Have you tried Shock Advertising? Should you use it?
Perhaps at some point in your life you came across an advertisement that offended you … or even shocked you because it violated moral or ethical standards. “How can they announce such a thing?” “Is it even legal for them to advertise this way?”
Unfortunately, this marketing strategy has become so popular in recent years that it is now given its own name: Shock advertisement.
We at Enthof never endorse this type of marketing strategy, but I found it interesting to share this dark form of marketing with the audience that some companies feel need to pursue.
We promote honest advertising in order to build a sincere and ethical bond with our customers.
What is a shock advertising?
To understand shock advertising, you need to understand shock.
“shock is primarily a reaction to something unexpected”- A type of negative emotion
It is also contagious. For example, when a jury sees how other juries are shocked by a crime, they change in severity, which lead to a serious compound verdict.
The influence of one person can affect another like – minded person to feels the same way, and that’s how shock advertising works. By upsetting a group of people who feel the same about a particular topic or subject, we are creating a chain reaction of rule violations.
There are quite a few marketing strategies available, but this article will focus on shock advertising.
The shock advertising is:
A marketing strategies used to deliberately intimidate or insult the general public by violating standard procedures and violating the social ideas and values of the general public.
The Internet has played an important role in this type of strategy, making it easier for consumers to communicate with brands. Especially on social media, the audience can comment on what the company is saying.
Shock marketing adopts the concept that customers are always right and turns it upside down.
How Does Shock Advertising Technology Work?
Shock advertising techniques are typically targeted at a specific target market. For example, social justice warriors, feminists, LGBTQ communities, or like-minded people.
Once your target market is identified, ads are created and shared with the goal of creating high-shock conversations.
There are many current social issues currently used in shock advertising, such as toxic masculinity and police atrocities.
Shock advertising draws customers’ attention by attacking what they are passionate about or value, based on their beliefs about social media.
Are Shock Advertising Ethical?
Every business decision has its drawbacks and positive aspects. Shock commercials are no exception.
Not only does this weaken your reputation, it is also very unethical. apart from alienating away from your core customers, You will also run the risk of losing your customer base altogether.
Shock advertising affects not only your reputation and business, but also the other people involved. It can single-handedly ruin people’s lives.
Another drawback is that it has a short-term effect. Shock advertising helps you talk about your brand, accelerates your audience the wrong way, and delivers good results. However, the results are not always good. When people get angry, it can get out of control. Not only is this unethical, it is also not the best route to follow in terms of getting the best results for your business.
Instead of endangering high-impact shock advertisements, there are always other more creative marketing solutions to use.
When is shock advertising most effective?
Shock advertising has had the greatest effect in the past when assessing individuals or groups of people. The general public then responds by boycotting or supporting the company whenever something bad is said or done.
When using shock advertising, your ads are a hot topic on all social media platforms (usually not a good way). Even journalists post about it, which draws out words that affect your sales and stock prices.
shock advertising funnel
There are many ways to use shock advertising, but the steps below outline a basic journey.
1. Publication: The brand or company decides to run a marketing campaign using shock advertising techniques.
2. Exposure -Advertisement runs and consumers are exposed to advertising that surprises them and makes them speechless or angry. The tactics are wrong, contrary to their moral and ethical beliefs, which can be accidental or even intentional. To ensure that your advertising strategy doesn’t inadvertently take the form of influential advertising, many companies seek the help of advertising agencies to support their campaigns.
3. Interaction: At this stage, consumers interact with shocking content by sharing with family and friends and commenting on posts that show anger or disgust. Unfortunately, despite its bad reputation, brands and companies are still in the spotlight.
4. Promotions: Linking companies and news sites capture the topic of advertising. For large companies and well-known brands, this compensation is free.
5. End game: There are two ways to pay attention to this. Brands can acquire new customers and followers who can make their ads interesting, agree on messages, and evaluate tactical changes. Or it may not work until the brand loses credibility. If it’s a big company or brand, they deal with its impact and are quickly overlooked, but not so often for small brands.
Shock advertising examples
In the UK, there is an organization called the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), which is responsible for the regulation of the UK advertising industry. The ASA is responsible for ensuring that the content of the sector is appropriate and fair.
Below are some of the top five marketing failures (shock advertising) in recent years, some ignorant and some intentional.
Paddy Power and St. George Polar Bear International
This is a gambling site known for its controversial advertising. For example, in 2018 they launched a campaign called “England Till I Dye”. There, someone released a video with a spray painting picture of a red St George on the back of a polar bear.
They offended a lot of people and caused a lot of controversy, but it wasn’t the result they were looking for … or was it?
Budweiser-Bud Light Slogan Mishap
In April 2015, Budweiser suffered a major accident with the slogan used to promote Budweiser beer. The word “the perfect beer to eliminate the word NO from your vocabulary for the night.’ This Bud Light advertisement sounded like they are in favor of date rape. It went viral on Twitter using the hashtag #UpForWhatever.
Bloomingdale’s Spike, your best friend
No one knows if it was a joke or a serious advertisement that failed. You may be wondering why these particular Bloomingdale’s ads endorse date rape.
It beats me and anyone who believe in their brand. All social media platforms ran their Christmas ad heading “Spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking.”
This announcement has surprised many consumers. People even compared the brand to Bill Cosby. This is probably not the result you expected. Bloomingdale certainly regrets the campaign, saying: ”In a reflection of recent feedback, the copy we used in our current catalog was inappropriate and in poor taste. Bloomingdale sincerely apologizes for this misjudgment. ”
Pumas House of Hustle
In April 2018, PUMA introduced a new line by hosting an event the House of Hustle and sent a burner phone as an invitation. Unfortunately, the location was also unreliable, with dirty mattresses and dark windows. It felt like you’re stepping into a drug house. However, according to magazine reports, the reason behind the campaign was “nothing say’ buy some trainers’ like addiction, misery, and squalor.
Should You Use Shock Advertising?
To be honest, the answer isn’t definitive, as the results can go in either direction for your brand. It can be a success or a failure, and it is impossible to predict in which direction the public will be affected. However, once you do your homework and complete the business and marketing analysis you need, you’ll get the answer you’re looking for.
Try to figure out the main reasons for your advertising campaign and the type of marketing technique you want to use. If you are prepared for all sorts of results, it will be best for your brand.
Conclusion
We all live in an era where competition is everything and everything a brand needs to get the recognition it deserves. If you want to take into account all the information about shock advertising, it’s always best to do your homework and get all the statistics and data requirements for the final decision. shock advertising may be beneficial to your brand, but it’s probably be a downfall.
