Looking to avoid the ‘Whoops!’, ‘Fail!’ and ‘Ouch!’ factor in your next promotional marketing campaign? Let’s learn from three creative marketing case studies that can teach us what NOT to do.
Is your offer TOO good to be true? Whilst coupon marketing (using codes, vouchers and discounts) can be a great way to attract new customers and retain customer loyalty, make sure you aren’t being too generous. Lipton Tea learnt this the hard way with a marketing campaign that unintentionally gave customers an endless loop of free tea. How? Every pack of tea came with a coupon for a free pack of tea – so instead of encouraging new customers, it meant they could essentially ‘buy one, get the rest free.’ WHOOPS!
Is your tagline TOTALLY inappropriate? A clever slogan or tagline can become synonymous with a brand and stay forever etched in our memories. But, occasionally those smart marketing boffins who get paid to do this stuff for a living, really don’t think it through. Back in 2015, Bud Light beer added the tagline “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night” to the labels on some of its beers. The label was meant to be a fun way to engage with their “Up for Whatever” advertising campaign (which encouraged young drinkers to say ‘yes’ to everything) but totally missed the mark. Jeff Barret, a PR and social media consultant, chimed in at the time saying, “Bud Light…the perfect beer for marketers about to lose their job. #NoMeansNo#. MAJOR FAIL!
Is your logo KINDA similar? If your logo looks a little (or a lot) like another big brands, watch out, because things could get expensive. Small meal planning app, Prepear, might be regretting their pear shaped logo now that the legal team at Apple are after its trademark. Claiming the logo is too similar to its own they have expressed concern it ‘creates a similar commercial impression’. Prepear’s parent company, Super Healthy Kids, recently took to Instagram to rally support from customers, claiming they have a “moral obligation to take a stand against Apple’s aggressive legal action against small businesses and fight for the right to keep our logo.” Their Change.Org petition currently has in excess of 230,000 signatures but with Apple’s deep pockets this could be a costly battle. OUCH!
If you are looking for a strategic promotional marketing campaign without the ‘Whoops’ factor, you can rely on the team at Inck. Call us today and let’s get your brand noticed for all the right reasons.
Promotional Merchandise Made EASY – it’s what we do.
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