In 2019, the number of Americans using ad blockers increased to almost 26%, and it’s slowly going up day by day.Īnother survey from 2018 published on eMarketer revealed that 51% of respondents used ad blockers because they saw too many ads that were annoying or irrelevant, and 50% of respondents said there were too many ads on the internet.

However, failed marketing campaigns aren't just about showing your ads to the wrong people.Īccording to one survey published on eMarketer, more than 70% of US respondents said that ads had gotten more intrusive, and nearly 80% agreed that ads appeared in more places than several years ago. It often happens that companies show the wrong ads to the wrong people. The bad thing is that the relationship between marketers and consumers has gotten tense. The number of platforms where companies can find leads is increasing, the opportunities these platforms offer are getting more diverse, and the data received thanks to these platforms is becoming more accurate and useful. The good thing is that marketers have become much better at running their ads. Global digitalization is transforming the advertising industry in both positive and negative ways. The company will publish its full-year earnings report on January 31.Looking for some bad advertising examples? H&M, which also owns the brands COS, Monki, Weekday, Cheap Monday, Arket and H&M Home, said in December it would be closing stores, but didn’t specify how many or where. She noted that if every garment were sold for just three kronor more (0.3 euros, $0.37), those workers’ salaries could be doubled. Lisa Magnusson, editorialist at Swedish paper of reference Dagens Nyheter, meanwhile played down the scandal, saying people should be more upset about the working conditions of the labourers in Asia who make H&M clothes for pennies. “In some cases, in order to create a buzz, companies like to stretch their communication and commercials beyond borders,” Ossiansson said, adding: “It’s risky.” The company tried to quash the criticism by apologising and withdrawing the ad and the item from sale. I see a Young King!! The ruler of the world, an untouchable Force that can never be denied!” the athlete said.Ĭanadian R&B singer The Weeknd, who collaborated with H&M on its spring and autumn collections last year, meanwhile severed his contract with the company. “Enough about y’all and more of what I see when I look at this photo. u got us all wrong! And we ain’t going for it! Straight up!” James said, including a photo of the same ad but with a crown superimposed on the boy’s head, and the text on the hooded sweater replaced by a crown. LeBron James superimposed a crown on the boy’s head, and on the text on the hooded sweater. NBA superstar LeBron James expressed his anger on Instagram on January 9, hours after the garment was removed from sale. The company tried to quash the criticism by apologising and withdrawing the ad and the item from sale. “It signals that the company has problems to cope with, both in terms of how their business should develop with regard to e-commerce and the digitalisation in our society, as well as in their communication,” she said. Its online catalogue featured an advertisement of a black boy sporting a hoodie with the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle” written on it.Īccording to Gothenburg University marketing professor Eva Ossiansson, the gaffe is a sign that H&M has lost its Midas touch. “It’s (been) one of the toughest years for H&M,” Joakim Bornold, an economist at the investment bank Nordnet told AFP, noting that the company’s stock price has fallen by 35% since January 2017.Īs if the company’s earnings weren’t problematic enough, H&M last week found itself in the middle of a social media storm, accused of racism. H&M is one of the most well-known brands in the world, with global brand consultancy Interbrand ranking it the 23rd best known company worldwide in 2017 – ahead of Ikea and fashion luxury goods manufacturer Hermes.īut lately, H&M has struggled to lure shoppers into its 4,553 stores around the world, and has been slow to develop its online offering. A racism scandal at H&M is the latest indication of management problems at the Swedish clothing giant, once the darling of shoppers but now struggling to make the switch to e-commerce, analysts say.

H and m ad gone wrong