Matt's Marketing Flop of the Month

People love horror stories, and what could be more horror-filled than a marketing and advertising campaign gone bad... horribly... BAD?

For your reading pleasure, I present my list of Marketing Flops of the Month.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and recommend what each of these organizations should have done in the interest of avoiding disaster. After all, some of these marketing tonics were concocted by some of the greatest marketing and advertising chemists of our time. But alas, all great quarterbacks eventually throw a game-losing interception to the competition, and sometimes failure can be just as entertaining as success.

So, while this website is filled with tales from the marketing greats, I hope you'll enjoy these tales from the marketing crypt. Enjoy!

Don't compete — DOMINATE.

Matt Steffen

"Don't compete -- DOMINATE!"

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This Month's Marketing Flop

Hillary Clinton Labels Trump Supporters “Deplorable”

Hillary Clinton Labels Trump Supporters “Deplorable”

During the 2016 Presidential race, Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton said Trump’s supporters belong in a "basket of deplorables." Donald Trump went to to defeat Hillary in a sweeping victory, claiming 306 electoral...

Previous Marketing Flops

AllAdvertisingBrandingPoliticalPricingProduct DevelopmentSearch Engine OptimizationSocial MediaStrategy

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Hillary-Clinton-Labels-Trump-Supporters-Deplorable-June-2019.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Hillary-Clinton-Labels-Trump-Supporters-Deplorable-June-2019.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Hillary-Clinton-Labels-Trump-Supporters-Deplorable-June-2019-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-YouTube-Pisses-Off-and-loses-Advertisers-May-2019.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-YouTube-Pisses-Off-and-loses-Advertisers-May-2019.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-YouTube-Pisses-Off-and-loses-Advertisers-May-2019-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Pepsi-Pisses-Off-Black-Lives-Matter-April-2019.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Pepsi-Pisses-Off-Black-Lives-Matter-April-2019.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Pepsi-Pisses-Off-Black-Lives-Matter-April-2019-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Target-Closes-All-of-Its-Stores-in-Canada-March-2019.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Target-Closes-All-of-Its-Stores-in-Canada-March-2019.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Target-Closes-All-of-Its-Stores-in-Canada-March-2019-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-J.C.-Penny-Branding-a-51_-Decrease-in-Value-February-2019.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-J.C.-Penny-Branding-a-51_-Decrease-in-Value-February-2019.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-J.C.-Penny-Branding-a-51_-Decrease-in-Value-February-2019-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Advair-Marketing-Leads-to-3-Billion-in-Fines-January-2019.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Advair-Marketing-Leads-to-3-Billion-in-Fines-January-2019.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Advair-Marketing-Leads-to-3-Billion-in-Fines-January-2019-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Gawker-Body-Slammed-by-Hulk-Hogan-November-2018.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Gawker-Body-Slammed-by-Hulk-Hogan-November-2018.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Gawker-Body-Slammed-by-Hulk-Hogan-November-2018-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-General-Motors-Pricing-Mistake-Sinks-Future-Sales-October-2018.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-General-Motors-Pricing-Mistake-Sinks-Future-Sales-October-2018.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-General-Motors-Pricing-Mistake-Sinks-Future-Sales-October-2018-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-J.C.-Penney-Sales-Plummet-After-Trying-to-Fool-Google-September-2018.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-J.C.-Penney-Sales-Plummet-After-Trying-to-Fool-Google-September-2018.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-J.C.-Penney-Sales-Plummet-After-Trying-to-Fool-Google-September-2018-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Miracle-Mattress-Makes-a-Joke-of-911-August-2018.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Miracle-Mattress-Makes-a-Joke-of-911-August-2018.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Miracle-Mattress-Makes-a-Joke-of-911-August-2018-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Little-Caesars-From-2-to-4-in-Pizza-July-2018.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Little-Caesars-From-2-to-4-in-Pizza-July-2018.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Little-Caesars-From-2-to-4-in-Pizza-July-2018-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-American-Airlines-Paying-to-Fly-Customers-June-2018.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-American-Airlines-Paying-to-Fly-Customers-June-2018.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-American-Airlines-Paying-to-Fly-Customers-June-2018-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Netflix-Prices-Rise-Value-Plunges-May-2018.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Netflix-Prices-Rise-Value-Plunges-May-2018.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-Netflix-Prices-Rise-Value-Plunges-May-2018-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Burger-King-Case-of-the-Creepy-Mascot__April-2018.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Burger-King-Case-of-the-Creepy-Mascot__April-2018.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Yoast-Meme-Matts-Marketing-Flop-Burger-King-Case-of-the-Creepy-Mascot__April-2018-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-McDonalds-1984-Olympics.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-McDonalds-1984-Olympics.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-McDonalds-1984-Olympics-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

<img width="620" height="328" src="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-New-Coke_If-Its-Not-BrokeDont.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-New-Coke_If-Its-Not-BrokeDont.jpg 620w, https://matthewsteffen.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Yoast-Meme-Marketing-Flop-New-Coke_If-Its-Not-BrokeDont-300x159.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" />

Matt was listed by Forbes as the "#1 Consultant Who Avoids the B.S.."