Source: Solo Stove / Snoop Dogg
Just because something goes viral doesn’t mean it will generate dollars. Solo Brands, the company behind that brilliant Snoop Dogg AD, found that out the hard way.
Snoop Dogg had the internet in a tizzy when he dropped a video announcing he was “giving up smoke,” leading many to believe one of the world’s most famous weed smokers was putting down his blunts for good and asking fans to respect his privacy.
The video turned out to be a brilliant AD for the company’s new smokeless fire pit, Solo Stove. After the “Gin & Juice” rapper pulled the wool from over our eyes, many applauded him, hailing to be an excellent pitchman.
Digital Music News reports that the viral AD didn’t do anything for business. It was so bad that the company gave the CEO the boot.
Per Digital Music News:
“While our unique marketing campaigns raised brand awareness of Solo Stove to an expanded and new audience of consumers, it did not lead to the sales lift that we had planned, which, combined with the increased marketing investments, negatively impacted our EBITDA,” said interim CFO Andrea Tarbox. “We believe there is a significant opportunity for us to build awareness and that these new campaigns will expand our reach and benefit our brands over the long term.”
More focused on the implication that he might actually be giving up cannabis than the smokeless fireplace for which the ad was made in the first place, fans and media outlets alike seemed to miss the point.
As a result, Solo Brands had to adjust its financial expectations in 2023, anticipating lower revenue — and ousting Merris in 2024. Christopher Metz, former Vista Outdoor CEO, will step in as the company’s president, CEO, and director of the board, effective as of Monday, January 15. So viral advertising works to get word out—but driving sales? That’s another matter entirely.
Welp.
They definitely add this flop to the Marketing 101 textbooks.
*Update*
Solo Brands issued a statement on the matter, noting Snoop Dogg’s campaign was “extremely successful” and “inserted the t Solo Stove brand into cultural conversations.”
The statement reads in full:
Solo Brands’ recent marketing campaigns drove and continue to generate exposure to new audiences, enabling us to reach previously untapped customer categories. In particular, Solo Brands considers the viral Snoop Dogg campaign extremely successful. It inserted our Solo Stove brand into cultural conversations, dramatically increased exposure for Solo Stove and laid the groundwork for future opportunities.
As we continue to push a marketing strategy that blends direct response marketing with brand awareness campaigns, we recognize that brand awareness campaigns have a longer-term conversion cycle. That said, we believe there is a nurturing process that has to occur for those potential new customers who are being made aware of our brand for the first time – and the continued investment in this strategy and our overall brand awareness will set us up for long-term success.
