Doesn't Matter What You Say
If marketing is just a theory, why do we still face unsuccessful marketing campaigns every year? If 1+1=2, why do marketers still have some barriers to give the right message?
Unfortunately, communication is not that basic model as we think. Communication always has 2 sides. Even if the sender thinks that this message shows what they intend, the receiver may not get to the point. In that case, marketing is not only giving the right message but also about creating a sense of what the consumer understands.
We’ve witnessed that with Peloton’s Holiday Ad. I don’t think Peloton’s marketing team was expecting to see these backlashes when they created the campaign. However, this campaign has been seen as a sexist husband trying to keep his wife at home. This shows us that positive attitudes or messaging do not mean that it’ll be perceived as positive as we think. This example proves that some personal comments and noise cause a negative brand image.
On the other hand, cultural aspects can be the reason for miscommunication. Dolce & Gabbana has created this campaign for China, and the Asian model was trying to eat pizza with chopsticks. This attitude has been seen as disrespectful to Chinese people, and they started to boycott the brand until they sincerely apologized.
Of course, these brands are not doing it to them purposely, but why don’t they see the results in advance? Because they just focus on giving the message, not receiving it as a consumer. They don’t put themselves in their audience's shoes. Plus, they don’t consider the “noise” that can face during the campaign. That’s why I would recommend creating culture-focused messaging instead of a global brand message. We all know that brand image and consistency matter, however, cultural aspects can be bigger than that.
Successful brands achieve when they deliver the right message to the right people at the right time and ensure it is perceived as intended.
At the end of all efforts, campaigns and ads, the truth is the image of the consumer’s mind, not the brand’s intention. No matter how intentionally created, a message’s true impact in determined by how the audience interprets.
Dilanur Pekgil
