"We're all in this together" sounds like something I'd expect from a lifeboat captain, trying to calm hysterical passengers escaping a sinking ship.Department of Huh? Today's press release, announcing a new campaign featuring that slogan, makes a curious claim: "USA Today truly pioneered media-driven social network applications." Which apps?
[Photo: Edward J. Smith, captain of the Titanic, Stoke-on-Trent Museums. The First Class passengers were entertained as the ship sank, because -- ahoy, Corporate! -- the band played on]
Ok, Jim, so what would be your campaign slogan for USA TODAY? You worked for them for a number of years. What would be your marketing approach? Instead of being sarcastic about their new slogan, offer up your own? What would be your strategy? Tell us...we're all so interested.
ReplyDeleteI liked the old slogan, which went something like this: "An economy of words, a wealth of information.'' It was elegant, and mostly true.
ReplyDelete"We're all in this together" is the title of a song in Disney's hit High School Musical. Is that where the good people at the advertising agency Arnold got the idea? Surely USAT is paying Arnold enough that they can come up with something original and descriptive...Like "An economy of words. A wealth of information." At least that says something about USAT. Where did the old slogan come from...and what happened to it?
ReplyDeleteArnold is a 3rd rate shop in DC with no national clients to speak of. They are a fraction of their former selves – moving their important clients to Boston (Amtrak, Williamsburg). The only reason they have a DC office is because of a long term lease they have on their building, which they signed in the Dot Com era. All of their top creative people either left or were let go.
ReplyDeleteMy bet would be they signed USAT on for little or no $$ in exchange for the use of the USAT brand as a client and case study.
Jim, it seems there are a lot more Gannett managers on this blog, word must of spread around the Information Center about your blog. Keep up the good work! They are just mad that your blog has more new visitors than Gannett websites.
ReplyDeleteOutsource the creative work to India. All for $29. That "my friends" is a straw that will help to break what little is left to the "back."
ReplyDeleteUnless the remaining staff in Wisconsin have nothing left to do this afternoon.
I wonder if there is a copyright issue here. Could Disney sue USA Today and Gannett for the use of the "We're all in this together" slogan? Obviously, USA Today (as well as other newspapers) would like to attract younger readers. High School Musical is aimed a younger audiences. Disney is fiercely protective of its image and copyrights. I wonder if Disney's lawyers know about the new USA Today slogan. Are there any Gannetteers in Florida with contacts at Disney? Perhaps you could bring it to their attention.
ReplyDelete"USA Today: We're hyper-global."
ReplyDeleteI'm not a marketer, but what does the new tagline say about the product? Does "We're all in this together" give anyone a reason to buy the newspaper or read the website? Does it give an advertiser a reason to buy space in print or online?
ReplyDeleteDidn't usat hire someone a few years ago to head up their brand strategy? Is this what they came up with?
ReplyDeleteYes. USA Today hired a guy named Chris McGill in 2005 to be VP of strategy. His claim to fame was that he built Yahoo News and was its general manager. He quit USA Today last year and is CEO of Mixx.com, which is billed as a customizable social media website. I couldn't tell you what McGill did while he was here. I don't thing he ever got any traction with USA Today's or Gannett's brass.
ReplyDelete