Sky Sports and Halo: Understanding the key oversights
A recent example of a campaign with unintended outcomes is Sky Sports’ Halo, a new, female-focused, sports TikTok account that launched on the 13th of November 2025. However, within just three days, the account was pulled after facing significant backlash, including claims from fans that the content was ‘patronising’.
The channel’s branding, which included glowing pink text and language that reinforced stereotypes, made many female sports fans feel as though the campaign was speaking down to them.
This misstep wasn’t just in the content itself, but in that it demonstrated a misunderstanding of the target audience, and overlooked the fact that women are just as knowledgeable and passionate as any other fans.
A considered approach: Our perspective
The most successful marketing campaigns are those that go beyond just creative execution (the exciting bit); also focusing on strategy and data-driven planning. Therefore, it’s important to conduct market research to understand what your current customers value about and expect from your brand. By doing so, you can avoid alienating your existing customer base, whilst also reaching new audiences in a meaningful and relevant way.
Five key considerations before launching any campaign
Tip 1: Know your audience
Understanding your target audience is crucial to the success of any marketing campaign strategy. The more in-depth insights you have into your customers’ behaviours, the more effectively you can create campaigns that resonate with them. This not only leads to higher engagement and better conversion rates, but also fosters long-term brand loyalty. This can also uncover emerging trends that offer further opportunities for growth.
Tip 2: Anticipating potential risks and reactions
Before launching any campaign, it’s important to anticipate possible risks and reactions. A campaign that goes viral for the wrong reasons can cause lasting damage to your brand. By staying informed about market trends, shifts in consumer behaviour, and competitor activity, you can proactively manage risks and avoid costly mistakes.
Tip 3: Align your campaign with core brand values
Authenticity is key. Your campaign should align with your brand’s core values and reflect them consistently across all marketing channels. Marketing to an audience in a way that contradicts the brand’s message, can lead to confusion or backlash. Taking the time to define your values and ensure that every aspect of your campaign reflects them will help you build trust and credibility with your audience.
Tip 4: Measure and plan for long-term impact
After the campaign goes live, it’s important to conduct a thorough post-campaign evaluation. Analyse what worked, what didn’t, and how the campaign contributed to your larger brand goals. This allows you to learn from both your successes and your mistakes.
Tip 5: Be Ready to adapt
Flexibility is crucial. If the data and feedback indicate that a particular aspect of your campaign isn’t resonating with your audience, don’t be afraid to make adjustments. You won’t get every campaign right first time. Being ready to adapt shows that you’re committed to delivering value to your customers, and that you listen to their feedback.
How Hydra Creative creates strategies that help ensure a smooth and thoughtful campaign launch
At Hydra Creative, we emphasise the importance of collaboration, communication, and data driven results at every stage of a marketing campaign. We work closely with our clients to understand their brand values and goals, ensuring that we create a campaign that resonates with the target audience.
From messaging to design, we maintain high standards to ensure consistency across different marketing platforms. Every element of the campaign is carefully reviewed to ensure that it reflects the brand’s core values.
If you’re looking for a strategic and thoughtful approach to your next campaign, get in touch with our friendly marketing team for a free initial consultation.
