Humans love controversy. We’re hooked on it – there’s something transfixing about people locked in passionate debate. In fact, conflict is the very thing that makes a story exciting. Today, there’s an ever-growing economy for controversy. It has woven its way into everything from our formal advertisements but into everyday social engagements and customer content, too.
When we use controversy in marketing and advertising, we call it Shock Marketing – a facet of marketing that “provokes, inspires, or stuns the public.” And sometimes, it works. But is there a way to run a controversial marketing campaign without sensationalizing the negative or degrading the brand?
How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Shock Marketing
When putting controversy at the helm of a campaign, it’s important to avoid the following five pitfalls:
- It’s unnecessary.
Make sure that if you’re going to employ controversy, you’ve got a good reason. Why do you want to use controversy or shock to share your message? Is there a way to avoid the risks of controversy and still drum up attention?
- It doesn’t add value.
If you’re going to work with negatives, try to make your ideas add positive value to the lives of consumers. Comment on a political or societal problem with an eye on solutions. Fund, support, or collaborate with organizations that are on the right side of the issue you’re addressing. Find a way to serve value along with the shock.
- You’re not prepared for the backlash.
Set expectations with your team as some people are not going to like this campaign — there will be people who are offended, confused, misinformed, fairly critical and unfairly critical. Have answers for the valid critique and be ready to ignore, address, or joke around the rest of it.
- You can’t afford to offend.
With criticism, comes retaliation. Nearly any time a brand launches a controversial campaign, they lose customers. If you can afford the loss and you’re willing to bet that loss against potential gain, you’re ready for controversy. If not, stay in your lane.
- You fall flat in the aftermath.
When any brand makes a big move, their audience sits on hot coals waiting to see what’s next. How can you transition back to the vanilla campaigns you used to run? What happens if this thing gets big and ugly? How will you maintain the momentum that follows this campaign? Be ready to steer.
Types of Controversy in Advertising
People have always had big opinions and an even bigger desire to share them. Which type of campaign will keep you risk-averse while playing to your strengths?
- Political: A response to, commentary on, or parody of any given political issue.
- Identity-Oriented: Hyper-targeted to include or exclude a given group of people.
- Disruptive: Aims to make waves in an industry or change the “old” ways of doing something.
- The Jump-Scare: Uses disturbing visual media and sensational headlines to interrupt your scroll.
- Messy or Slapdash: Employs over-the-top visuals, humor, and outrageous pairings to shock and entertain.
- Vulgar or Explicit: Makes use of overt nudity, colorful language, and adult themes to capture attention.
- The Quease Factor: Uses toilet humor, gross-out visuals, or uncomfortable topics to make you squirm.
- Controversy-Lite: Capitalizes on micro-debates like “crunchy or creamy” peanut butter.
How to Plan a Shock Marketing Campaign
Know your audience.
The first rule of any marketing campaign is to know who you’re hoping to reach. Their demographics and psychographics paint part of the picture and your long-won anecdotal understanding of their needs will fuel the rest. Tap into your sales and customer service teams for added insight.
Put your product at the center.
Don’t get lost in the sparkle of the possibility that you’ll “go viral” – this campaign is a vessel to sell a product or service. Make sure your campaign helps your customers connect to and understand what you sell.
Set measurable goals.
What are the KPIs for your project? What metrics will you be looking at to determine its performance and what numbers do you want to see there? How do those metrics tie back to your revenue? If your campaign doesn’t convert buyers, did it really do its job?
Choose the proper promotional channel(s).
You’ll want to choose the channels that match up with the goals you set and the people you hope to reach (plus the level of controversy present in your ad or campaign content). Some social platforms allow for more gratuitous use of language while others are more censoring toward certain types of content. Know your audience specifically on each platform or in each venue, as well as what those channels offer or limit, and publish accordingly.
Prepare for everything.
What should your social team say (or not say) as they field the response to this campaign? How can your customer service or sales teams anticipate and handle any backlash? What are the right and wrong ways to respond to criticism? What interviews or requests for comment will you respond to – or not? Make sure everyone on the team knows just how far you’ll take this thing.
Do no harm.
Even where controversy is concerned, nobody needs to be harmed in the making of your campaign. Aim to alienate the type of people who are hateful, discriminatory, and closed-minded, not recruit them. If there’s even a question of whether your campaign strips someone of their human dignity, don’t run it.
We did it. Now what?
Once your controversial campaign is live, it’s time to collectively cringe and wait for the response. The more risqué you chose to go with your campaign, the more instantaneous and grueling your press cycle may become. Most importantly, be ready to pivot, apologize, double-down, or defend your stance. Shock Marketing might be the strategy that brings your business the most strife and regret or a wave of unprecedented growth and loyalty. Are you ready to roll those dice?