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A great marketing campaign can provide fantastic results for a brand but one blunder can unleash all kinds of problems. Perhaps you are planning a product launch, an email campaign or simply producing some design work – make sure you seek professional support. It is always worth gaining advice on your marketing plan, no matter how smooth it may appear to be.

Errors are easily detected by a trained eye, but can be missed if work is carried out in haste. If a big campaign goes wrong, it can spell disaster and prove costly to rectify. The media often pick up on failed campaigns and negative publicity can be fatal for business.

Here at Nexus, we have a dedicated team of marketing experts who work to ensure campaigns are a success. It takes planning, research and creativity to make sure the project will meet objectives. We look after all aspects of your marketing needs, dealing with the day-to-day planning and delivery – you can simply enjoy the results!

Unfortunately for some big brands, marketing mistakes have proved a problem. Here are some examples of their blunders making headline news:

B&Q – Blindingly obvious… mole repellers useless

DIY retailer B&Q is recalling sonic mole repellers from its Northern Ireland stores – because the mammals do not exist in Ireland. The chain admitted it had been a mistake to stock the devices in its NI stores and that they had been on sale for several months.

It stocks two mole repellers – one priced £19.98 and the other £14.98. Both are to be withdrawn from sale. “The mole repellents were sent to Northern Ireland by mistake and will be removed from stores in the near future,” a B&Q spokesman told BBC News.

Moles, which are almost blind, live underground and burrow holes, with some species aquatic or semi-aquatic. (Source: BBC)

VIRGIN – Virgin Trains in email marketing error

Virgin Trains has apologised to customers after an email was mistakenly sent inviting thousands of them to a luxury event at The Grove Golf Resort Hotel in Hertfordshire.

TheTrainLine, which manages rail retailing for Virgin Trains, was meant to send the email to only a small group of customers but sent it to tens of thousands of Virgin Trains customers by mistake.

Virgin Trains sent a second email apologising for the error and offered customers the chance to win tickets to the event instead. The email read: “We realise that we might have got you all excited about the prospect of a day at The Grove, and would like to offer you the chance to win one of three places at this event.” (Source: Brand Republic)

Snapple – The world’s largest ice lolly

Snapple attempted to erect the world’s largest ice lolly, made of frozen Snapple juice, twenty-five feet tall and weighing 17.5 tons, in Times Square. But the company didn’t count on the 80-degree weather and the frozen tower melted, sending kiwi-strawberry-flavoured fluid pouring onto the streets of downtown Manhattan.

It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? Stunts like this take planning, a lot of it, and not taking even the smallest detail – the weather – into account can really trip you up. (Source: Entrepreneur)

I must stress that we were not involved in any of these marketing blunders but it does go to show that it doesn’t matter how big your company is or how large your marketing budget; if you don’t have the benefit of a good agency the paddleless creek could beckon.

Posted by James

This entry is filed under Advertising, Brands, Marketing.
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