It's time to stop looking on the bright side

Rory Sutherland suggests that marketers need more case histories of brand failures. This idea is drawn from the idea that the typical advertising pitch is made on the basis that: 'If you do X, then wonderful things will happen.' In computing, such a sales tactic would only be adopted in moments of desperation.

It's time to stop looking on the bright side

Rory Sutherland

We need more case histories of brand failures, says Rory Sutherland.

You know those women who occasionally hang around outside the Old Bailey waiting for the Group 4 van to arrive with some child molester on board? As the van makes the turn into the underground car-park, these modern-day tricoteuses run towards it as a crowd, banging on its sides and shouting “f***ing scum, at the defendant inside.

If you know any of those people, it would be really handy if you could pass me their contact details....

Not a subscriber?

Schedule your live demo with our team today

WARC helps you to plan, create and deliver more effective marketing

  • Prove your case and back-up your idea

  • Get expert guidance on strategic challenges

  • Tackle current and emerging marketing themes

We’re long-term subscribers to WARC and it’s a tool we use extensively. We use it to source case studies and best practice for the purposes of internal training, as well as for putting persuasive cases to clients. In compiling a recent case for long-term, sustained investment in brand, we were able to support key marketing principles with numerous case studies sourced from WARC. It helped bring what could have been a relatively dry deck to life with recognisable brand successes from across a broad number of categories. It’s incredibly efficient to have such a wealth of insight in one place.

Insights Team
Bray Leino

You’re in good company

We work with 80% of Forbes' most valuable brands* and 80% of the world's top top-of-the-class agencies.

* Top 10 brands