Top 3 Pitfall-Proof Marketing Tactics

You Eat with That Mouth

Marketing is like your company’s mouthpiece. It’s supposed to make you stand out. What you say or do can either pay dividends – or cause your market to sour on you for a long time.

With marketing being such a critical part of a brand’s reputation, here are a few ways to avoid brand-threatening pitfalls when developing your story, strategy or tactics.

1. Under Promise – Over Deliver

If you are rolling out a new product or service, or a new business altogether, having integrity is important. Keep your marketing promises.

In February, Willy’s Chocolate Experience in Glasgow, Scotland, marketed as an immersive adventure inspired by Willy Wonka, left attendees extremely disappointed. Despite AI-generated marketing images promising elaborate candy and enchanting adventures, the actual event featured a sparse warehouse, minimal decorations, a single bouncy house, and meager refreshments. The disappointment led to police intervention and the event being shut down early, with organizers issuing refunds to all attendees.

If you tout your product is going to solve some critical problem or give your customers a great experience – and it doesn’t, customers will not forget that disappointment. You will have to work twice as hard to get them to give you another shot.

2. Read the Room

Be it news cycles, current trends, a global phenomenon or just the chatter of social media on any given topic, marketing messages can get a company into trouble if they are not careful. Businesses that are not tuned into the sensitivities of public sentiment risk alienating them with tone-deaf messaging.

This is particularly important for social media campaigns. Audiences’ opinions are diverse and extremely sensitive in today’s market. Make sure your message and tone meet the moment at every turn. Your customers are watching.

3. Don’t be Two-faced

If a company promotes honesty, integrity and a sense of caring, but they’re not doing the same when they think no one is looking, people will find out. Employees in particular can be your best brand ambassadors – or your Achillies heel if the public persona is not aligned with the private one.

Kyte Baby, a bamboo clothing company for babies and toddlers, has faced criticism for mishandling a work-from-home request from employee Marissa Hughes, who adopted a premature baby. Despite being eligible for two weeks of maternity leave, Hughes requested to work from home to care for her baby in the NICU, but the company denied the request, leading to customer backlash. Founder Ying Liu’s apologies on TikTok were widely perceived as inauthentic, exacerbating the controversy and highlighting a perceived misalignment with the company’s values.

Consumers in today’s market hold companies to a higher standard than they have in the past. Prioritizing integrity in your operations is as important as doing so in your sales process. Having a strong moral code in everything you do is good for business and good for the brand.

Marketing not only helps sell your products and services, but promotes your reputation.

If you are looking for ways to build and safeguard your brand while expanding your market, contact First Impressions Marketing today for a consultation.