{"id":91720,"date":"2025-12-10T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T13:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/?p=91720"},"modified":"2025-12-03T12:24:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-03T17:24:32","slug":"marketing-fail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businessesgrow.com\/2025\/12\/10\/marketing-fail\/","title":{"rendered":"Target’s $100 million Word-of-Mouth Marketing Fail"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"marketing<\/p>\n

Guest Post by Sarah Neely<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Your most engaged customers are doing you a favor by showing up. They’re giving you their time, their attention, and their willingness to believe in your brand.<\/p>\n

Target had 100 of these people lined up at every store on Black Friday. People who arrived at midnight. Who waited in the cold for hours. Who chose Target over every other retailer.<\/p>\n

And Target gave them a trial-size shampoo and a deck of Uno cards. Ten lucky people (out of 100) received gift cards.<\/p>\n

Do you understand what just happened here? I am legitimately angry that Target whiffed so badly.<\/p>\n

Target had 100 FANS lined up at EVERY SINGLE STORE across the country. People who cared enough to sacrifice sleep and comfort. People who showed up. People who chose Target over every other retailer on the biggest shopping day of the year.<\/p>\n

And Target handed them … samples.<\/p>\n

This Is Marketing Malpractice. I am fuming!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what Target threw away:<\/p>\n

Target had advocates ready to tell stories.<\/strong> These weren’t paid influencers. These were real customers with real networks who made a genuine effort to be there first.<\/p>\n

Target had content waiting to be created.<\/strong> Every person in that line had a phone. They were already posting about waiting, about the anticipation, about the excitement. Target could have given them something worth sharing.<\/p>\n

Target had a sentiment recovery moment.<\/strong> Target is still fighting boycotts. Still working to rebuild positive brand associations. They had 100 opportunities per store to create genuine, authentic, “Target did something amazing” stories.<\/p>\n

Instead, they created 100 disappointed customers per store. People who will absolutely tell their story \u2013 I\u2019m sure you\u2019re hearing it, like I am – just not the one Target wanted.<\/p>\n

What Word-of-Mouth Marketing Actually Requires<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"100I’ve spent my career building brand awareness through authentic engagement. I’ve seen what happens when you respect your advocates and what happens when you don’t.<\/p>\n

Here’s what Target should have understood:<\/p>\n

The people who show up early are your most valuable customers.<\/strong> They’re not just shopping – they’re participating. They’re the ones who will tell everyone about their experience. The return on investment of treating them exceptionally isn’t measured in the cost of gifts; it’s measured in the stories they tell for months afterward.<\/p>\n

Word of mouth is designed, not left to chance.<\/strong> You don’t get authentic advocacy by accident. You earn it by recognizing the moments that matter and showing up accordingly.<\/p>\n

The bag itself was great.<\/strong> That reusable tote? That’s a walking storytelling prompt. People would have carried it. But you have to give them a reason to want<\/em> to carry it – to feel proud of what it represents.<\/p>\n

What Should Have Been Inside<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For probably the same budget (or less), Target could have included:<\/p>\n