Don’t Be A Fool When It Comes To Marketing
In the world of digital marketing, there are many chances at the plate to knock your audiences out of the park with your new ideas, products or services. Many swings will be taken each year through a variety of promotional campaigns, and some of these hits were home runs before they ever launched. On the flipside, some marketing strategies are launched prematurely or without proper foresight, limiting their potential for success.
No matter what your brand does, we can always expect a few people to critique, but in the cases of some brands, enormous blunders have been committed which can deeply affect reputation as well as sales. Companies that have made digital marketing mistakes, faulty product rollouts, or offensive commercials range across the board from mom & pop shops to major corporations. Anyone can make mistakes, but in celebration of April Fool’s Day, let’s look at some of the past issues brands have come across with their marketing strategies, and how you can avoid playing the fool on your next big launch.
When It Doesn’t Go As Planned
Dangerous Giveaways
Utilizing social media to engage with your consumers can be a highly effective tool for communication regarding new product releases, ongoing support, and giveaways. But when it comes to social media, brands must always be prepared for the ability to go viral with their message. In other words, it’s crucial to be aware of what you say and what you’re promising, so it would be wise to consider hiring a digital marketing agency to cover those bases. In the case of Timothy’s Coffee, their marketing strategy to offer free K-cup samples of their product backfired when they ran out of stock. Customers who used the designated coupon code and had not received their product were livid, and even after releasing an apology promising a new free coupon in the mail, their brand trust had already been tarnished. In the online plane of meme-creation, online reviews, and inside jokes, many brands have an extremely hard time regaining their support back once it’s gone.
Tone Deaf Copy
The political context surrounding the time of your launch is a growing aspect of digital marketing to keep in mind because many people today are conscious of who they’re spending their hard earned money with. Consumers don’t give companies many chances to offend them, and when the copywriting within each project isn’t considerate of the feelings of the public, it pushes people away. During the tumultuous event of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, as the natural disaster decimated much of Houston, Airbnb decided to launch their “floating world” marketing campaign. From the title of the campaign alone, you can probably tell it wasn’t the best time for launch, but when their copy included taglines like “stay above water” and “live the life aquatic with these floating homes” people were naturally offended. Had Airbnb hired a digital marketing agency to oversee this promotion, they could have possibly realized that it wasn’t the best time for this kind of copy to be used. The social conversations happening around the time of each launch may be difficult to stay on top of, however, being aware of climate is key to relating with and understanding your base.
The Importance Of Reputation
The awesome products or services your brand brings to the table are completely different than how your brand will be viewed by consumers across the world. Establishing brand trust and maintaining a positive reputation among your industry peers and consumers is vital to the longevity of any company. Most brands that have pristine reputations have employed a digital marketing agency to handle their online presence and promotions. The beauty of including professionals who know how to improve your online aesthetic is that you can take your mind off of the promotion side and focus more on the next product upgrade. The cases of marketing fails mentioned above are just a few drops of water in a sea of mistakes that could have been prevented. For any brand out there that unfortunately makes a social faux pas, it’s important to shake it off, figure out the error, and bounce back confidently to prove you aren’t yet defeated or a fool.
