by BarbinMD
After more than four years, with hundreds of thousands of people dead or maimed, and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, the Bush administration has finally figured out why we weren't greeted as liberators in Iraq. And boy, this is embarrassing. It turns out that our "show of force" brand identity has, "limited appeal to Iraqi consumers." And no, you haven't inadvertently been redirected to The Onion.
QUOTE
The key to boosting the image and effectiveness of U.S. military operations around the world involves "shaping" both the product and the marketplace, and then establishing a brand identity that places what you are selling in a positive light, said clinical psychologist Todd C. Helmus, the author of "Enlisting Madison Avenue: The Marketing Approach to Earning Popular Support in Theaters of Operation." The 211-page study, for which the U.S. Joint Forces Command paid the Rand Corp. $400,000, was released this week.
If there ever was a time to say, "You can't make this shit up," this is it. QUOTE
While not abandoning the more aggressive elements of warfare, the report suggested, a more attractive brand for the Iraqi people might have been "We will help you." [...]
In an urban insurgency, for example, civilians can help identify enemy infiltrators and otherwise assist U.S. forces. They are less likely to help, the study says, when they become "collateral damage" in U.S. attacks, have their doors broken down or are shot at checkpoints because they do not speak English. Cultural connections -- seeking out the local head man when entering a neighborhood, looking someone in the eye when offering a friendly wave -- are key.
In an urban insurgency, for example, civilians can help identify enemy infiltrators and otherwise assist U.S. forces. They are less likely to help, the study says, when they become "collateral damage" in U.S. attacks, have their doors broken down or are shot at checkpoints because they do not speak English. Cultural connections -- seeking out the local head man when entering a neighborhood, looking someone in the eye when offering a friendly wave -- are key.
Yes, it is key to offer a friendly wave before you kick down their door or accidentally blow them up.
And it turns out that many of the problems we have faced in Iraq could have all been avoided had we adopted the Walmart way of doing business: knowing our customers and giving them what they want. Or as the study put it...and I'm not making this up..."understanding the target customer." Perhaps they should have used a different word than target, eh? It gets better:
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The most successful companies, the Rand study notes, are those that study their clientele and shape their workplace and product in ways that incorporate their brand into every interaction with consumers.
You just don't know if you should laugh or cry.
