The Dangers of Haphazard Marketing
Things have been moving very quickly over the past few months – We have all experienced it, in both our personal lives and professional endeavors. In the last two newsletters, we examined how companies had to adapt to the new conditions dictated by the pandemic, and how we must prepare for the post-pandemic circumstances.
As marketers, we are in charge of putting our companies’ (or our clients’) visions into marketing plans and efforts. And even though we must do that work fast sometimes, we should not do it haphazardly. Unfortunately, in an effort to remain relevant and stay ahead of the game, some companies put out marketing communication that was not fully developed, vetted out, verified, or sufficiently edited and proofread.
Here are a few examples of things we came across in recent weeks:
- Videos instructing the public on how to boost their immune system that were medically wrong
- Instructions on how to apply for SBA loans that were inaccurate and/or with links that led nowhere
- Registration form on a homepage calling customers to “Subscribe to our useless newsletter”
- Confusing instructions on how to order products, how to pick up online orders, and conflicting references to operating hours
Clearly, the mishaps above are accidental and were made by well-intentioned people. However, during hard times as in ordinary times, public-facing messages must still go through the proper amount of scrutiny before they are published. Not doing so may result in:
- Loss of revenue
- Frustration on the part of customers who might go somewhere else
- Tarnishing of the brand’s equity
- Actual harm to people who follow inaccurate or dangerous instructions
We urge you to be vigilant and insist on good practices when sharing information and formulating marketing tactics always, and most especially during stressful times when the stakes are even higher than usual.
If you need help putting your message together or formulating and implementing your marketing plans, we’re here for you. Call us and pick our brains with no commitment or obligation on your part!
Duke Merhavy, MBA, Ph.D.
President & Chief Marketing Officer
Ford Tough – Marketing Built for a Crisis…Or Many Crises
The COVID-19 crisis is making even the savviest of marketers ask themselves how to meet these unprecedented, historic times. Even Ford Motor Company, an American tradition since 1903, and an organization that is no stranger to crisis management, has this concern.
In the past 102 years, Ford has weathered major global storms like the Spanish Flu pandemic, the Great Depression, World Wars I and II, and 9/11. Certainly, there were several more “Ford storms” as well, like controversy over the environmental impact of vehicles, the Ford Pinto’s unfortunate reaction to rear-end collisions, and Firestone tires shredding on Ford Explorers. Ford Motor Company is definitely a survivor, in large part because it is adept at evolving strategies and marketing efforts in near real-time.
To acknowledge the gravity of the current situation, the company pivoted its marketing content to explain how they have met global-scale crises in the past. The best and most iconic example of this is Ford building military equipment during World War II. Likewise, they have conveyed their commitment to fighting COVID-19 by manufacturing medical equipment like ventilators. The new ads, “Built to Lend a Hand” and “Built for Right Now,” showcase the company’s commitment to their consumers and mission.
Andrew Georgescu, Ford’s Head of Content Marketing in the US, definitely sounded like someone who had seen a storm or two when he said, “117 years of resilience has taught us that we will get through this. But it’s a critical time that calls for action and cooperation”.
What Is Fractional CMO & Marketing?
Fractional CMO & Marketing is ‘Your Outsource Marketing Department’ when you need expert marketing leadership and marketing services to accelerate growth and improve profitability, but you’re not quite ready to hire a full-time Chief Marketing Officer or your own marketing department. Our unique arrangement is the most efficient, innovative, and cost-effective formula for you. Click on the image on the left to watch a short video.
We Help When You Need To:
- Generate more of the right kind of leads
- Close more sales faster
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- Formulate a more effective message
- Produce powerful sales tools
- Establish brand awareness, recognition, and preference
- Differentiate your brand from the competition
- Improve customer satisfaction and loyalty
- Develop lasting relationships with customers
- Introduce new products
Marketing Lingo: Open Rate & Click-Through Rate
Open Rate is an email metrics used by marketers to determine the interest level recipients have in a particular email. The effectiveness of the subject line is the main factor (though not the only one) that determines the Open Rate. Open Rate is the percentage of the total number of recipients who opened an email campaign.
Click–through rate (CTR) is another metrics used by marketers to further determine the interest level recipients have in the content of a particular email. More specifically, it is the percentage of recipients who opened the email and clicked on a link within that email. CTR is often considered a stronger indicator of interest than the Open Rate.
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