The death of the giants: the failed projects of well-known brands

From giants like Apple and Coca-Cola world is waiting for default breakthrough ideas, however, and they happen dips. To costly mistakes lead scandalous advertising campaigns, especially unaccounted buyers mentality and even trying to improve the already liked the product. In this collection - ten stories that were to be successful, but turned into a failure.

from Apple's Ping An

"Music community's number one," as he called the founder of Apple Steve Jobs Ping service for listening to music from iTunes, and could not become a competitor to Facebook and Twitter. 160 million iTunes users without much enthusiasm accepted the launch of social network Ping, with which Apple promised to make almost a revolution in the music industry.

The Ping An, launched in 2010 in conjunction with the new, iTunes tenth version, you can follow the creative achievements and public life of your favorite artists, changes in musical tastes of his friends, as well as make personal charts. On launch day, 3 September, Apple vice president of Internet services Eddy Cue announced that a third of people who have downloaded iTunes 10 have joined Ping. The day after the start of the gay flooded spam and fake profiles of musicians. Journalists also reacted to the service is cool.

The failure of Apple's, it became obvious that the 2010-th: in Ping was not so many artists, and the social network was available only in a pair of dozens of countries. Music service from Apple has not integrated with Facebook: Jobs said that the conditions that put Mark Zuckerberg, were burdensome.

Agony Ping lasted two years, but in the summer of 2012, the new Apple CEO Tim Cook has acknowledged the project failed (shortly thereafter left the operating iOS 6 system, tightly integrated with Facebook and Twitter), and on 30 September the same year, Ping quietly died with this formulation "Thank you for your interest in Ping. We are no longer accepting new users. "

Red Fusion from Dr Pepper

Until 2001, Dr Pepper have been distant from the leaders, but a steady third place among soft drinks popular in the world market - after Coca-Cola and Pepsi. "Doc" loved Hillary Clinton, Beach Boys, ZZ Top and Cher, and John Lennon while he was working on the album Imagine Imagine, soda brought from New York to England intact packages, wrote Michael Moss in his book "Salt, sugar and fat."

But in the early 2000s Dr Pepper competitors have flooded store shelves with new flavors: with the addition of lemon and lime, vanilla and coffee, raspberry and orange. And Dr Pepper, for 115 years, has never expanded the range (not including dietary options), I began to lose positions. Trying to save the situation, in 2002 the company released the first add-on product in its history. He has a rich cherry flavor and bright red color, and name of Red Fusion were selected from 300 options.

But the novelty was waiting for failure: the fans did not appreciate the drink fantasy on the theme of his taste. "Dr Pepper - my favorite drink, so the Red Fusion interested me - wrote in a blog one of the fans. - It is disgusting. Nauseous. Never again will not buy. " Red Fusion taste was too sweet and cloying, and the drink was discontinued. The company was able to rectify the situation only in 2004, hiring external consultants and releasing a cherry Cherry Vanilla, which still exists today.

"Power" on the Mars

In the late 90's in Russia produced about 1200 items of loose sweets, but the brand was not: a lot of "Bears", "red caps" and "squirrels" from different factories. While this segment took up half of the confectionery market in the country. On it in 2000 and began to attack the global food giant Mars, releasing the candy "Power". Mars wanted to conquer the Russian market of sweets, where different regions of the buyers prefer local products and produce chocolates for the whole of Russia, wrote "Vedomosti". In two years, $ 3 million was spent on advertising, "Power", which is not comparable to the advertising costs of any Russian factory. We worked on the promotion of sweets such authorities as McKinsey and BBDO. Competitors were convinced that leaves a strong brand on the market.

However, "a feast for communication," as described in the candy advertising slogans, failed. By 2002, the "Power" took only 0, 36% of the market of packaged chocolates cost. The problem lay in the difference between the American and Russian cultures. According to the requirements of Mars, each candy had to be packed so as to ensure its integrity until use. In Russia wrappers local sweets can be easily deployed to a sale. "Immunity" technology in the Russian context have not come up, and trying to catch the target date of issue (New Year holiday), candies laid in a gift box, write "Vedomosti".

This killed the "power": retail cheat on boxes in the 2000s reached 100%, and loose sweets sold with 15-40% margin. "Power" was not in the segment of the market, which was aiming, and suffered because of an inaccessible price tag. Further attempts to save the situation by issuing "conditionally sealed" candy only raise the price of the project. Already by 2003, Mars ceased production of "power."

"gourmets" of the Mars

Another story about how expensive can cost unaccounted national peculiarities of mentality of buyers, which occurred with the same Mars. In 2004 the company decided to try his luck again in the Russian market by bringing him popular in Europe fast food "gourmets" soups. For the company it was also a new product: in addition to Russia, the Mars soups produced only in Canada, but for a different technology. Attachments only purpose-built factory in Lukhovitsy near Moscow, without taking into account advertising on of BBDO - as Mars had a loud and catchy company - amounted to $ 10 million remembering the sad experience of a leaky package of chocolates, Mars created a premium product whose packaging would not be contrary to American standards.. In 2006, the company reported to the success of: its market share in liquid soups competitors were evaluated in 90%, the Mars hoped that the market will grow by 50% per year. However, after two years, this segment was considered not very developed: about 18 million liters per year. Brand was not able to cross the barrier of local consumers: most Russian women believe that finished soup is heated only bad hostess and good - prepare yourself.

In December 2009, the Company announced the discontinuation of the production of soup and began to sell equipment from the factory.

Mars mistake repeated and soups from the renowned Andy Warhol company Campbell's: coming out in 2008 on the market, in 2011, Americans have ceased the production. Prior to that, from the Russian market went Unilever Knorr soups under the brand name, too, "too prepared" for the majority of Russian housewives.

New Coke by Coca-Cola

The most famous in the world carbonated drink never to attempt to increase the army of fans. Some stories about it have become classic examples of failed marketing moves.

In the mid-1980s, the head of Coca-Cola Roberto Gozueta, considered one of the most successful managers of the XX century, became the target of insults around the world: drink fans called him "General ass" and "Main fool," wrote Richard Branson in his book "My rules ". These epithets Gozueta earned through effort to improve the Coca-Cola formula, replacing it with "New Coke."

Everything seems to be done right: drink New Coke was hundreds of tastings and blind tests, and the results clearly indicate that a little sweeter New Coke is doomed to success. However, when the April 23, 1985 the company announced that "New Coke" permanently replace the old, the buyers were outraged that they were not given a choice. Cuban State Council Chairman Fidel Castro called shift-counter "sign of America's decline", and Gozueta father, at one time escaped from Cuba, he said to his son: "Roberto, I think this is the first and last time in my life when I have something agreed Fidel ". Coca-Cola and other mistakes allowed: in 2013, its manufacturers have released Coca-Cola Life label green: so they were trying to lure to his fans a healthy lifestyle. However, the advertising campaign news, which is positioned as a more useful than regular cola, drink, could undermine the credibility of the brand: if the green and Life symbolized life, the red could be associated with death.

"Skeletons" from Danone

The advertising slogan "Take care of the children of his skeleton" as well as a skull and crossbones painted on the new dairy products called "skeletons" on the idea of ​​the company Danone, would lead to the delight of Russian teenagers.

However, of particular interest to the "terrible" yoghurts and curds was not available, even worse, such a package frightened the parents of the target audience. Muscovite Yevgeny Martynov demanded to stop the release of products, affecting the child's psyche, Danone filed for the court: it was represented by board "Knyazev and partners." Chairman of the Board Andrey Knyazev said that the Russian Orthodox Church and outraged "desecration of the dead." Martynov of the claim eventually abandoned, but the "Skeleton" is not saved. Expert Commission on the Ethics of Social Advertising year persuaded Danone to cease production of the brand in Russia in 2008, four years after the start.

Danone is not the first time did not guess from the name of the product for the Russian market. The slogan for the baby food "Bledina - all that is needed for your child" in the 90 years of repeating the whole country, but buying "indecent" product for their children Russian mother did not hurry up.

Cadbury Temptations of Cadbury by

Unsuccessful sharpness in advertising forced the Indian representative to Cadbury apologize to the ruling, "the Indian people's party" in 2002. Confectioners like to draw attention to the chocolate Cadbury Temptations, but chose sore subject for jokes. In India Independence Day, August 15, 2002, in local newspapers came out advertising poster on which was a map of the boundary of the state of Kashmir, the rights to which the Indian authorities imposes Pakistan, with the slogan Cadbury Temptations: "Too good to share them." On the TV at the same time he began to broadcast video with the words: "I'm good! I seductive! I'm too good to share me! Who am I? "Temptation" from Cadbury or Kashmir? "

Outraged activists "Indian People's Party" on the same day burst into Cadbury office to protest: Kashmir has become the subject of two wars between India and Pakistan, and two months before the release of advertising over this state has become a new conflict to flare up. Press-secretary of the head office of Cadbury Schweppes remarked at the time: "From time to time management in the field makes mistakes. Definitely, it was one of them. "

Underwear from the BIC

BIC Corporation ranks first in the world in the production of ball-point pens, from the start of release (since 1953), the company sold its more than 100 billion. Inexpensive pens, BIC is known for its lighters and razors.

In many ways the company ensured the success of its principle of "cheap, reliable and practical": BIC products are sold at the box office in supermarkets and positioned itself as a one-time, which can be changed every day.

However, when the BIC tried to apply the same philosophy when launching its own line of underwear, the idea did not work. Buyers did not understand what the relationship between the pens, lighters and cowards. In addition, the new products require different production technologies and the restructuring of the distribution model of the waste: cowards at the box office is not weight. The same goes for perfume line, launched simultaneously with underwear: elimination of the market in 1998, both product lines were removed from the shelves in early 1999.

Gelato Italiano by Antonio Federici Ice Cream

Fredericks Dairies, British manufacturer of ice-cream under the brand Antonio Federici, in 2010, twice tried to run an advertising campaign of its product Gelato Italiano, which in the end is still banned. However, the meaning of such tenacity was, even five years after the scandal with posters of Antonio Federici, depicting the priests' sexual attitudes ", Google search engine to query the brand name gives these pictures and articles on the banned advertising.

Antonio Federici is about to launch a controversial promotional campaign in 2010, just in time for the visit of the Pope to the United Kingdom. At the Court of the British Advertising Standards Commission were presented prints and photographs have prepared to kiss a priest and a nun "in sexual poses" (in another version - two priests). Slogans of the campaign - "succumbed to the temptation" and "Kiss the temptation." Then, on the prints appeared image of a pregnant nun, equipped with the inscription: "Immaculate Conception. Our religion - ice cream. " Journal of The Lady, published advertisements, has received several complaints from readers. The advertising campaign has been banned because it can deeply offend the individual Britons, wrote The Daily Telegraph.

Antonio Federici ice cream later ceased to exist: for € 49 million in 2013, Fredericks Dairies were sold to R & R Ice Cream.

Arch Deluxe burger from McDonald's

One of the foundations of the popularity of McDonald's is that customers know exactly in any country of the world, what to expect from him. Across the network serves the same food, allowing individual inclusions in the menu of national dishes such as gazpacho in Spain or with lamb burgers in India. Therefore, the majority of visitors to McDonald's to understand in advance what they order, and that it will not be a dish of Michelin restaurants. However, in 1996, McDonald's decided to release a variation on the theme of a hamburger: Arch Deluxe burger "for adults" - a product that is not associated with children. The Arch Deluxe advertising rests on its "high quality" taste, the children refused this "complex" product. It is believed that "McDonald's" has spent more than $ 300 million in research, production and marketing for the Arch Deluxe.

But McDonald's customers do not expect from a restaurant of taste delights and erudite approach to the positioning of such complexity were not needed. The company stopped production of "adult" hamburger virtually all over the world, except for a few countries in the McDonald's Russian and French menu, for example, one can still find the "Royal de Luxe" - so named Arch Deluxe in these countries.