Recently, the Department for Education (DfE) found itself at the centre of a social media storm – not for fixing the childcare crisis, but for how it tried (and failed) to say sorry.
Instead of a sincere apology for ongoing concerns around early years funding, staffing, and support, the DfE released a tongue-in-cheek statement that many felt was lifted straight out of the Aldi marketing playbook – cheeky, flippant, and designed for laughs.
Only, no one was laughing.
Parents, providers, and professionals across the country voiced their anger at what felt like a tone deaf, ill-timed, and insincere approach. Because here’s the thing: Aldi can just about get away with this tone in its marketing, the DfE can’t. And as marketers, we really need to stop assuming that copying someone else’s style is a winning strategy.
Remember: You Are Not Aldi
Aldi’s marketing is built on humour, cheek, and risk. I am a fan of their marketing team as a whole because they don’t just post and ghost, they get in with their with Whitty one-liners and respond to comments.
Everyone is in on the humour. Their audience expects playful banter, meme-style posts, and the odd “sorry-not-sorry.” That tone is part of a long-established brand identity.
The Department for Education, on the other hand, is literally responsible for the future of children in the UK. The weight of its responsibility means the public expects empathy, accountability, and clarity, not a PR stunt.
This is the key lesson for marketing teams everywhere: What works for one brand won’t necessarily work for yours.
Copying Without Context = Marketing Misfire
We see it all the time. A business sees a viral trend, a quirky campaign, or a big brand’s social media moment and thinks: we should do that! But what gets missed is the why behind the success. Aldi didn’t just throw out a witty apology and hope for the best. Their tone is consistent, they know their audience, and they rarely stray too far from what their customers have come to expect.
The DfE’s post got views, comments, and shares, but for all the wrong reasons.
In marketing, not all visibility is positive. As my good friend Greg Simpson from Press for Attention always reminds me: not all PR is good PR.
Try New Things - But Own Your Mistakes
There’s nothing wrong with trying new styles or formats in your marketing. In fact, it’s essential to keep things fresh. But you must read the room. Understand your audience, your industry, and the emotional temperature of your stakeholders.
When something doesn’t land? Don’t double down. Don’t gaslight your audience. Hold your hands up. Learn. Apologise properly. A genuine apology can build trust, a flippant one can destroy it.
Be Original, Be Honest, Be You
As marketers, our job isn’t to copy what’s trending it’s to connect. Yes we can learn from new trends, I am not saying we cannot try new things but we need to communicate with the right people, in the right way, at the right time.
Yes, learn from others. Yes, take inspiration. But always bring it back to your brand, your values, and your audience. How have your audience come to engage with you.
If your tone doesn’t match your mission, your marketing will miss the mark.