How to Avoid an Embarrassing Situation with Your Creative

Many may have seen the US team make a very impressive comeback in the President's Cup at Medinah Country Club this past weekend. In the tournament that happens every 2 years,

the heavily favored US team overcame a 3 point deficit on the final day to overtake the International team. It made for some good drama. Another major golf brand - Callaway Golf -

has also made drama recently...albeit for the wrong reason.

Creative marketing is meant to grab attention, but there is a fine line between being memorable and creating a problem for the brand. A recent situation involving Good Good Golf and Callaway shows just how quickly the wrong creative decision can turn into a major brand issue. The two companies released a co-branded social media ad promoting a new golf driver. The video showed a male golfer pushing a female golfer to the ground and telling her not to touch his club. The ad was published on Aug. 21 and removed later that same day after receiving widespread criticism.

The Cost of a Bad Creative Decision

The incident quickly became much bigger than a single social media post. Callaway publicly apologized and said it had approved the advertisement before launching an internal investigation. The company also ended its partnership with Good Good and announced a donation to organizations focused on addressing violence against women. Good Good faced additional consequences, including changes to its leadership and the loss of other business opportunities and partnerships. All of that resulted from a piece of content that was online for less than 24 hours.

Get an Outside Perspective

One of the biggest lessons for marketers is the importance of having people outside the creative process review an idea before it reaches the public. When the same people brainstorm, produce, and approve an advertisement, it can be difficult to recognize potential problems. The team already knows the joke, the strategy, and the intended message. An outside viewer does not have that same context. This is especially important when a campaign uses humor. What seems funny to the people who created it may come across very differently to someone seeing it for the first time.

Build a Better Approval Process

Marketers do not necessarily need to slow down every campaign with a lengthy review process. However, adding another perspective can help catch issues before they become public. A quick review with people outside the brand or agency team, a small focus group, or even a few honest opinions from people unfamiliar with the concept can reveal potential concerns early.

The takeaway is simple: don't let being excited about an idea prevent you from questioning it. Strong creative requires more than a clever concept. It also requires thoughtful review, testing when appropriate, and a willingness to hear feedback before hitting publish. A few extra opinions could make the difference between a campaign that gets people talking for the right reasons and one that creates a crisis for the brand.

Cate Bender, the author, is Project Coordinator of Marketing Keys