Have you ever wondered about the most epic fails and the greatest achievements in digital content marketing of the past few years?
Our article right here reveals five brands that either dramatically flopped or brilliantly executed their content marketing strategy.
Read and learn – from their own mistakes and successes!
1. Double-Check That Caption!
OK, we all agree that social media users are often hurriedly scrolling through feeds and accounts, but some errors are just too blatant to be ignored.
What are we talking about, exactly?
British supermodel Naomi Campbell famously copied and pasted the instructions that she received from the Adidas’ marketing team before posting an Instagram photo of her with a pair of Adidas trainers.
Oops! Bottom line? Always double-check those captions, before you hit “post”.
2. Weight… What?
Let’s play a little game.
If we say “Weight Watchers”, what do you think of? The wellness and weight loss company, of course.
But if we say “WW”? Does that ring a bell at all?
Probably not. What if we told you that WW is the new brand name for Weight Watchers? It stands for “Wellness that Works”, and while its products and services might, in fact, work, what doesn’t is this unnecessarily complicated rebranding exercise.
The lesson? Don’t overcomplicate things, especially when they are working. You might end up confusing and frustrating your customers for no reason.
3. The (New and Improved) General
On a more positive note, let’s talk about The General Insurance Company.
This firm’s old-fashioned marketing had always been seen as a bit cringe-worthy, so the company decided that a rebranding was on the cards.
In 2020, they replaced the old, awkward, computer-generated military character with some actual people – celebrities, in fact.
One of their most successful commercials features a group of hikers – led by comedy actor Craig Robinson – who bumps into basketball-legend Shaquille O’Neal in the middle of a forest.
Apparently, Shaq had recommended The General auto insurance to the hikers and, as a result, had been banned to the deep forest.
Robinson apologizes to Shaq for not believing him: it was that silly, old commercial that made The General look weird and unreliable. In fact, The General is a great insurance company, Robinson admits.
This commercial is a fantastic way to nail content marketing rebranding. It’s fun, self-deprecatory, and relatable, and it sticks with viewers.
4. Spot-on Spotify
Another example of great content marketing comes from Spotify.
The music streaming platform launched a social media campaign called “Wrapped”, back in 2017.
In this campaign, listeners’ data was gathered so that Spotify could generate cool, fun stats on every listener’s behavior.
The resulting graphics were catchy and eye-pleasing, and customers loved them.
So much so, that Spotify boomed its sign-ups by 21 percent at the end of 2020. “Wrapped” continues to be one of the all-time favorite features of the Spotify app.
5. Nurturing Customers Relationships: Neutrogena
User-generated content is another great way to promote your brand.
This is what Neutrogena did in 2020, through a user-generated video revolving around skin health.
To be part of the project, filmmakers simply needed to submit video content that focuses on skin health and wellness in an educational and informative way.
The best clips were then selected, and the campaign was ready. Simple, effective, and ultra-relatable: what more could a brand ask for?
Be Bold, Be True, Be You
To succeed at content marketing, remember to be original, true to your brand, and unfiltered.
Oh, and always double-check stuff before you post it. You’ll thank us later.
Do you fancy talking a bit more about content marketing? Contact us today!
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