Lifetime of Leadership - new Girl Scout ad campaign

[RememberSchiff]

Check out the video.

http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/girl-scouts-pushes-campaign-weeks-boy-scouts/313508/

The new effort continues a rebranding the organization started two years ago under a GIRL (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader) platform to help move awareness toward an association with leadership rather than just with cookies, explains Lynn Godrey, chief marketing and communications officer.

...

Godfrey notes that her brand's campaign has been in the works since last summer and that it was not in any way a result of the Boy Scouts' push.

[Tampa Turtle]

I think GSUSA does a much better job on advertising, especially on the internet then BSA. Agree or disagree with their program they seem to have a much clearer picture conceptually of the direction of the program. Their problem is that it is hard to hear over the roar of "cookies".

[Eagle1993]

2 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

I think GSUSA does a much better job on advertising, especially on the internet then BSA. Agree or disagree with their program they seem to have a much clearer picture conceptually of the direction of the program. Their problem is that it is hard to hear over the roar of "cookies".

That is their own fault.  My daughter has monthly Troop meetings. 3 have been heavily focused on cookies.  The girls have 1 pin and 3 patches on their uniform linked to cookie sales.   I figure if they do coded messages it would be “Don’t forget to sell those cookies.”  

[desertrat77]

27 minutes ago, Tampa Turtle said:

I think GSUSA does a much better job on advertising, especially on the internet then BSA. Agree or disagree with their program they seem to have a much clearer picture conceptually of the direction of the program. Their problem is that it is hard to hear over the roar of "cookies".

Very true.

I also like their approach of the women being identified as "Girl Scouts" and not utilizing the false exclusivity of Gold Award only, like the BSA does with Eagle ("Four Eagle Scouts playing in the ___________ Bowl.")

I think the Cookie Syndicate funds their PR function pretty well.

[Jameson76]

55 minutes ago, desertrat77 said:

I think the Cookie Syndicate funds their PR function pretty well.

[RememberSchiff]

Please stay topic. Thank you.

 

[WonderBoy]

1 hour ago, desertrat77 said:

I also like their approach of the women being identified as "Girl Scouts" and not utilizing the false exclusivity of Gold Award only, like the BSA does with Eagle ("Four Eagle Scouts playing in the ___________ Bowl.")

I think this is an important point. Leadership and skills for life are not exclusive to Eagle Scouts. And there are plenty of former Scouts out there who would be more ardent supporters for a club they belonged to, (Scouts), over one they didn't (Eagles). 

The best Den Leader in my Pack "only" continued through Cub Scouts. Three years in, I JUST discovered that his Assistant is an Eagle Scout. (Don't get me wrong, the ADL is a great guy, but the DL clearly has better leadership/management talents.)

If we really want to shine a light on the benefits of Scouting to the general public, why are we only highlighting the accomplishments of approximately 4% of us?

[RememberSchiff]

I believe this ad was first shown yesterday at G.I.R.L. Agenda 2018: Leading Change Through Civic Action. Dr. Jill Biden, former Second Lady, was keynote speaker.

The whole Girl Scout Movement is buzzing with anticipation leading up to G.I.R.L. Agenda 2018: Leading Change Through Civic Action. With thousands of participants and a superstar roster of speakers, it’s sure to be an inspiring afternoon. And although you might not be able to be with us at the event in Philadelphia to hear the keynote address from Dr. Jill Biden and join the conversation in person, we’re thrilled to invite you to be our virtual guest through an exclusive livestream.

http://blog.girlscouts.org/2018/05/get-excited-livestream-girl-agenda.html

http://www.bradfordera.com/news/state/the-girl-scouts-of-the-u-s-a-launch-a/article_774fae50-dbf5-5e17-8644-05c47e914301.html

[Tampa Turtle]

3 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

That is their own fault.  My daughter has monthly Troop meetings. 3 have been heavily focused on cookies.  The girls have 1 pin and 3 patches on their uniform linked to cookie sales.   I figure if they do coded messages it would be “Don’t forget to sell those cookies.”  

I have heard this from GSUSA moms.

[Eagledad]

1 minute ago, Tampa Turtle said:

I have heard this from GSUSA moms.

The coded messages must be working. I'm craving a couple of Samoas just reading this discussion.

Barry

[carebear3895]

3 hours ago, Tampa Turtle said:

I think GSUSA does a much better job on advertising, especially on the internet then BSA. Agree or disagree with their program they seem to have a much clearer picture conceptually of the direction of the program. Their problem is that it is hard to hear over the roar of "cookies".

I think the BSA accepting girls is the best thing to happen to the GSUSA ironically. The past months are the first time I've ever seen them promote any of their programs outside of cookies. 

[SSScout]

Samoa?  Camping on Samoa?   Was  Dr. Margaret Mead  a Girl Scout?  I'd go....   

[Hawkwin]

1 hour ago, RememberSchiff said:

The whole Girl Scout Movement is buzzing with anticipation leading up to G.I.R.L. Agenda 2018: Leading Change Through Civic Action.

 I sure hope this comes with some sort of structure as the current program has almost none.

Today I received an enthusiastic email from a local female architect in response to my request for our den to meet with her as part of the Build It requirement for Webelos/AOL electives. The lady works for the firm that designed our new local Girl Scout building.

The irony of the fact that we would never had done this as part of Girl Scouts is not lost on me - or my daughter.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Hawkwin

[Treflienne]

5 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

  I figure if they do coded messages it would be “Don’t forget to sell those cookies.”  

After having been rather uninvolved with Girl Scouts for a while, I got much more involved again as my daughter reached the age to join.

Slowly I have been forming the impression that what the girl scouts (national and council) currently wants for the girls to do is to a) beg and b) badger.

Let me explain myself.  

a) beg: There is a huge emphasis on the cookie sale, and also an emphasis on the fall product sale.  It is made very clear to the troops that no other fundraising whatsoever may be done unless these two fundraisers are done by the troop.  These provide but little money to the troops themselves, and involve the girls begging their friends, relatives, and neighbors to buy overpriced stuff that they don't actually need or want.  My daughter has even been sent emails from the council saying " Online Sales Your goal is $200.00 and you have $0.00 in total online sales. " when her troop was skipping the fall product sale.

b) badger: The girl scouts have shifted from emphasizing service projects to something they call "Take Action" projects.  It seems to be an encouraged thing for the girls not so much to do helpful things themselves, but to persuade other people to do things.  For example, from the "Junior Girls Guide to Girl Scouting" (page 6 of the bronze
award insert) one of the example "take action" projects is petitioning the local government to add a stop sign near the school. The example given in the Junior "Agent of Change" Journey is persuading local people to volunteer at the local animal shelter.  The current emphasis "G.I.R.L. Agenda 2018: Leading Change Through Civic Action" seems
right in line with what is in the books.

I'd rather, at my daughter's age, the emphasis be on how she herself can be helpful "to help other people at all times" and to "do a good turn daily", rather than on her trying to persuade other people to do things that she thinks need doing.

And far as what girl scouts wants the leaders to do, the emphasize is two-fold: a) cookie sale (and fall product sale) and b) register more girls

 

[Treflienne]

4 hours ago, desertrat77 said:

I also like their approach of the women being identified as "Girl Scouts" and not utilizing the false exclusivity of Gold Award only

I, cynically, see two reasons for this

1) This lets them include lots more women, including those who were only a Brownie for only a year.

and

2) The Gold Award was introduced in 1980, so the very oldest Gold Award recipients are in their early 50's now.  This would rule out many older women.

Moreover there is not good, short, phrase meaning "person who earned the Gold Award". The best I am aware of are "Gold Awardee" or "Gold Award recipient".  None of these roles off the tongue as smoothly as "Eagle Scout" or "Girl Scout" or "[adjective] Scout"