Places by Simon Anholt

Author:Simon Anholt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2009-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

When Does Marketing Make Sense?

I have made the point that the effectiveness of commercial marketing communications – such as advertising and graphic design – is really only proven when a product or service is on sale to a specific target group, but there are other situations when such approaches are viable.

For instance, there have been cases of highly effective public service campaigns in many countries: advertising that has worked marvels in persuading people to wear seatbelts, quit smoking, avoid drink driving, donate to charities or show consideration to minorities. There have also been many campaigns that have persuaded people to join the armed forces, or vote for a particular candidate or political party. And there have been many ‘branding’ campaigns designed purely to enhance the image of a corporation, rather than to sell its products or services.

It seems that a precondition for the effectiveness of any advertising message is that the audience are prepared to ‘give permission’ for the sender to address them with this kind of message: the act of communication must be perceived as legitimate. This legitimacy isn’t by itself a sufficient condition for the campaign to be effective, but I would suggest that it is a necessary one. Once legitimacy is established, then the effectiveness of the campaign is more of a technical matter, and depends on many complex factors: the preparedness of the audience to change its mind or behaviour; the quality, appeal and cogency of the messaging; delivery of the message at the appropriate frequency in the appropriate media; and so forth.

In other words, first you have to be allowed to speak, and people have to be prepared to listen to you; only then do you have an opportunity to persuade them to change their minds.

I would argue that whilst many other kinds of non-selling campaigns have proved effective, none of them are really analogous to campaigns designed to ‘brand’ countries, regions or cities, because they all pass the fundamental test of legitimacy, while messages from foreign governments seeking the approval or admiration of nationals in other countries do not.

Public service campaigns are usually targeted at the general public by their own governments, and explicitly so – strictly speaking, it may be propaganda, but at least it’s ‘white’ propaganda (the kind where the true source of the message is acknowledged). Because the message is one which reinforces a strong cultural, moral or social value which most people already accept, the content is usually non-controversial (even if the treatment may need to be shocking to be effective). Few people would argue that smoking or drink-driving are harmful, or that it’s good to wear a seatbelt or give money to starving people. For all these reasons, the audience effectively ‘grants permission’ to the government or other body to transmit this message. Then, if the point is well made, a changed attitude or behaviour may follow.

Recruitment campaigns , whether for the armed forces or for other companies or institutions, are perceived as legitimate because something is on offer, and a deal is being proposed.

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