Your marketing department controls the public face of your brand. Marketing holds much of the power to build a positive reputation for an organization, but it can also cause disaster if that power isn’t wielded thoughtfully.
We’ve all heard stories of failed marketing campaigns, and worse, of marketing campaigns that actively offended their intended audience. To avoid appearing in the next “5 Marketing Mistakes You Won’t Believe” viral post, keep the following in mind.
Will the ad design you all think is amazing around the office actually play well with your target market? Does the content strategy you’re preparing for the next six months provide value that is relevant to your audience?
Before launching any campaign, make sure that your execution will both appeal to your audience and actually address their needs in a meaningful manner. Conduct appropriate research to ensure that your content is answering your audience’s questions and is delivered in a manner that fits their lifestyle. For example, a high-level executive may not have time to read a whitepaper you e-blast to them at 2 in the afternoon, but they may respond well to a simple 8am email providing them a digest of your latest targeted blog posts.
Some of the worst marketing fails of recent years have involved brands piggybacking on the news inappropriately, leading to backlash when the public responded that the brands in question were using natural disasters or solemn occasions for profit. In many cases, the brands in question were guilty of this. In others, they simply hadn’t considered how a previously scheduled piece of content would look in light of recent events.
As always, be thoughtful. Before publishing a campaign, take the time to make sure that it’s relevant, timely and will be read as intended. Coordinate with the sales team and the external relations team to gauge public opinion of your company, and keep it in mind with every piece of content you’re sending out to a general audience. If necessary, head back to the drawing board. It’s always better to rework a campaign than lose public goodwill.
Before beginning any campaign, make sure you have the appropriate resources to carry it through. While a marketing campaign without the proper backing won’t blow up in the way something offensive will, it also won’t achieve what you need it to do.
Some campaigns are more successful than others. Let your past results guide your upcoming campaigns by incorporating what you learned as you plan. Determine how to allocate your marketing spend, what topics to explore and what types of content to create based on where you’ve seen success. Don’t be afraid to try out new tactics, either: an unexpected social media strategy could have powerful results.
Want to learn more about how to keep your marketing on track in Q4 2015? Check out how Movéo helps partners create demand generation.
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