WHEN MARKETING IS THE GLOSS TO THE PROBLEM

January finally packed its bags and left! It almost felt like a whole year on its own. Some say it dragged on forever, while others claim it was the shortest January in history. Whichever the case is, welcome to February!?

So, here we are, the second month in and settling into the year. It’s been a while since my last post, and while it might be a bit late to say Happy New Year, the spirit of fresh starts is still in the air.

The last time I shared a post, I called it my sign-out piece. So, I guess this is my sign-in to 2025 piece (lol). And what better way than to talk about something that might sometimes be too good to be true?

A great campaign can turn heads, but can it sustain a business? What happens when marketing is just a shiny cover for a deeper issue?

While we are all about doing things differently this year, some brands will stick to the same old playbook, masking fundamental issues with flashy marketing.

We have heard countless times that proper branding, effective communication, and advertising to the right target audience is your business's solution to scale, expand, and convert more customers. But when does marketing fail or lead to negative publicity?

Remember when you come across some adverts, and you are like, “But your product doesn’t work!”. Imagine what could have been if they fixed the lapses before spending so much on marketing.?

Is it not simple? Advertise only what works, but this isn’t always the case. We see harmful products and services with massive PR yet no substantial or long-term results because marketing is not a fix for a bad product or service. One will still wonder, "Why do brands that fall in this category spend money on advertising a product/service that needs fixing? A reasonable explanation will be that they assume that marketing is a temporary fix and the perfect gloss to shield unsuspecting/new customers. The downside is that such a brand will most likely get one-time and not lifetime customers. It would be incredibly difficult to convert customers into brand loyalists or ascertain word-of-mouth marketing from brand users.

Marketing is said to be successful when it doesn’t gloss over issues with product quality or service delivery because, while marketing can influence early sales results, the quality of your product or service plays a crucial role in short-term and long-term commercial success.

We should understand that consumer confidence tends to decrease by the day, given the multitude of options, and the skepticism to try something new still remains. Not only this, but other factors like inflation, rising interest rates, and increases in the cost of living continue to impact consumer confidence and their spending habits.?

So, consumers will no longer simply fall for what they see or hear about; while they critique and are very rational about their decisions to switch or spend, they crave a seamless experience once they try a product or service.

Simply put, know this: consumers rarely give a brand a second chance. One bad experience is enough to cancel a subsequent purchase or trial. It sounds like cancel culture, yh, lol.

What happens when a great marketing campaign meets a superb brand/product?

1. Brand equity is reinforced: the overall brand value and reputation are improved since the brand keeps to its promise, and its offerings are tested and trusted.
2. The bottom line is impacted: the bottom line improves because more people know your brand and are genuinely interested.
3. Brand differentiation: differentiating your brand from other competitors becomes a high point. Your brand will easily stand out from the competition, and the benefits that set your brand apart are amplified.
4. Increased visibility: first, marketing campaigns push your brand to a large audience, and when what you say matches what your product can offer, it’s the icing on the cake that induces more visibility and positive sentiments for your brand.
5. Generate earned publicity through positive word-of-mouth marketing. News makes rounds when there is a newly identified product or brand that is all that it claims to be. This kind of publicity is from satisfied customers who readily share their positive experiences with others.
6. Customer satisfaction, loyalty, and trust: it’s easier for satisfied customers to become repeat buyers and advocates for your brand because of the positive experience they’ve had with your brand.
7. Long-term success: you can establish a strong market presence and increase the chances of brand dominance.

In summary, it doesn’t matter how superb your marketing campaign is; if your product, service, or offering does not “slap” even harder, it might result in another epic marketing fail.

However, where there is a synergy between a great marketing campaign and a superb brand product, there is lasting business impact, business success is achieved, and a satisfied and loyal clientele is also fostered.

Finally, whose head has the axe when marketing is the gloss to the problem? - Brand/Marketing specialists, product specialists or brand owners?