As masters-level students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, we are avid consumers of the news. We get news from everywhere — from blogs, traditional media, social media and even from The Daily Gamecock. The Daily Gamecock is typically an excellent source of state, local and university news, and we enjoy reading it on a regular basis. That is why the editorial on Dec. 2, (“National Guard’s Attention Misplaced”) was so disappointing.
The editorial staff’s lack of understanding about marketing and its role in an organization is astounding. It is surpassed only by the editorial board’s lack of respect for their fellow students. Because let’s be honest, if anyone truly believes that our generation will make a major decision, like joining the South Carolina National Guard because of a Ryan Gosling meme, then they don’t respect our generation. Furthermore, if you actually believe that the S.C. National Guard should simply move goal posts to declare victory on their recruiting goals, then you neither understand nor appreciate the tremendous service the South Carolina National Guard does for your community. While you were playing in the snow during the winter weather last year, the National Guard helped provide blankets and supplies to people whose houses were destroyed by ice. They helped evacuate the elderly from the cold and motorists stranded in their cars. They worked to clear branches from power lines and restore basic services to citizens of our state. Since some people were without heat, potable water and electricity for more than a week, we shudder to think about how long it would take with less manpower. Particularly in about ten years, when the “older demographic” — as you so eloquently put it — has retired.
As the editorial pointed out, this was our final project for the class. So let’s see if we can’t share a little knowledge from our experience with the nationally recognized marketing department at the Darla Moore School of Business.
The first component of a marketing plan is research. It should also be the first step in a journalist’s article or editorial, but you clearly didn’t do any research before writing this. If you had, you may have realized that Justin Bieber is Canadian and therefore would be a poor endorsement for the U.S. military. You also would have learned that marketing does work.
Old Spice’s “Smell Like A Man, Man” campaign with Isaiah Mustafa created a 300 percent increase in website traffic, 800 percent increase in Facebook fan interaction, a 2,700 percent increase in Twitter followers and finally, 1.2 billion earned media impressions. After this campaign, Old Spice is now the No. 1 brand of men’s body wash and deodorant. Nobody can downplay those results — all thanks to an integrated marketing campaign.
Ever heard of Dos Equis and the Most Interesting Man in the World? Unless you live under a rock, you most certainly have. Dos Equis was a struggling beer brand selling in only two states. That is, until the Most Interesting Man in the World marketing campaign came along. The campaign incorporated re-branding, advertisements and an interactive digital platform. Now, Dos Equis is the sixth largest imported beer brand. The campaign is entering its sixth year, and just in the last year, Dos Equis gained 15 percent in U.S. shipments, while the other beer brands only averaged a 2.7 percent increase. Those are undeniable results, and they all came from marketing.
You are right in pointing out that marketing alone will not change the recruiting numbers for the South Carolina National Guard. We put that right in our report, as did every other group in our class. But you didn’t ask to see our final deliverable. We said marketing efforts would encourage more people to speak to the National Guard about joining. From there, the recruiters do what they do best — establish a personal relationship, communicate the benefits and help people of all ages and walks of life decide if they want to commit themselves to service over self, empower themselves to learn critical job skills or receive a (free) education and strengthen their communities by serving in the South Carolina National Guard. That’s why over 40 percent of the South National Guard is currently between the ages of 17 to 24, the very ages you think they should simply give up on or insult through superficial memes and trends.
We were honored to help the South Carolina National Guard. You had an opportunity to help as well by using your editorial voice to encourage students to service or to point out some of the educational benefits of the National Guard. Instead, you chose to mock marketing — one of the largest professions in the U.S. and an entire discipline of study — and your fellow students. The best way to communicate that to you might be via a trendy form of communication, so we’ll end this with #journalisticfail.
Respectfully submitted,
Leacy Burke, Rachael Grimes, Katie Hull, Devon Page, Yichao Lin and Meg Williams
Candidates for the masters in mass communication
Marketing 701 class members