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Old 16-12-2015, 09:37
Neio
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I feel like it's a very unnatural environment, and the tasks are mostly inappropriate for contestants skill sets. Not to mention the stupidly silly short time frames in which to complete tasks and all the other pressures. It actually reminds me of those "fish out of water" themed comedies you see from time to time. So although short term I can laugh at the silly mistakes and stuff, overall I have look at the contestants in the context of what they've achieved in real life before making any realistic judgements.
This. Although there are definitely some stupid, incompetent candidates doing and saying stupid things, I do try to think about everything that's stacked against them. Woken up at the crack of dawn every morning, separated from friends and family, surrounded by ultra-competitive types who in many cases are just waiting to stab them in the back, doing tasks that are often outside their skill set and subject to a lot of rules that we as the viewer don't see (for instance, I've lost count of the times I've seen people on message boards saying stuff like "Why don't they just use the internet? Idiots!" when the buying tasks are on, when it's pretty clear they're not allowed to).

And of course the timeframes they're working in. Often in the product tasks for instance, they have to invent a product from scratch, design the packaging, create a marketing campaign and pitch to retailers all in two working days (from the looks of things the contestants aren't allowed to work on the tasks during the evenings either?). Although it's fun to laugh at them, I don't think many of us would do a whole lot better under those conditions.
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Old 16-12-2015, 10:25
lammtarra
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And of course the timeframes they're working in. Often in the product tasks for instance, they have to invent a product from scratch, design the packaging, create a marketing campaign and pitch to retailers all in two working days (from the looks of things the contestants aren't allowed to work on the tasks during the evenings either?). Although it's fun to laugh at them, I don't think many of us would do a whole lot better under those conditions.
There is a lot in what you say but I do think candidates make things worse for themselves by failing to work as a team or even to apply basic common sense.

For instance, although not a builder, I do know the phrase, "measure twice; cut once," unlike David.

My background is not in advertising but I've watched enough commercials to know that luxury goods are not advertised with comedy skits, and that cleaning products generally go with: problem; solution; pack shot.

Although not working in retail, I do go shopping sufficiently often to have realised that similar items are displayed together rather than at random, even if Gary's supermarket jargon, "customer journey," is new.

In other words, all candidates need when faced with something new is ask themselves what the industry professionals do.
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Old 16-12-2015, 14:10
brangdon
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This. Although there are definitely some stupid, incompetent candidates doing and saying stupid things, I do try to think about everything that's stacked against them.
I bear that in mind when comparing them to some absolute standard, but here we are comparing them to previous candidates in the same show. So given they are less successful, the question is whether these candidates are worse, or the show is being tougher on them than previously.
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Old 16-12-2015, 14:26
slouchingthatch
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There is a lot in what you say but I do think candidates make things worse for themselves by failing to work as a team or even to apply basic common sense.

For instance, although not a builder, I do know the phrase, "measure twice; cut once," unlike David.

My background is not in advertising but I've watched enough commercials to know that luxury goods are not advertised with comedy skits, and that cleaning products generally go with: problem; solution; pack shot.

Although not working in retail, I do go shopping sufficiently often to have realised that similar items are displayed together rather than at random, even if Gary's supermarket jargon, "customer journey," is new.

In other words, all candidates need when faced with something new is ask themselves what the industry professionals do.
A lack of industry expertise is 100% understandable but it's definitely the lack of common sense that is remarkable at times. After all, as you point out in your examples, we are all consumers on some level so we know what good TV ads look like. (Although does anyone actually watch ads any more? I know someone must do or else the indistry would have died by now, but I just fast-forward through them all!)

Having said that, with all the individual jockeying that goes on plus the time and other pressures applied in the tasks, I do think that it's often much easier to be wise as a viewer than as a candidate. As the saying goes, "No one ever lost a game as a Monday morning quarterback." And of course, the broadcast edit only ever shows us what the candidates do wrong, and very little of what they get right.

Incidentally, 'customer journey' is commonly used in retail, consumer goods manufacturing and the marketing industry in general - but, absolutely, you wouldn't expect candidates or viewers to know the term. However, it is basically a common sense principle: "think as the customer would think and do things accordingly". It's amazing how often people in business - never mind Apprentice candidates - get that wrong and think from a company perspective first, rather than the customer's.
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