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September 06, 2001
Army Meets Recruiting Goals Early
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The Army is experiencing its most successful recruiting year since at least 1997, even meeting its goals for the 2001 fiscal year one month early, according to The New York Times.
The Army credited its new, much-debated slogan, "Army of One," and the $150 million advertising campaign built around it. Experts, however, told the Times that other factors were probably more responsible for the improved numbers, particularly the slowing economy.
Indeed, the other three services report that they were also on track to meet their recruiting goals for the fiscal year that ends on Sept. 30.
Recruiting was much tougher for all of the armed services in the 1990s, when boom times drew potential recruits to better-paying civilian jobs. Last year, the Army did not meet its recruiting goal until the last day of the fiscal year. And it missed its goals in the two preceding years: narrowly in 1998, and then badly in 1999, when it fell short by 6,291 recruits.
Despite having the economy as an excuse, the run of failures embarrassed senior Army leaders and spurred much soul searching in the Clinton administration over whether the Army was out of touch with young Americans.
So the Army last year replaced its advertising firm of 13 years, Young & Rubicam, with Leo Burnett U.S.A. of Chicago. And in January, it dropped its slogan of 20 years, "Be all you can be," in favor of "Army of One," which has become the centerpiece of stylish new advertisements and an elaborate recruiting Web site, goarmy.com.
The new slogan immediately drew sharp criticism from some veterans and military analysts who said it emphasized individualism over collective action. The Army also drew criticism for running the spots not just during sporting events, as did in the past, but during popular programs like "Friends" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," as well as on MTV and Comedy Central.
"I keep telling the old guys like me who are a little concerned about the nontraditional message that we're not recruiting you," Army Secretary Thomas White said. "So go ask your son or daughter or your grandson or granddaughter what turns them on, and that's where you're going to find the Army."
Yet some experts argue that economic forces have been more significant in determining recruiting results.
"It was a fortuitous circumstance for the Army that their new slogan came out at the same time that the economy was weakening," said Charles Moskos, a professor of sociology at Northwestern University and an expert on military manpower issues.
Moskos said the images of the armed services are shaped far more by current events than by advertising. As an example, he said that during a talk before military recruiters in 1996, he asked whether the audience would rather have their advertising budgets tripled or have Chelsea Clinton join the Army.
"They unanimously raised their hands for the Chelsea option," he said.
That has not deterred the services from intensifying their marketing efforts over the past three years, the Times notes. In 1999, the Air Force began running television advertisements for the first time in its history. This year, the Navy tried to update its advertising by featuring a new theme, "Accelerate your life."
And the Marine Corps, which is the smallest service and rarely misses its recruiting goals, started buying advertising on stock cars last year and is preparing to roll out a new, sharply different advertising campaign this year.
To view the New York Times story, click here. Registration required.