Companies with bad marketing are a joy.
And no, it is not that large multimillion-dollar transnationals necessarily insist on making mistakes, although it may seem otherwise.
But as we mentioned in our last blog (courtesy of the Atlas FC), managing social networks should never be done on your own.
The consequences of bad marketing are usually dramatic but never catastrophic. It is unlikely that, despite large losses, any company will go bankrupt because of a poorly handled tweet.
If we sat down to evaluate how many companies do bad digital marketing, we would never finish.
But fast food chains are usually a guarantee of bad marketing. They are almost infallible in this area.
This is why our blog post today goes back a good 3 years, when Burger King in the United Kingdom made one of those mistakes that do not go unnoticed: A misogynistic joke on Women's Day.
Best example of companies with bad marketing to analyze, impossible (?).
1- X: The favorite platform to highlight companies with bad marketing
The acclaimed burger company had a big moment in 2021, specifically on March 8, this being International Women's Day.
Neither short nor lazy, the community manager of Burger King UK had a lightbulb moment when she posted a tweet saying that “women belong in the kitchen”:
As you may know, Searchers, reactions were the order of the day.
Almost immediately, they published another tweet wanting to make up such a cake.
The community manager could only reply that “they thought it was very strange that women only make up 20% of chefs in the UK restaurant industry.” Pathetic.
Regardless of whether the statistics may be correct or not, the anniversary warranted greater caution.
You and we know that once that barrier is crossed, there is not much to do. Getting out of the category of companies with bad marketing is almost impossible.
2- Burger King UK: Regular winner of the podium of companies with bad marketing
A good 11 years ago, the UK food industry was embroiled in a huge scandal, as a major meat supplier to big companies such as Tesco and Aldi, supplied horse meat to its customers.
Obviously, as it could not be missed, Burger King was among the famous companies that bought from Silvercrest Foods, a company that had to withstand all the bullets, but could not prevent its own customers from being injured.
Burger King UK had to come out and declare that although they had found very small levels of equine DNA, they were contaminated.
This action gave them their first nomination in the category of companies with bad marketing.
Starting 2013 at full gallop.
3- Bad marketing strategy plan
In 1993 (every year that ends in 3 is a big difference) they released an imitation of competition against the Big Mac: The Supreme Double.
We believe in talent and that the scarcity of opportunities is very evident, but it is not fair. It's just not fair.
In 1996 they relaunched it as the “Big King”. Calamitous.
Although it was discontinued later, in 2013 (see?) they brought it back. It is fair to say that both the Big Mac and the Big King are poor quality products. But copying the name of your biggest competitor is very rude.
The path to becoming one of many companies with bad marketing can be consolidated either with a single mistake or with a path of several bad decisions at the digital marketing or social communication level.
4- Poor implementation of digital marketing: The empire strikes back
An ingenious but very risky spot was launched in the not-too-distant 2017.
The employee is holding a hamburger in which he comments that 15 seconds of commercial will not be able to explain what the Whopper is made of.
Then, launch the phrase “Ok Google, what is a Whopper?”
Everything was oriented so that “Alexas” and other voice-controlled devices could begin to respond, trying to integrate the commercial with the reality of the observer and that, in effect, their device could describe the ingredients of the hamburger.
Many people considered it a severe transgression that their devices “were controlled by a commercial.” Even Google had to block it on its interface to prevent the commercial from working.
Burger King United Kingdom's guarantee as part of the companies with poor fast food marketing was a reality and is here to stay.
5- Bad image in marketing: Misogynistic jokes on Women's Day
At Searching Marketing, we believe that even comedy must evolve.
The tweet citing that women belong in the kitchen is undoubtedly one of the big stains on the controversial history of the second largest hamburger company in the world.
As mentioned before, jobs within marketing are always interdisciplinary.
No steps can be taken without there being a general consensus and guidelines to understand the meaning of the objectives that are outlined within digital marketing plans.
While Burger King apologized for their poor marketing strategy, their tweet was more about pressure than raising awareness of what they posted.
We all make mistakes, but bad marketing strategies with financial losses are real, quantifiable and 100% measurable.
How, then, can we avoid poor implementation of digital marketing?
Always keep in mind that you must treat the company's communication as if it were yours. Yes, it sounds very trite and not very empathetic with the decisions that a content, community or social media manager can make.
But the reality is that employees are fired for errors of this type, generally those that they write such comments. That's always the simplest.
However, a marketing strategy goes beyond a well or poorly thought out comment.
Companies still have a long way to go to understand that comedy or black humor no longer has the same reception as it did a decade ago.
There are many mechanisms to be able to join anniversaries such as International Women's Day or some other important celebration.
Bad digital marketing campaigns will always be the great teachers of all of us who are dedicated to communicating the essence of a person, brand, business or company.
6- Burger King: Honorary member of companies with bad marketing
The tweet was not only unfortunate, but it sought interactions at the expense of a topic that, frankly, although it may have previously been the subject of much laughter or ridicule, is about evolving content and better managing online communities.
Brands with bad examples of social marketing exist and in abundance.
The fact that Burger King UK is an effervescent guest at controversy meetings and is considered a company with poor marketing processes, keeps it relevant and “viral”.
At Searching Marketing, we believe that it is valid to explore other paths and not abuse comments that only incite cheap controversy.
Looking good to a few at the expense of many others no longer gives the results it used to.
Misuse of marketing can bring few positive effects, the rest is being in the eye of the hurricane for pleasure.
However, if you are looking to become relevant and stand out as one of many companies with bad marketing, it is a very risky decision.
Don't be afraid to be creative, to innovate, to replicate what works for others and detail or adjust along the way.
Remember, Search Engines, that if you are looking for a digital marketing strategy, community management, advice on social media management or marketing in general, we help you find it!
