Did the viral Snoop Dogg "Give Up Smoke" ad actually fail?

Would you believe it if I said that the iconic ad campaign that Snoop Dogg posted in November 2023 (the one that had the internet in shambles), for the Solo Stove, actually resulted in the CEO being fired?

When Snoop Dogg posted that he was going to “Give Up Smoke”, he all but broke the internet. If you’re familiar with pop culture and hip hop, you’ll know that Snoop Dogg is the #1 “poster child” for certain…. extra curricular activities (aka smoking weed). So when he posted the photo shown below, the world was in shock.

A few days later, he then announced that when he said “Give Up Smoke”.. he was referring to a smokeless fire pit as a part of a now classic marketing campaign for the Solo Stove by Solo Brands.

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From the outside looking in, this has been deemed one of the most successful ad campaigns of 2023. It even ranked #8 on the list of 40 best ads of 2023. This video campaign received millions of views and impressions on every social media platform. And that doesn’t even include the countless articles, reaction videos and posts from fans online.

But why would such a successful ad campaign result in the CEO being fired just a couple months later? Because exposure doesn’t pay the bills… that’s why!

According to Solo Brands, their 4th quarter revenue was much lower than expected. And I can only imagine the amount of zeroes on the check they had to write for Snoop Dogg to do a campaign.

And while virality is every marketer or business owner’s dream… it is not enough to explode your business financially. I know this all too well, as I have been a content creator that has gone mega viral (more times than I can count) in the last few years.

As a marketer, business owner, and/or content creator, you have to understand that not all content is created equal.

The Snoop Dogg ad campaign was a genius move for brand awareness. Millions of people who likely never heard of a Solo Stove, know about it now.

But was it the right move to drive sales? Obviously not.

The majority of all content is going to fall into 1 of 3 categories:

“Go Wide” Awareness: the sole purpose of this type of content is to get your brand in front of fresh, new eyeballs.

A few ways to bring more awareness to your brand through content are:

• Find a polarizing topic in your industry and talk about your controversial take on it.

• Think outside the box a bit and “shake the table”. Use humor, creativity, etc to create “shareable” content

“Go Deep” Connection: the sole purpose of this type of content is to really build your following of dedicated community members. This is how you “find your tribe”

A few ways to bring more connection to your brand through content are:

• Educate your audience through value based content. This is great for building trust and authority.

• Be vulnerable and authentic. Share your “come up” or “transformation” story to evoke emotion.

“Go High” Promotion: the sole purpose of this type of content is to “shoot your shot” and drive the audience to a call to action. Whether its to buy a product, sign up for an event or whatever it is you want them to do

A few ways to bring more promotion and sales to your brand through content are:

• Highlight that you are the solution to your audience’s problem and give examples of the solution in real time (testimonials)

• Brag on yourself a bit and talk about your accomplishments, accolades, and why they should take action on your CTA (call to action)

Every type of content has it’s time and place. You really need all 3 content categories to grow a successful and profitable brand.

Where Solo Brands went wrong (in my opinion), was expecting a huge spike in sales after their viral campaign. Expecting massive amounts of sales from influencer marketing is a mistake that I see brands making all of the time.

Marketing is not about a bunch of people buying your product or service. Marketing is the art of building a relationship with your potential customers. 

It’s about planting little seeds in your customers’ minds, so that you are top of mind for them when they need you. This type of trust can take a while to build, as the average consumer typically needs to see a brand 7-8 times before they whip their wallets out and swipe the credit card.

So does exposure pay the bills? Nope. However, the million dollar lesson here is this: while virality may not result in instant money in the bank, it does create a priceless opportunity to cast a wider net in the sea of potential customers. And once the net is cast.. it is up to you to reel it in!

So tell me” What did you think of the infamous Snoop Dogg “Give Up Smoke” ad campaign?

Sources:

Schaneman, Bart. "Solo Brands Names New CEO after Snoop Marketing Whiff." The Daily Outdoor Retailer, 8 January 2024, https://thedaily.outdoorretailer.com/news/people/solo-brands-names-new-ceo-after-snoop-marketing-whiff/