Rapper Snoop Dogg shocked the world in November last year when he announced he would be giving up smoking. However, as it turned out, the post was a clever setup for a marketing campaign to promote the products of Solo Brands. The company collaborated with Snoop Dogg to promote its smoke-free product, the Solo Stove.
Despite the ad campaign getting major traction on social media, it ultimately proved to be a mistake. Solo Brands, the company behind the campaign recently announced that they have replaced the CEO who was responsible for the collaboration with Snoop Dogg. Fans are certainly not surprised with the news of the ad campaign backfiring and here is what they are saying on social media.
Solo Brands Replaces CEO After Marketing Snoop Dogg Misfire
Solo Brands is a collection of adventure lifestyle brands, including Solo Stove, a range of smokeless outdoor fire pits. To promote Solo Stoves, the company collaborated with rapper Snoop Dogg who is popular for his excessive smoking on and off the stage. The marketing campaign launched in November 2023, received widespread attention on social media as it was set up by Snoop claiming to give up smoking.
While the campaign did achieve internet virality, it could not attract customers. As a result, John Merris, CEO of Solo Brands has parted ways with the company by mutual agreement. CFO Andrea Tarbox announced Merris’ departure in a statement that reads:
“While our unique marketing campaigns raised brand awareness of Solo Stove to an expanded and new audience of consumers, it did not lead to the sales lift that we had planned.”
Vista Outdoor CEO Christopher Metz was announced as Merris’ replacement and assumed the role on January 15, 2024. From Tarbox’s statement, it is evident that the company made significant investments in its marketing campaigns under Merris, which did not yield satisfactory sales, resulting in the CEO’s exit.
Fans Not Surprised as Snoop Dogg’s Viral Marketing Campaign Fails to Generate Sales
The news of Solo Brands replacing their CEO following the marketing campaign and sales debacle caught the eye of Snoop Dogg fans on social media. Fans were not surprised that the marketing campaign did not generate sales as they felt Snoop was the wrong ambassador for a smokeless product.
Here is what fans are saying about the after-effects of the marketing campaign on X.
i mean what did they expect? “ah you have deceived me! what a clever ruse! i will now by a grill or whatever” lmao
— Krootzy (@Krootzy) January 16, 2024
You can’t use a smoker to sell something smokeless. pic.twitter.com/TE5o6ArtsT
— Eric Pellinen (@EricPellinen) January 16, 2024
Is anybody surprised?
— Every Movie Plug 🎬 🔌 (@everymovieplug) January 16, 2024
Definitely should quit for that. I didn't even realize it was a viral marketing type thing. So they definitely missed the mark on that one.
— Israel Joshua Davis (@izzyjoshuadavis) January 16, 2024
The campaign relied on shock value. Those who responded to the smokeless campaign/stunt (bc it was Snoop) were not tryna purchase no damn smokeless FIREPLACE. A fireplace?! Cute trick tho.
— sakoiya (@sakoiya) January 16, 2024
As most reactions suggest, fans were left unimpressed in the aftermath of the news as they felt the ad campaign was always unlikely to generate sales. However, some X users did defend the campaign and praised it for its unique style. Nonetheless, the company appears to be dissatisfied with the return on their investment in the marketing campaign and opted for a change of leadership.
