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‘No press is bad press’ used to be the old adage when it came to PR marketing. But with the new digital age, we find not only is this a myth but it’s now taken on a new twist.
Brands must try to generate a buzz, even go viral to win in a crowded marketplace such as the Retail and CPG Industry. That’s why they are constantly pushing the boundaries. The problem is, they have started doing so by crossing the line and making blatantly offensive references. And this is killing their brand image and equity.
Monitoring the marketplace for backlash from these offensive references is nothing new. But the speed at which they now take place in the digital age has posed a different set of problems. Marketers must be able to react by instantaneously pulling ads when consumers become upset. Ads they spent millions on with their agency and then millions more, on damage control. So in the digital age of sensitivity, how are brands and advertisers still making these mistakes? And what can they do to avoid them?
Well, let’s take a look at a couple of the most recent advertising mishaps pulled from the headlines. Most Recently from Dior Pulls ‘Sauvage’ Campaign After Facing Appropriation Backlash – Ad Age Article and McDonald’s X-Rated Cup Mishap in Japan – The Sun.
Trying too hard – capitalizing on death or tragedy
Too many cooks
No one to say “No”
Brand alignment
Know your audience / common sense
Worst Advertising Fails of All Time:
- Kendall Jenner and Pepsi
- H&M Monkey Reference
- Dove’s Racist Transformation via T-Shirt
- Budweiser’s removal of “no” from your vocabulary
- Heineken’s – Lighter is Better
Lots of terrible ad placements, that can be blamed on a multitude of people. Brands must be extremely careful when it comes to billboards, newspapers, or any other banner ads viewed in public.
