Kristine
The best marketing campaigns are those that genuinely resonate with people and paint the brand in a positive light. Marketers may craft heart-warming commercials, funny posts on social media, or launch campaigns based on a brand’s core values. In most cases, these promotion efforts are harmless, but there have also been several marketing ideas that horribly backfired in embarrassing or detrimental ways.
Marketers can learn from the following companies to avoid making the same mistakes:
Oprah’s Accidental iPad Promotion
In 2012, Oprah Winfrey had been promoting Microsoft’s newly released Surface tablet, even going so far as to name it one of her “Favorite Things” in her magazine. After weeks of hyping up the features and benefits of the Surface, Oprah Tweeted the message, “Gotta say love that SURFACE! Have bought 12 already for Christmas gifts.” However, the Tweet clearly showed that the message had been posted via Twitter for iPad. Needless to say, this didn’t really convince her 14.8 million Twitter followers of the superiority of Microsoft’s tablet!
Pepsi’s Ad with Kendall Jenner
In 2017, amidst the civil rights protests by Black Lives Matter activists around the country, Pepsi shot a highly controversial commercial starring celebrity Kendall Jenner. In the ad, Jenner is seen doing a photoshoot as a large crowd of protestors holding vague signs such as “peace,” and “love,” walk by. Jenner abandons the photoshoot to join the protest and is soon handed a Pepsi by a smiling activist. The commercial ends after Jenner walks up to a front-line police officer to give him a soda, and the entire crowd erupts in a cheer.
Activist DeRay Mckesson said to NBC News, “This ad trivializes the urgency of the issues and it diminishes the seriousness and the gravity of why we got into the street in the first place.” The commercial even drew criticism from Bernice King, the youngest daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. She took to Twitter and posted a photo of her late father being pushed by a police officer, accompanied by the caption: “If only Daddy would have known about the power of #Pepsi.”
Airbnb’s Untimely Marketing Message
As a popular travel company, Airbnb frequently sends promotional emails to members on its subscription list. In 2017, the company sent out a marketing copy featuring photos of “floating homes,” with the caption, “Stay above water.” The campaign sounds harmless at first; there’s nothing inherently wrong with promoting floating houses and “aquatic adventures” to potential travelers. The only issue was that this email was sent as thousands of people in Houston were experiencing the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. Chances are, people probably wouldn’t want to go to a “floating house” anytime soon.
