Who's to Blame for a Flopped Campaign?

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By: Dwayne W. Waite Jr.

A recent article from Ad News Now brought up the increasingly fragile relationship between the company marketer and the agency they work with. The main question being discussed was who the finger should be pointed at when an advertising campaign doesn't reach its goal. Of course, the CMO would say the agency, and the agency would say the client. Those parties who don't wish to point fingers will say that both have responsibility. The last opinion is probably the most accurate, but the discussion should be much deeper than that.

The bottom line is that if an advertising campaign isn't resonating with the consumer, the brand and agency better make sure that they are offering the right stuff. Like Ogilvy said, you can have the best advertising or a killer idea, but if the product or service doesn't resonate with the consumer, "the results are disastrous."

So who is to blame for an ineffective advertising campaign? If the product or service is inferior to the competing forces of the market, could it be argued that the C-Suite and team that developed the item is to blame? Let's face it: if one is trying to advertise and sell dirt, that marketer or agency is going to have limited success.

Thankfully, towards the end of the piece, it was noted that the CEO of Yum Brands is taking that approach in regards to Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC. It is foolish to blame the advertising if the product or service itself needs improvement.

In a consumer-driven economy, adding to the clutter of advertising and marketing will not make a company a success anymore. As purchasing power shrinks, consumers will be more picky about what they spend their money on, and the "bang for the buck" will be a bigger factor. Value, quality, and the behavior of the consumer needs more attention. Then once you have a product or service that consumers want, the advertising and marketing will be effective.

With all this attention when campaigns go bad though, companies should consider giving more props to marketers and agencies when campaigns go right.

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About the Author

Dwayne W. Waite Jr. is partner and principal at JDW: The Charlotte Agency, a marketing and advertising shop in Charlotte, NC. He enjoys consumer behavior, economics, and football.

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