Slogan fatigue is diluting the government’s vital message
The Scottish government recently launched a new campaign – based on the FACTS acronym – to help curb the spread of Covid.
However, a poll for The Sunday Post has revealed 51% of 16 to 24-year-olds don’t know what any of the letters stands for and 81% are unable to name all five key messages, which, in case you were wondering, are; Face coverings in enclosed spaces; Avoid crowded places; Clean your hands regularly; Two-metre distancing; Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.
Any good pub quiz includes an acronym round. This is because recalling the words behind common acronyms is notoriously hard to do. It’s perhaps surprising then that the Scottish Government chose a wordy five letter acronym to deliver what should be a relatively simple message to a highly engaged public about how to stay safe during the pandemic. Whilst not knowing what ‘NASA’ stands for could lose you points at a pub quiz, the public not grasping the meaning behind ‘FACTS’ is a significant failing with serious consequences.
‘Directive’ acronyms have a place as an effective mass communications tool for the right audience, but only if the acronym is both clear and compelling. The risk of hinging the latest Covid health campaign on an acronym like FACTS, is that it doesn’t translate to mass recall and that it is perceived, especially by younger people, as infantilising.
Many are comparing FACTS with the UK government’s latest slogan ‘hands, face, space’. Johnson’s communications team continue to utilise the ‘rule of three’. Three is the smallest number required to make a pattern and lends itself to easy recall, and therein lies its power.
The public has been overwhelmed by guidance that keeps changing, and there’s an argument to be made that constantly rolling out new straplines has led to ‘slogan fatigue’ and diluted the important message the government is trying to deliver. However, ‘hands, face, space’ is a far more effective slogan than FACTS as it is both memorable and unambiguous.
Originally published in The Sunday Post which you can read here.
Why every organisation should be thinking about the circular economy
Imagine a world where every product is repaired, recycled or refurbished at the end...
More information
Food4Climate Pavilion appoints communications consultancy Stand ahead of COP28
Marking its second year at the global climate summit, Food4Climate partners with Stand Stand...
More information
Trans women being banned from female hospital wards is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to equitable healthcare
In October, during the Conservative Party Conference, Rishi Sunak made an announcement that could...
More information
This Financial Inclusion Week, look to the audiences you aren’t reaching
This week marks the ninth Financial Inclusion Week, hosted by the Center for Financial...
More information
Yes, LinkedIn is your ultimate digital hub for connecting with investors
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, securing the right investors is crucial for the...
More information
The future of work – what does it look like?
As a workplace culture fanatic, it doesn’t take much to convince me to engage...
More information
Stand creates new Advisory Board
The move marks a step change and targeted growth for the consultancy Communications consultancy...
More information
Taking A Stand with Tom Kay, Founder of Finisterre.
Each month we’re sitting down with the trailblazers who are making a difference at...
More information
Sick days on the rise – cause for concern, or proving the need for change?
New research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simplyhealth has...
More information
Revving Up for a Sustainable Future: Why We Must Challenge Rishi Sunak’s Backtrack on Net Zero
As Climate Week in New York concludes, we find ourselves at a critical juncture...
More information
Apple’s Sustainability Video: A Storytelling Triumph with Gaps in Green Commitment
Apple’s latest sustainability video, featuring CEO Tim Cook and actress Octavia Spencer, has sparked...
More information
Taking A Stand with Nazim Valimahomed, Founder and Chief Product and Design Officer at Kroo.
Each month we’re sitting down with the trailblazers who are making a difference at...
More information
Celebrating success: Stand celebrates double victory, winning two PR awards
We’re delighted to share that our PR efforts secured us not one but two...
More information
We can’t afford to ignore migraine in the workplace
Do you work with someone who experiences migraine? Chances are, you do – you...
More information
Taking A Stand with James Rutter, Chief Creative Officer at COOK.
Each month we’re sitting down with the trailblazers who are making a difference at...
More information
The future of payment – the revolution of mobility technology
Phasing out petrol and diesel cars and introducing EVs is a great option in...
More information
Claire Brady on Net Zero Hero Podcast
Some people think that ‘circularity’ simply means recycling, but it is so much more...
More information
Earth Day
Earth Day provides an opportunity to take stock of our progress towards addressing the...
More information
When it comes to making sustainability claims, getting it wrong can cost organisations the earth
According to Robin Hicks, “2022 was the year that policymakers started to take greenwashing...
More information
Less is more: How low alcohol brands are targeting their Gen Z consumers
Dry January may be over, but giving up alcohol definitely hasn’t gone out of...
More information
Beyond B Corp: Breaking up with Barclays
Last year we became a certified B Corp, and to do so we had...
More information
Three takeaways from the IPCC’s ‘final warning’ report
This week has seen the release of the latest IPCC report assessing the climate...
More information
Why we’ve introduced a 4.5 day working week
As the rulebook of the working week gets rewritten, at Stand we continue to...
More information
Stand shifts as we move into our second decade
I founded Stand with one simple (but typically ambitious) belief: that good comms can...
More information
So… has the pandemic set us back or propelled us forward?
Last week, just days after the restrictions in England were lifted, we hosted our...
More information
Wellbeing is not a one-size-fits-all approach
It’s safe to say that being plunged into multiple lockdowns across the past 18...
More information
Covid-19 has given us a harsh lesson in education inequality
Although ‘Freedom Day’ is here, Covid’s effects will, as we hear all too often,...
More information
The pandemic of inequalities
Last week, the Health Foundation’s Unequal pandemic, fairer recovery report made headlines, revealing that...
More information
Has the pandemic set us back 50 years, or will it propel us forward?
At its onset, Covid-19 was described as the great leveller. But the pandemic has...
More information