How Can You Adapt Underperforming Marketing Campaigns?

How Can You Adapt Underperforming Marketing Campaigns?

In the dynamic world of marketing, not every campaign hits its mark. We've gathered insights from a Director of Content and a Digital Marketing Manager, among others, on how they pivoted when faced with underperforming campaigns. From shifting strategy to non-industry expos to highlighting practical benefits over tech features, here are four candid reflections on adapting marketing strategies.

• Shifted Strategy to Non-Industry Expos
• Refocused Campaign on Career Benefits
• Revised Approach for Gen Z Engagement
• Highlighted Practical Benefits Over Tech Features

Shifted Strategy to Non-Industry Expos

Expos were once a successful form of marketing for my former brand, but while more and more people attended these expos, their intent for visiting changed. No longer was it about product information and finding a solution, but instead, it was to grab as many samples as possible.

So rather than giving up on the in-person events, we changed our strategy to focus on non-industry trade shows, ones that our products could serve but were not the main theme of the event. The result was significantly less competition and far more customer interest.

Refocused Campaign on Career Benefits

Imagine a social media campaign promoting a language-learning app with funny memes and pop-culture references. Although engagement was high, downloads were slow. Analysis showed that this humor was especially popular with teenagers but not with the target audience of busy professionals. We've focused our content on showcasing real career benefits and time-saving features. Downloads went sky-high, proving the importance of understanding your audience and tailoring your message accordingly.

Revised Approach for Gen Z Engagement

A few years back, in an effort to target the emerging Gen Z market, I developed a fast-paced video campaign with my advertising department. We thought we hit the mark and were excited to put it out.

But it absolutely bombed. As a recruiter in the tech field, I really need to land those fresh graduates, and to be honest, I think it hurt my chances instead of helping.

We went back to testing, and after extensive polling, discovered that Gen Z is tired of being pandered to. Adopting their lingo and style will never work -- they see right through it, and are actually turned off.

Now I cringe looking back at that particular campaign.

But we were able to rework the message into a less frenetic, photo-based campaign, and once we'd dropped the try-hard euphemisms and slang, our intent came through loud and clear.

Sometimes, trying too hard is worse than not trying at all.

Highlighted Practical Benefits Over Tech Features

We once rolled out an extensive marketing campaign for a cutting-edge software update, confident that showcasing the high-tech features would engage our tech-loving demographic. However, it didn't hit the mark—we found that customers were more interested in the practical, everyday benefits rather than the tech details. So, we took this valuable feedback and restructured our campaign, highlighting the down-to-earth advantages of our update: how it saves time, simplifies tasks, and speaks to customers in a language they understand and appreciate.