Printing Errors: A bad example and how to avoid them

Earlier this year the giant online retailer ASOS printed almost 20,000 plastic bags with a pretty big typo on it.

The original message was supposed to be “ASOS discover fashion online”, but the company wrongly wrote “onilne”.

Unsurprisingly, the internet went crazy – both negatively and positively.

Realising the mistake and instead of recalling the bags and/or submitting an apology, the brand went one further.

ASOS tweeted a picture of the infamous bag with the caption: “Ok, so we *may* have printed 17,000 bags with a typo. We’re calling it a limited edition.”

Shortly after, the tweet received almost 50,000 likes and 9,000 retweets! Not only that: customers loved it and were either mocking the brand or trying to place an order to get one of the limited-edition bags!

This incident teaches us two really important lessons: how to avoid a potential crisis and how a crisis could have been avoided in the first place.

The fast and humorous response shows that the brand knows its customers and was prepared to transform a potential negative situation into an opportunity.

Most importantly, the typo could have been avoided if a safety check were carried out to make sure no mistakes passed through the final stages of the printing process.

This is especially important for businesses that want to convey a more serious and professional image.

A typo would not have been accepted with as much good humour by the clients of a large law firm, for instance. It may give a bad impression and a sense of carelessness and unprofessionalism.

We at CDP follow every printing project from start to finish, ensuring all goes according to the plan! From the communications strategy, to design, print – and copy proofreading!

If you need an extra pair of hands for your communications needs, drop us an email: info@cdp.co.uk.