Epic Marketing Fails

Learn how to do business from those who don't.

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Asians are not impressed with Apple’s “diverse” yellow emoji

"Are yellow people really that yellow?"

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Krispy Kreme apologizes after KKK gaffe on Facebook

Doughnut makers Krispy Kreme have apologised after scheduling an event called "KKK Wednesday" at a store in the UK.

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19 Cases Of Accidental Racism

Hilarious images of "Oops!" racism.

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Read signs out loud before printing and posting

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[10knotes]

tastefullyoffensive:

Unfortunate Sign Burn Outs Previously: Unfortunate Mugshot Shirts

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Amy's Baking Company...probably the worst-run social media account by any business.

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Kenneth Cole has a history of tweets in poor taste. This is no exception.

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The new JC Penny tea kettle ad looks a bit like Hitler to some drivers...not helping their brand

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Waste Management makes a false promise with this email subject. You can't view a thing.

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This typo cost Macy's a lot of money...the necklace was supposed to be $497, not $47. 

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Improper grammar can make you sound like a racist

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[iraffiruse]

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Don't rely on Google translate

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We humans have developed somewhat of a taste for watching others struggle. Don’t believe me? Consider the prevalence of internet entertainment based solely on the epic #fail --  stumbles, slips, falls, and general public embarrassment get little sympathy from our side of the monitor.

Big brand marketing decisions, too, are apt to display similar lapses in logic or grace. I’m not here to make you feel guilty about taking joy in such matters (as I’ve had my fair share of laughs, too), but I’m here to make some sense of why we relish failure and, better yet, how we can use it for good in our own marketing. Because even if you’re good at hiding your own failures (be honest, we all trip up), mistakes are a great reminder that we’re only human.

For those of us witnessing these faux pas, let's strive to be 1) understanding and 2) learn how we can avoid similar slip ups in our own marketing. So, here are the 12 biggest marketing fails of 2012. Time to learn from these doozies...

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Mixed "Messaging"

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They should just focus on making the yogurt.

Via Austin Marketing Maven

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It would be more simple if it really was Off Everything.