Middle East Crisis Silently Hitting Your Ad Performance

Your ads seem to be working but conversions are dropping?

CTR is decent but sales have slowed?

Add-to-cart happening but purchases delayed?

Maybe the problem isn't the campaign.

Maybe the problem is context.

In this episode, we discuss how the conflict environment in the Middle East impacts digital marketing. Because war doesn't just affect borders. War affects consumer psychology. When psychology changes, purchasing behavior changes. When purchasing behavior changes, ad performance silently erodes.

In this episode we cover:

How does consumer psychology change during crisis periods?

Why does impulse shopping decrease?

How does risk-avoidance behavior affect conversion rates?

Why might CPM, CTR and ROAS fluctuate?

Why do cold audiences weaken, retargeting strengthen?

We also examine real examples from history.

Why did automotive brands deliver financial assurance messages instead of discounts during the Gulf War?

How did Walmart keep advertising during the Iraq War and gain market share?

How did brands change their communication tone after the Russia-Ukraine war?

In World War II, why did Coca-Cola position itself with morale and unity messaging?

There are two types of brands during crises:

Panicking brands and strategic-thinking brands.

In this episode we clearly discuss:

Is stopping ads a solution?

Should you reduce budget?

Or should you change the message?

Because this period is retention, not acquisition.

Keeping existing customers becomes more important than chasing new ones.

Empathy, trust and transparency language works instead of aggressive sales language.

We also address Turkey's perspective.

Geopolitical risk, currency fluctuations, logistics costs and margin erosion…

Why do periods begin when ROAS alone isn't sufficient?

Why does net profit tracking become more critical?

This episode will help you understand:

Ad performance drops aren't always technical problems.

Sometimes the problem is psychological.

And marketing is reading the context.

If you're wondering how to position your brand during crisis periods, you must listen to this episode.

Because crisis destroys bad marketers.

It grows good marketers.

For suggestions and collaboration regarding my podcast, you can reach me at faruk@joykek.com or on Instagram @faruktoprakx.

00:00 - 02:35 Middle East Crisis and Historical Examples

02:35 - 03:45 War's Impact on Consumer Psychology

03:45 - 06:30 What is Impulse Shopping and Why Does It Decrease?

06:30 - 07:50 Why Does Ad Performance Fluctuate?

07:50 - 09:20 Should We Stop Ads?

09:20 - 10:30 How Should Message Language Change?

12:15 - 14:09 The Big Mistake and Strategic Outcome