When British Rail, one of the largest railway networks in the world, decided they wanted to have an advertising campaign to improve their poor image in the early 1980’s they asked several agencies to pitch for the job. One of the agencies arranged a meeting at their own offices after they had finalized their pitch. The BR managers turned up at the agreed meeting time and the receptionist showed them into a meeting room and told them that the advertising team would be with them shortly.
Whilst they waited, they slowly began to notice how dirty the room was – there were stale cigarettes stubs in the ashtray, the room smelt badly, there was litter on the floor, sticky seats and the windows were unwashed. After 20 minutes, they began to get impatient and one of them went out to speak to the receptionist who told them that unfortunately the team had been delayed but would be with them shortly. After another 20 minutes and, growing ever more impatient, one of them again left the room and asked the receptionist what was going on. The receptionist rather bolshily told them that they would be seen to soon. Confused, the BR manager returned to the meeting room where the conversation inevitable focused on how unbelievably stupid it was for the advertising agency to treat important clients this way and how they couldn’t understand how this large advertising agency even had any clients at all who were willing to put up with this sort of behaviour.
Another 20 minutes past and the managers from BR decided that enough was enough. They all got up and opened the door to leave the room. Outside, the Advertising Team were waiting with their message – You now feel like your customers do. This is what the public think of your service. You’re dirty, you’re late and you’re rude – but we can help you.
“We’re getting there” was born. The slogan worked because it implicitly acknowledged the existing failings but promised that the organization was working on improvements.
Whilst they waited, they slowly began to notice how dirty the room was – there were stale cigarettes stubs in the ashtray, the room smelt badly, there was litter on the floor, sticky seats and the windows were unwashed. After 20 minutes, they began to get impatient and one of them went out to speak to the receptionist who told them that unfortunately the team had been delayed but would be with them shortly. After another 20 minutes and, growing ever more impatient, one of them again left the room and asked the receptionist what was going on. The receptionist rather bolshily told them that they would be seen to soon. Confused, the BR manager returned to the meeting room where the conversation inevitable focused on how unbelievably stupid it was for the advertising agency to treat important clients this way and how they couldn’t understand how this large advertising agency even had any clients at all who were willing to put up with this sort of behaviour.
Another 20 minutes past and the managers from BR decided that enough was enough. They all got up and opened the door to leave the room. Outside, the Advertising Team were waiting with their message – You now feel like your customers do. This is what the public think of your service. You’re dirty, you’re late and you’re rude – but we can help you.
“We’re getting there” was born. The slogan worked because it implicitly acknowledged the existing failings but promised that the organization was working on improvements.