Montreal, October 18 - Professor Michael Guolla, Ph.D, is a market research professor teaching at the University of Ottawa. Guolla's research career has primarily focused on examining quality and satisfaction in B-to-B and service marketing. In examining the reality that sometimes a product or service is thought to be revolutionary but ultimately fails and fades into obscurity, I had the opportunity to sit down with Guolla to review multiple case studies examining why marketing campaigns are not always successful, ultimately evaluating why businesses make advertising decisions, and if that advertising is effective. 

How Marketing Professionals Adapt

When prompted about how important is it for marketing experts to continuously adapt, and what he thought the consequences were for those who fail to do so in the digital age, Professor Michael Guolla Ph.D commented that it is "hard to say". Advertisers had to adapt to TV which now looks simple compared to the digital marketing landscape today. Similarly with cable in the 1970s and 1980s and when the internet age began, there was a learning curve. A particular example from Internet 2.0 includes banner ads. There is a real estate on screen that marketing experts wanted to take advantage of, creating longer ads that took advantage of the sides of the webpage (Guolla and Santiago Burke Carreno).

The professor commented how in our current digital age it is difficult to point to a comparison and say which one is tougher, as we have computers to aid with the adjustment that can predict new points of change for us. One way to create that point of reference is to control exposure with either a high or low degree of someone paying attention. This is seen through social media marketing, as users will post and respond to what brands do. Whether they are watching or reading, consumers always have a choice of paying attention or not (Guolla and Santiago Burke Carreno).

Michael commented how a combination of a greater quantity of adverts and new unskippable ads makes it harder to avoid the volume of marketing material allowing companies to reach the desired audience. As technology evolves, advancements will allow marketing experts to use them to reach new audiences (Guolla and Santiago Burke Carreno).

Errors Marketing Experts Make Today

Discussing Guolla's studies, the researcher found many marketing campaigns today with similar errors.

The expert mentions that there are many ways to evaluate why businesses make decisions from a marketing standpoint. The first and biggest issue is knowing if advertising is even effective in communicating the intended message. You need to know the context in which the advertisement is shown, who the target audience is, and what the company is trying to achieve. Other mistakes fall into the realm of following laws. If a company runs a contest and doesn't follow federal or provincial regulations, it could face repercussions. The professor comments that despite most companies trying not to break laws, it could happen due to a lack of research. Another aspect is maintaining ethical standards. Companies may not break laws, but if the general public finds that the company is not acting in accordance with public perceptions of ethical behaviour, such as experimenting on animals, not being environmentally friendly, or having poor working conditions—people may react negatively if these factors are not taken into account. Satisfaction is the final factor when a company fails to run a successful campaign. When customers are unhappy with a product, it reflects negatively on the product or the company. The negative press can come in the form of word-of-mouth, online reviews such as those found on the App Store or Microsoft Store, or online forums (Guolla and Santiago Burke Carreno).

In Practice

When asked to provide an example of a failed campaign, Guolla pointed to meat substitute products. The adoption rate was not as high as they'd hoped, as plant-based meat substitutes among meat eaters remain low due to several factors. Some non-vegans had concerns about the taste, texture, and sensory experience compared to real meat (Szenderák et al.). The marketing team forgot to account for the fact that consumers perceived these substitutes as overly processed and questioned their nutritional benefits (Szenderák et al.). Some meat eaters had a cultural attachment to meat, making it more difficult for plant-based substitutes to compete with that demographic (Szenderák et al.). Marketing research teams failed to recognize these factors, and as a result, contributed to the plant-based meat industry's inability to achieve a higher adoption rate. The industry's failure to adapt to these factors is holding back its ability to gain a larger market share. This highlights one of the key issues in marketing campaigns, knowing if advertising is effective in communicating the intended message to the right audience. By failing to understand their target demographic's values, the team was ineffective in evaluating the context in which the advertisements were shown, causing the product's downfall.

To conclude the interview, Professor Michael Guolla was asked what advice he would give to those entering the marketing industry. He emphasized that the first step is to determine what type of marketing job and industry one wants to pursue. Marketing has many different subsections, such as advertising, market research, and digital marketing, each requiring different skill sets. He also stressed the importance of staying updated on new technologies, techniques, and tools, while warning against adopting them without a clear purpose. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends, but marketers must always align their choices with the core mission of the business and its needs. In selecting new technologies and techniques, marketing professionals must be both selective and well-informed, ensuring they remain aware of the latest advancements relevant to their field (Guolla and Santiago Burke Carreno).

Works Cited:

Burke-Carreno, S., & Guolla, M. (2024, September 14). Interview with Michael Guolla. personal.

Communications Directorate, U. of O. (n.d.). Michael Guolla - Uottawa experts: University of Ottawa. uOttawa Experts | University of Ottawa. https://web5.uottawa.ca/www2/mcs-smc/media/experts-details-iframe-88.html 

Szenderák, János, et al. “Consumer Acceptance of Plant-Based Meat Substitutes: A Narrative Review.” Foods, vol. 11, no. 9, 27 Apr. 2022, p. 1274, https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11091274.