The Show Of Force Brand

The Pentagon paid $400,000.00 for this? Washington Post (07.21.07):

"In the advertising world, brand identity is everything. Volvo means safety. Colgate means clean. IPod means cool. But since the U.S. military invaded Iraq in 2003, its 'show of force' brand has proved to have limited appeal to Iraqi consumers, according to a recent study commissioned by the U.S. military.

The Pentagon Gets a Lesson From Madison Avenue

A limited appeal to Iraqi consumers? Really?

"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.'"

"Helmus and his co-authors concluded that the 'force' brand, which the United States peddled for the first few years of the occupation, was doomed from the start and lost ground to enemies' competing brands.

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.'"

Or else.

Helmus also said "it could be too late for extensive rebranding of the U.S. effort in Iraq."