CBS Cares<\/i>! – Subaru is love<\/i>! Nike says, Just do it!<\/i> \u2013 GE used to say, We bring good things to life<\/i>, but have since launched, Imagination at work,<\/i> spending $100 million in promotion. Most companies use a slogan to present a positive public image. And, without giving it a lot of thought, we buy it. Especially if we hear it a lot. It seeps into our brain and finds a home. That\u2019s where old coots like me earn our keep. We\u2019re skeptics. We say, \u201cBull,\u201d to manufactured corporate images.<\/p>\n
Oh sure, CBS does care; they care about their ratings; they care about their ad revenue and most of all, they care about their bottom line. This doesn\u2019t come through to us when we see them send an image across our TV screens of a lost puppy running to the open arms of a six year old girl with tears streaming down her rosy cheeks as the announcer says, CBS Cares<\/i>. It didn\u2019t work for Circuit City with their slogan, Just what you needed!<\/i> Apparently we didn\u2019t, and they went bankrupt. So did Lehman Brothers, who bragged they were, Where vision gets built<\/i>! The vision turned into an illusion and investor\u2019s money disappeared.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll confess; I\u2019m overly sensitive to manufactured corporate images. I participated in creating a few over the years. I understand the process. It starts with the CEO. It\u2019s a money thing: ad revenues are off, viewership is down, ratings are slipping. The PR and Marketing VP\u2019s are called on the carpet and the CEO says, \u201cWe need a better image! One that appeals to the \u201ccommon man\u201d and the hardships of this economy. Make it so!\u201d Out in the hall the PR guy says to the marketing VP, \u201cOh sure. The cheapskate won\u2019t pay for better programming, so it\u2019s our job to save his career with a new slogan that improves our image.\u201d<\/p>\n
They get to work. A year of consultants, ad executives, psychologists, brain storming sessions, focus groups, viewer surveys, grilling by executive management and finally, CBS Cares<\/i> is born. But, it was a long hard route to get there. The first draft was, CBS is interested and concerned with people and animals that are undergoing difficulties<\/i> (can\u2019t leave animals out, not today, not with PETA pushing for equality).<\/p>\n
That one got laughed out of the room, and then came – CBS is focused on people and animals having a bad day.<\/i> More chuckles in the board room, and then came version #3 \u2013 CBS supports and feels for people and animals in distress<\/i>. And, then version #4 \u2013 CBS cares about people and animals<\/i>.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter,\u201d says the CEO. \u201cNow get it finished.\u201d More consultants are hired; focus group meetings and surveys are conducted once again. It gets no place. Finally, a group of old coots are brought in. \u201cIf an old coot gets it, we\u2019re golden,\u201d the PR guy whispers to the Marketing VP. The old coots tell them it\u2019s too complicated, to make it simple. They do; the slogan is boiled down to a single thought, CBS Cares<\/i>. Puppies and little girls are hired; the new slogan is launched; the public starts to believe that CBS really does care. But, not the old coots; we sit back and snicker. We know the con game never ends!<\/p>\n
Complaints? Comments? \u2013 mlessler7@gmail.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CBS Cares! – Subaru is love! Nike says, Just do it! \u2013 GE used to say, We bring good things to life, but have since…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial"],"yoast_head":"\n