The South Carolina National Guard has approached grad students in the Darla Moore School of Business for a new marketing campaign to up their dwindling enlisting numbers. The students will approach this task as their final exam, but The Daily Gamecock editorial staff decided to take a crack at painting the National Guard in a more modern and hip light.
Using a youthful vernacular is an easy way to bring in some new members. They could try something with popular music like “Turn up with the National Guard” or “The National Guard has a ‘blank space’ where you can write your name.”
Celebrity endorsements could help attract young people. Justin Bieber or Tara Reid could make serving your country as cool and relevant as their fruitful careers.
Condescending Willy Wonka could easily shame nonenlisters to sign up by saying “You’re not in the National Guard? Tell me more about what a cool individual you are.”
If there’s one thing the youths love, it’s a good meme. Something like “Y u no serve your country” could be the powerful message students need to convince them to enlist. The same goes for classics like Ryan Gosling saying “Hey girl, it’s time to enlist” to appeal to the female demographic.
Yes, we know that everything written above is ridiculous, and so is the idea that a marketing campaign can change the public perception of an entire entity.
The National Guard has cited the prevalence of tattoos, obesity and a general bad attitude toward the military among young people.
A negative national attitude probably comes from something much more deep-seated than kids thinking it’s ‘uncool.’
If the issue is not meeting the 1400 enrollee goal may mean that funding should be cut and the program made smaller instead of expanding marketing to a demographic that isn’t interested. Marketing cannot change the essence of an entity.
Perhaps an older demographic would be a more fruitful endeavor for the organization rather than focusing on an obviously disinterested youth.