketing message as the "Show of Force" brand. Unfortunately, "Force" is more New Coke than Apple. More Ishtar than Potter.
The research found, remarkably, there is a brand that Iraqis would respond favorably to. It's the "We are here to help you" brand. And successful as this message may be in the theater of operations on the battlefield, it probably has even more potential for the theater where you work.
Many of us grew up with bosses who snarled as they ate roast beef sandwiches at their desks. Tough guys and gals who were more inclined to give you a smack on the side of the head than an atta boy slap on the back. People who responded to your great new idea by snapping, "It's my way or the highway."
Times have changed. The tough guy has fallen on tough times. It's best summed up in an e-mail I received a few years back. The author was a boss who described the plight of today's manager perfectly. "When I was first starting out in my career my boss treated us all like crap. I couldn't wait to become a boss so I could treat them like crap. Then I became a boss and I had to suck up to my people. When is my time?"
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