When Hedley and Bennett missed a deadline for its largest-ever order, the founder gave the entire 150-apron order away for free. Despite not having the money, this decision demonstrated unwavering accountability and built trust, showing that brand integrity is paramount, regardless of the financial strain.
When Way's dry shampoo started exploding, the team owned the "foam party" disaster. By reposting customer complaints with humor and creating a "mean reviews" video series, they turned a potential PR nightmare into a memorable, brand-building moment that resonated with customers.
Good Girl Snacks transformed a disastrous PR campaign, where 200 boxes broke in transit, into a viral video. By being transparent about their "panic moments" and operational failures, they built a stronger, more forgiving community that respected their honesty.
Repurpose learned that "peanut butter spreading" a minimal marketing budget across the entire country was ineffective. The founder advises focusing spend heavily on core geographic markets where consumer buy-in is strongest, even if e-commerce makes the product nationally available. Go deep before you go wide.