Just like any other field or line of business, the marketing/advertising world has its own challenges to face from time to time. We’ve written in the past about what’s important to remember about advertising in a recession (you can find it here). J.O. Agency also knows what it’s like to be in the minority of marketing agencies — did you know that less than 1% of agencies are owned/run by women in North America? But even if you don’t work in our creative field, you may encounter challenges as you market your business and try to reach new customers and new audiences.
What is adversity in marketing and advertising?
Facing adversity in your marketing and advertising work can arise for a number of reasons: You’re new to the field and have a lot to learn; you are launching a new business or entering a new market; you fail to consider the cultural climate. Brand Dignity also cites price resistance, lack of trust, low or no response, and internal resistance as real challenges.
Less than 1% of marketing agencies are owned and run by women. J.O. has weathered challenges and adversities for over 26 years.
When it come facing adversity, you can certainly shift your mindset, use humor to diffuse the situation and embrace resiliency — those are all good approaches. Let’s get a little more specific now and talk about three specific challenges or moments of adversity to be on lookout for as you market and advertise.
3 Moments of Adversity to Watch For
- Authenticity
Are you surprised to see authenticity on the list? There’s a good reason for it. Authenticity is increasingly a value that consumers, especially those from the Millennial and Gen Z generations, are looking for in companies they support. The Hootsuite blog explains authenticity like this: “It means be human in your approach to marketing, social media, and customer interactions.” The blog goes on to cite this major stat: 73% of Gen Z only buy from brands they believe in.
So, as a brand, you want to tell your story in a way that connects. However, you still have to be mindful about how your authentic message will hit home with your audience.
You may remember the infamous Pepsi ad featuring Kendall Jenner who seemingly defuses the tensions of a heated protest by offering a police officer a can of Pepsi. The company may have been trying to strike an authentic note by referencing the political climate, but failed in epic proportions because they didn’t understand how their audience would receive the message. In fact, in their response, the company said the following: “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly we missed the mark and we apologize. We did not intend to make light of any serious issue.”
Learn from Pepsi and consider how your message of authenticity will (or won’t) connect with audiences.
Even as you strive to market your brand with authenticity (which you absolutely should), you need to consider if the way you are communicating your authenticity (your values, how you approach audiences, etc.) will successfully connect with the intended audience.
- Shifts in the Market
It happens in every industry — shifts and changes that will force you to adapt how you reach your audience. The marketing and advertising world has seen it time and again, especially with the rapid expansion of technology in the last 20 years.
Technology has led to many shifts in the marketing industry — successful companies will overcome the adversity by adapting to the changes.
Here are just a few examples shifts we’ve had to adapt to:
- The rise of digital advertising
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- The rise of social media platforms (and switching from one platform to the next as more gained popularity with different audiences)
- Influencer marketing
- The overwhelming increase of smartphone usage and, with it, location-based advertising
- The growth of video content
- Personalization thanks to data-driven analytics
- The rise of artificial intelligence
We could go on, but the point is that when it comes to reaching audiences through advertising and marketing — whether it’s shifts in technology, economic recessions, or widespread cultural changes — we have to be willing to follow the advancements of technology and go where we can find our audiences. Don’t be afraid to explore what’s new. It’s human nature — for everyone — to be curious about what’s new. You’ll find a new way to connect with audiences as you go with them into what’s next.
- Social Climate
Another challenge to consider in your marketing is the social climate. It has become increasingly important for brands to consider the social climate and greater context of culture before launching a new marketing campaign. As I write this, we are in the middle of an election cycle. With about 100 days to Election Day, marketers may need to consider how their messages can be interpreted in light of the greater context of America’s political climate and conversations happening in connection to the election.
Elections are just one of example of how brands may need to consider the social climate before debuting a new messaging campaign.
Another example of failing to fully consider the social climate is Levi’s 2023 partnership with LaLaLand.ai to create AI-generated models for online platforms. While the company said their aim was to push into a new realm of technology and create more diversity in models shown on their website, critics were concerned that the company decided to use AI as a way of short-circuiting employing a diverse group of working models. As AI continues to expand, there will surely be many more conversations about the ethics of AI models in the fashion field. In fact, a number of fashion brands including Prada, H&M, Zara and Tommy Hilfiger have received criticism in the past few years. These experiments raised concerns including promoting unrealistic beauty standards, lack of diversity, and lack of trust with the brand.
You can also read about how Burger King disastrously launched a scholarship fund for female chefs when they tweeted ‘Women belong in the kitchen” on International Women’s Day. Another example is Airbnb’s poorly timed email that advertised floating homes to residents in Houston as they endured the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
We could go on and on with examples, but the lesson is this: As you launch a new campaign, try as hard as you can to consider how your messaging will be interpreted in the greater context of what’s happening in your market and culture at large.
Face Adversity with a Friend
You may have heard the proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” We think, when it comes to facing adversity in the creative world of marketing and advertising, it’s worth it to have a friend. J.O. Agency has spent the last 26 years helping companies connect with their audiences and adapt to every shift and dip in the market. (And when things do awry, it’s good to have a friend who can navigate a PR storm. J.O. Agency has learned to traverse these rocky times over and over again.)
When it comes to facing adversity in the creative world, it’s worth it to have a friend like J.O. Agency.
Let’s talk about how we can partner together for your brand’s next great chapter. Reach out to us at [email protected] or here on our website.
