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Woolworths #freshinourmemories ANZAC misfire: how to enrage a nation

April 17, 2015

Woolworths #freshinourmemories ANZAC misfire: how to enrage a nation

Once again a social media faux pas has hit the headlines; this time an attempt by one of Australia’s largest supermarket chains, Woolworths, to show support to the upcoming 100th anniversary of the ANZAC Gallipoli landings. Spectacularly blowing up in their faces, this campaign didn’t even last 24 hours.

For those unaware, Woolworths with help from their ‘experiential agency’ partner Carrspace, added a meme generator to their Facebook page. In their minds at least, this would allow people to create their own profile or cover pictures using images of those ‘affected or lost to war’ so that their memory could live on. The problem: That Woolworths’ branding and less than subtle references to their ‘fresh’ brand positioning was included in the meme itself. While Woolworths deny that it was a marketing ploy, you can’t help but to think that their hope was for this to go to the masses and their brand be plastered over as many Facebook pages as possible. Viral marketing at it’s best really. Unfortunately for them however, it failed miserably.

Again I’m sure this campaign, like all the others that have been found guilty in trial by Twitter, started off as a really amazing idea that was brainstormed by Carrspace and Woolies. But once again I hear myself (and a lot of others) shouting “why didn’t you think of testing this with someone first!!!”.

I know research isn’t as edgy or as cool as viral and social media marketing, and I’m sure these guys think they’ve got their finger on the pulse and their ear to the ground, but you’re going to save yourself a lot of heartache stepping back from a campaign (that you’re obviously very close to) and letting just a few of your intended target audience have their say first. This doesn’t mean taking a straw poll around the office either sorry. Avoid the car crash that has seen a heck of a lot of equity lost in the brand by flagging any issues first and if necessary, pull the campaign before launching to the masses.

Concepts are launched with the confidence of a marketing and creative team that have spent the last however many months ‘perfecting’ their campaign. But too often, they’ve lost the perspective of the end consumer along the way. That’s where independent research is critical to validate and test the messaging, the look and feel of the content and (most importantly) to help get a feel for what the intended behaviour will be as a result of viewing the campaign.

I really do feel that there could have been a lot of blushes spared by just a quick read in an online community, a few focus groups or some quantitative concept testing. Research is a relatively inexpensive means of ensuring that you are not going to be the next brand up on the guillotine being prosecuted by the Twittersphere.

May the #freshinourmemories campaign, be forever fresh in our memories.


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