Great marketing can raise exposure and interest in a product, but it can’t save a faulty or poorly designed product.
Though it’s true that great advertising can make people think highly of a product, great marketing can’t improve the quality of a poor product.
If the product itself is faulty, no amount of marketing will raise its profile to where it truly belongs.
While marketing may certainly help spread the word, it has its limits. In the end, a product’s success is tied to the satisfaction it brings to customers, and marketing can’t make up for defects in the offering’s utility.
Great marketing is not a panacea for a bad product.
Can you think of a movie that had massive marketing but ultimately fell short of your expectations when you watched it?
Here are some examples that show what I mean:
- New Coke – In 1985, Coca-Cola replaced its original formula with a new version called “New Coke.” The company spent millions on marketing the new product, but it was widely criticised by consumers and failed to capture the market. Despite the extensive marketing efforts, the new formula was not well received and the company quickly returned to its original formula, which was more popular with consumers.
- Fyre Festival – Fyre Festival was a luxury music festival that was heavily marketed as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The marketing campaign was well-crafted and generated significant buzz, but the festival was plagued by logistical problems, including inadequate housing, food, and entertainment. Despite its marketing efforts, Fyre Festival was a complete failure and the organisers were later sued for fraud.
- Segway – The Segway was heavily marketed as a revolutionary personal transportation device, but it failed to live up to its hype. Despite extensive marketing efforts, the Segway never caught on with consumers and remains a niche product.
- Theranos – Theranos, founded by Elizabeth Holmes, had amazing marketing for a failed product. Holmes’ company was advertised as a new blood test supplier. The marketing strategy attracted attention and investment, but the product proved problematic. Theranos went bankrupt due to these weaknesses despite massive marketing.
Getting the word out is essential, but once people have found you, you need to sell them something that not only meets but also exceeds their expectations.
It’s possible that striking a deal with a football club to promote a country as a tourist destination is a brilliant marketing strategy, but given that the country is currently experiencing Stage 6 of power cuts, and high levels of violent crimes, one has to wonder whether or not the country is actually prepared for a large influx of visitors. We have hosted major events before and still do, but there are instances where visitors have been robbed and assaulted.
I know of friends from other countries who have been robbed of their valuables. Their stories don’t make headlines because they were not here for major events or we were just doing a routine visit.
Imagine opening a website for your online business and doing a major marketing campaign urging people to visit the website, only to have the website crash within the first hour of people viewing the website.
This risk is more likely to cause harm to your brand than good.
Great marketing only accelerates the failure of a bad product.
This does not mean that we shouldn’t market, but the cost considerations of a high-ticket item require that we come up with a product that can equally rise to the occasion and deliver to that market.
While they are here, tourists want to see a country at its finest, not at its lowest point.
Startup entrepreneurs need to understand that:
Marketing can make a good product great, but it never makes a bad product good.
Marketing a bad product is basically tantamount to unintentionally marketing your weaknesses. It might backfire, making people feel cheated and doubtful.
High-quality products that meet audience needs are the best ways to achieve product success.
Good marketing can support and amplify these efforts, but it can’t compensate for shortcomings in the product itself.
Good marketing cannot save a bad product.
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