In the age of YouTube tutorials and DIY everything, it’s tempting to think that marketing is something anyone can do with a Canva template and a couple of hashtags. Why hire a pro when you can “save money” by doing it yourself, right? Well, here’s a hot take: When it comes to marketing, the DIY approach can sometimes feel like trying to fix a leaky pipe with duct tape—it's cheap, quick, and will absolutely explode in your face later.
Take, for instance, the infamous Pepsi ad from a few years back. You remember it—the one that was supposed to solve all the world’s problems with a can of soda? Someone, somewhere thought, “Hey, let’s DIY this ad campaign, toss in a celebrity, and boom, instant viral success!” Instead, they got a PR nightmare that nearly everyone tried to forget. Cutting corners on market research and relying on a “gut feeling” instead of expert insight? Classic DIY mistake.
And let’s not forget the Gap logo debacle. Back in 2010, Gap decided to update its classic logo to something that looked like it was cooked up in a WordArt fever dream. The backlash was so intense that the company reverted to the old logo within a week. Had they consulted with professionals, they might’ve avoided a branding fail that cost them more than just design fees.
Sure, DIY marketing might seem like a way to save a buck, but is it really worth the risk of becoming the next cautionary tale? When you’re focused on pinching pennies, you might just squeeze the life out of your brand.
At Richworth Marketing, we believe that some things—like your brand’s reputation—are worth investing in. Because when it comes to marketing, you get what you pay for… or in the case of DIY, what you don’t pay for.
Ready to stop cutting corners and start cutting through the noise? Contact us at Richworth Marketing, where we turn your marketing dreams into reality—no duct tape required.
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