I can’t claim to have read every posting on the issue but the voice seemingly absent from all this so far is that of the client. Presumably someone with in Witchery with “marketing” in their job title had to sign-off on this piece of communication?

We can’t really judge whether to pick or a pan until we know exactly what they were trying to achieve and on which target audience(s).

Perhaps Witchery are trying to reposition their brand away from “smart and simple” towards “sneaky”.

Maybe they’re refocusing on a new target audience and now trying to appeal to Bunny Boilers and aspiration victims.

Time for a public service announcement, methinks:

Attention all married men and guys in serious (hetro) relationships: wearing Witchery jackets can seriously damage your relationship (not to mention your family pet rabbit).

Marketing 101 … authenticity is a vital component of brand management. Marketing professor Mark Ritson from the Melbourne Business School put it like this in an interview from last year: “Consumer insight companies say consumers have started seeking ‘authenticity’. That’s rubbish. They always wanted it. Most consumers are a lot smarter and more genuine than the marketers who target them. They want brands burned with the mark of their founders, not artificially engineered by agencies”

Amen.

I neither want nor ask for the whole gig. I’m in no position to take it. But Naked and others could look to people like me on an occasional basis to help them out with some perspective from a different area of expertise. I certainly pick up the phone or email others from time to time for educated advice on stuff I’m not full bottle on.

Is it because Naked hasn’t broken down and cried “mea culpa”? Or that Adam Ferrier has gone and posted at most blogs his side of the story (pretty reasonably actually – not as you said “belligerently”).
Sure, Tim Longhurst did bring up aforementioned publications, but he also called The Naked folk “pony tail people” – quite dismissive of an agency that actually does pretty fine work (they wouldn’t be as successful as they are if they didn’t – clients come back – they are happy, the see RESULTS)

The key issue here is that there is a lot of foot stamping from particular people that they are right, they know better, that they know social media better than the “pony tail” people – and ultimately they should be given all the good big juicey accounts like this one. That’s the point. You want the work. You said it in your own post. So if anyone slips up in the slightest way, you call them on it…LOUDLY. It IS kind of getting tired and boring.

I think the horse has well and truly kicked it now. May it rest in peace.

Kelly Tall

My thought of the reveal would have been in the original video.

The followup video Naked released should have been a mea culpa rather than disingenuous.

They’ve got heaps of publicity for this, and must consider it a success on those grounds. Whether it ends up being a success on sales grounds and brand awareness is yet to be seen.

As someone who gives advice on social media strategy, the whole thing bugged me for not being honest and open. Tim Longhurst’s original blog response called out The Cluetrain Manifesto and Age of Conversation, both of which Adam says he’s read. This campaign didn’t feel like Naked took to heart much that was said in them.

Of course, all of this is my opinion, so it lies somewhere on a spectrum with many possibilities. The opinions of me and others for whom this campaign grated are not necessarily absolutely right, just one possible right. There are others with equally well-considered views that disagree.

Great debate.

FYI – The link is broken on Matty’s quote.

Thanks,

Kate

It’s interesting that everyone will bash Naked when they get the chance … I wonder why …

But if today’s Daily Telegraph is to be believed, that evolution was the next part of the plan. According to the Tele, Naked were already casting for the man-in-the-jacket

I guess part of my point is when you say it’s disappointed people; who exactly?

Obviously quite a few people with marketing/social media backgrounds. But until I see the Galaxy Poll read on the target market’s response, and assess that response *within the context of Witchery’s strategic objectives* (of which this campaign may only be a wafer thin slice), then I just can’t see how anyone can make a call on its success or otherwise.

*italics

How you’d do that, I’m yet to figure out. But the story could still suck us in.

Take the LG Scarlet ads. I was completely sucked in by the “Alias” style of the TV and cinema ads and the bus stop posters. I totally wanted that to be a real TV series. I even though it could be until I went looking. I was actually sucked in to the whole world of the thing.

The Witchery ads could have worked the same way. Great concept, clever execution, but no reveal. You’ll note that really, it’s the lack of the reveal that’s disappointed people. Just one more little step.