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Brand Fails

Share the goods.

A woman holding a "pride" burger from burger king next two a couple bottles of Dove shampoo

Welcome to our second edition of brand fails, it’s when we call out brands for some really weird, insulting, idiotic products or campaigns. Our 2016 blog was a big hit, so we present you with more head shaking moments.

New Coke

We, like the rest of the world, have been watching a lot of Stranger Things lately. So naturally, the nostalgia is real. Some of us, we’re watching it for the first time and others are revisiting the entire series. A minor detail in Season 3, while El tries to do her cool mind sh*t (named piggybacking in s4) in front of a freezer full of Eggos to reach Billy, Lucas cracks open a cold one… New Coke.

New Coke was toted as an “intelligent risk” by CEO Roberto Goizuta, which one employee stated new coke would do for the brand ”what Diet Coke did for the Diet Market”.

Wrong. Coca-Cola consumers were pissed. You don’t change a classic. They began bombarding the call centers demanding Coca-Cola stick to their classic, then they started hoarding Coke Classic for fear of the supply running out. Yeah, it was one hell of a fail.

So what did we learn from that fail? Whelp, two things. Don’t f*ck with a classic, and nostalgia always wins. (I mean, seriously, nostalgia is king. *side eyes at Stranger Things playing on our dual-monitors*.)

Every Carl’s Jr ad from 2005 until 2019

We don’t think this even needs context. If you want to have sex with your hamburger, then Carl’s Jr did its job… gross – Daddy’s Home.

The Pride Whopper

Yup. You read that right. Last month, Burger King got aboard the Pride bandwagon and put out a rainbow-washed product with a twist. By this point, this shouldn’t be anything new for any of us. After all, the LGBTQIA+ community has a lot of purchasing power (like $3.7 trillion dollars as of 2019). Of course, brands want to court them in any poorly thought-out way they can.

Two burgers—one with with two top buns and one with two bottom buns.

But sometimes they go beyond turning their logo rainbow. Sometimes, they do what Burger King did. 

Look at it. Just look at it. What the actual hell, Burger King? If you can’t process that image, it’s a blindingly bright rainbow behind two Whoppers—one with two top buns and one with two bottom buns.

Do we even need to explain why celebrating Pride Month with an image of two tops and two bottoms isn’t a good idea? Did they even have a focus group?! We’re disappointed, but we can’t say we’re surprised.

Dove

Really? Back at it again? Teetering both between amazing marketing tactics and scarily inappropriate marketing tactics we have a Dove throwback. In 2017 Dove launched their body-shaped bottles campaign to resemble feminine bodies as an appreciation tactic for a body-posi approach to self-care. Dove, this was a flop. We love all body types too but triggering people in the Target aisle, is not it.

A line of Dove body care bottles varying in shapes and sizes

It’s 2022 at this point so hopefully, we are learning to stop calling attention to people’s bodies? Especially female-presenting individuals? Godspeed to Dove this year on the campaigns, we shall await your rebound. 

That’s it for this edition of Brand Fails, we hope you enjoyed our Ted Talk. Please learn from these companies and do better.

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“It has been an incredible experience - getting to connect with women business owners from all across Michigan, learn from experts on planning for growth, and learn to lead to the best of my abilities for myself and my team.”

- @rcdutcher, CEO of @red66.marketing

We’re looking for business owners who thrive in collaborative environments and can fully commit to the program—attending all in-person sessions, participating in one-on-one coaching, and engaging in every aspect of the nine-month fellowship. Participants who gain the most come ready to contribute, learn, and problem-solve alongside other committed business leaders.

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“It has been an incredible experience - getting to connect with women business owners from all across Michigan, learn from experts on planning for growth, and learn to lead to the best of my abilities for myself and my team.” - @rcdutcher, CEO of @red66.marketing We’re looking for business owners who thrive in collaborative environments and can fully commit to the program—attending all in-person sessions, participating in one-on-one coaching, and engaging in every aspect of the nine-month fellowship. Participants who gain the most come ready to contribute, learn, and problem-solve alongside other committed business leaders. Applications close on September 15.

FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973.
Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store.

Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch.

@crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary

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FUN FACT FRIDAY: It’s only fitting for us to own a building where a trailblazing female operated her businesses in 1906. The Phillips family represented one of the longest-running retail tenures in Grand Rapids history; L.E. Phillips Jewelry in the 1365 Plainfield Ave. building from 1906 until 1973. Dr. Eva Phillips, a certified and licensed optometrist ran her practice out of the jewelry store’s secondary parlor and was an equal partner in the jewelry store. Together, they offered a unique one-stop shot which expanded to include appliances, record players, and more. The couple operated the shop through two World Wars and the Great Depression, acting as the neighborhood matriarch and patriarch. @crestongr @crestoncorridor @crestongrandrapids @citygrandrapids @grandrapidspubliclibrary

Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet?
If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves.

This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore.

Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk.

Listen now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18112263326023209
Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet? If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves. This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore. Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk. Listen now at the link in bio.

National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up.

We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly.

We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation.

When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared.
Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan
Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later).

Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18132641716644887
National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up. We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly. We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation. When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared. Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later). Register at the link in bio.

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You`ll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who`ve been exactly where you are.

Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18089775152664042
You asked, we delivered. Introducing the Women's Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership. Whether you've got a team of 10 or it's just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it. Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business. You'll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who've been exactly where you are. Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.
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