6) Impact
The “impact” of digital marketing campaigns is typically discussed using KPIs & metrics: ROI, ROAS, CPA, CPM, brand awareness, reach, and impressions. But, equally as important as these marketing metrics is the social impact our campaigns may have. If harmful, the consequences of these campaigns may not be worth a positive return on ad spend in the short term.
We believe that marketers should always, always, always consider the potential social impact of campaigns before going live, and avoid campaigns that widen harmful divides in society.
As an example, let’s take a look at two recent campaigns, both inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement: Pepsi’s 2017 campaign featuring Kendall Jenner and Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign featuring Colin Kapernick.
Pepsi’s campaign, in which Jenner diffuses a Black Lives Matter-inspired protest with a can of Pepsi, was a disaster and forced the company to issue a public apology for “missing the mark” while “trying to project a message of unity, peace and understanding.”
Nike's campaign featuring Kapernick promoted a controversial message of integrity, “believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” and was a huge success, contributing to an increase of the company’s sales by 31% within a year.
For Pepsi, this was a PR disaster. For Nike, this was a huge commercial success. Yet, both campaigns still worked to profit from further fragmenting an already divided country.
To be clear, we are not discouraging provocative marketing campaigns. Provocative campaigns can be powerful tools to instigate change, and in some cases change might be the ethical course of action. The point we’re making is that it’s important to consider the consequences of our marketing campaigns along with the potential upside.
6) Impact
The “impact” of digital marketing campaigns is typically discussed using KPIs & metrics: ROI, ROAS, CPA, CPM, brand awareness, reach, and impressions. But, equally as important as these marketing metrics is the social impact our campaigns may have. If harmful, the consequences of these campaigns may not be worth a positive return on ad spend in the short term.
We believe that marketers should always, always, always consider the potential social impact of campaigns before going live, and avoid campaigns that widen harmful divides in society.
As an example, let’s take a look at two recent campaigns, both inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement: Pepsi’s 2017 campaign featuring Kendall Jenner and Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign featuring Colin Kapernick.
Pepsi’s campaign, in which Jenner diffuses a Black Lives Matter-inspired protest with a can of Pepsi, was a disaster and forced the company to issue a public apology for “missing the mark” while “trying to project a message of unity, peace and understanding.”
Nike's campaign featuring Kapernick promoted a controversial message of integrity, “believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” and was a huge success, contributing to an increase of the company’s sales by 31% within a year.
For Pepsi, this was a PR disaster. For Nike, this was a huge commercial success. Yet, both campaigns still worked to profit from further fragmenting an already divided country.
To be clear, we are not discouraging provocative marketing campaigns. Provocative campaigns can be powerful tools to instigate change, and in some cases change might be the ethical course of action. The point we’re making is that it’s important to consider the consequences of our marketing campaigns along with the potential upside.
6) Impact
The “impact” of digital marketing campaigns is typically discussed using KPIs & metrics: ROI, ROAS, CPA, CPM, brand awareness, reach, and impressions. But, equally as important as these marketing metrics is the social impact our campaigns may have. If harmful, the consequences of these campaigns may not be worth a positive return on ad spend in the short term.
We believe that marketers should always, always, always consider the potential social impact of campaigns before going live, and avoid campaigns that widen harmful divides in society.
As an example, let’s take a look at two recent campaigns, both inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement: Pepsi’s 2017 campaign featuring Kendall Jenner and Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign featuring Colin Kapernick.
Pepsi’s campaign, in which Jenner diffuses a Black Lives Matter-inspired protest with a can of Pepsi, was a disaster and forced the company to issue a public apology for “missing the mark” while “trying to project a message of unity, peace and understanding.”
Nike's campaign featuring Kapernick promoted a controversial message of integrity, “believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything,” and was a huge success, contributing to an increase of the company’s sales by 31% within a year.
For Pepsi, this was a PR disaster. For Nike, this was a huge commercial success. Yet, both campaigns still worked to profit from further fragmenting an already divided country.
To be clear, we are not discouraging provocative marketing campaigns. Provocative campaigns can be powerful tools to instigate change, and in some cases change might be the ethical course of action. The point we’re making is that it’s important to consider the consequences of our marketing campaigns along with the potential upside.