It’s remarkable how many great ideas, marketing or otherwise, never see the light of day because someone in the approval chain worries that someone might be offended. There has never been an effective marketing effort that didn’t offend someone. Ever. Great ideas are, by definition, new and untested, and someone will always find fault with the unfamiliar. But management does a terrible disservice to the company and its stakeholders when the fear of any negative reaction trumps positive action. Should your marketing be willfully offensive? Absolutely not. Should it constantly push to engage your audience in fresh, new ways. Absolutely.
