The last weeks of December come with a guarantee that we’ll all be seeing lots of similar posts: the round-up.  

 

This year, I’ve decided to compile five content-related reasons that I’ve seen marketing campaigns flop in 2025. Why? So you can avoid these marketing mishaps in 2026. You can thank me in your personal highlights post next December.  

 

Now, those reasons: 

 

 

1. Your provider doesn’t have subject matter cred (sector, tech, role…) 

   Solution: Work with experts. Have you asked your agencies or freelancers if they know about your sector niche? (Or do you think you can handle that part?)
    

2. A provider has only just appeared – when your trusted partners have been engaging you for years 

   Solution: Grow out your suppliers from your network or past engagements. Prioritise content that allows campaigns over time (e.g. annual research) and aren’t easy to ‘spin up’ or replicate (eg case studies). 

 

3. You sound the same as the next company, with a preference for either what you’ve done before or what your competitors are doing

   Solution: Creativity – find the white space where no one else is playing. Have consistent points of view. 

 

4. Your provider is far away– literally, or they just won’t spend time with you (are their people even real?!)  

 

Solution: Look for those who offer events (even inviting you to other people’s events) and 1-2-1 meetings – or they just pick up the phone sometimes. 

 

5. You ditched your agencies for the AI content guys: trust us when we say your audience can tell, and sometimes it really matters. The tech-first crews know little about your industry or marketing or content, but…they’re cheap. 

 

Solution: You can always change course again. Use AI for the right things, not to try to fake good content. 

 

 

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, all is not lost. You can turn things around in 2026 – and if you need support in boosting your content efforts, reach out to us.