Can you trust the ICAEW?

The desperate tactics employed by the Institute in it's last ditch attempt to get a 'yes' to the proposed merger with CIPFA do little to enhance professional confidence.

If you don't already know, Ken Frost has been running a one man campaign, Stop The Merger so if you agree with him (and even if you don't), make sure your vote is at Moorgate for tomorrow's deadline. Before taking a decision, it's also worth picking up on the Q&A run by AccountingWEB.

But before making a final decision, consider this from Taking Stock. In talking about advertising gaffs, it says this about the latest Institute attempt:

"Well, now we can add another to that list of greats, with the ICAEW’s crusade to highlight the benefits to clients of using its members: ‘You can count on a chartered accountant.’

TS admires the exceptional use of the word ‘count’, as it ensures that we understand that, not only can we rely on our accountant, but also that they can actually count. Pure genius.

Mind you, this catchy slogan still has some way to go to top the title of a similar campaign from a few years back: ‘It’s easier to sleep with a chartered accountant.’ Now that classic line was nothing less than finger lickin’ good."

With advertising this bad, I think any partner on the planet could do better by asking their 7 year old son for a new slogan. It would probably go something like "I want one of those too!" (Suggestions in the comments section only please.)But back to reality.

Would you seriously vote 'yes' to a body that is run by the Big Four, who, on occasion can't count?  Would you want to be associated forever in the British psyche as 'bean counters?' I didn't think so. I wouldn't. I'd want an alzheimer's test at the very least on the numbnuts that thought that puppy up.