Every Halloween, the internet revives one of the most heated debates in snacking history:  candy corn – the waxy tricolor treat people either love… or love to hate.

A recent YouGov poll showed that more than half of Americans dislike candy corn, yet it continues to dominate Halloween aisles showing us that negative feedback doesn’t always mean failure. Instead, it means opportunity.

Whether it’s candy, shoes, or soda, polarization can be powerful when you know how to listen and adapt. Here are three tips we give our clients if faced with negative feedback from an ad campaign:

Step 1: Ask Why?

When consumers react negatively, it’s tempting to panic or pull the plug. But before changing course, ask: why?

Do they dislike the product? The creative? The message?

Coca-Cola’s “New Coke” fiasco in the ’80s was one of the most famous examples of turning negative feedback into brand strength. When backlash erupted, Coke dug deeper into the negative sentiment, learning that people weren’t rejecting the taste; they were rejecting the loss of a brand they emotionally trusted. That insight ultimately strengthened Coke’s brand loyalty for decades.

In advertising, understanding the “why” behind sentiment helps you fix the right problem. A viewer’s “no” might not mean “never”. Instead, it could mean “not this message,” “not this moment,” or “not for me.”

Zero-Party Ads make it easy to uncover those reasons in real time. Ask in-ad questions like:

• Would you consider this product?
• How does this ad make you feel?

And follow-up with those who answer negatively to learn why they feel that way. 

For example, one of our gaming clients asked video ad viewers how likely they were to play within the next 30 days. Those who answered “unlikely” or “very unlikely” received a quick follow-up question asking why.

The top reasons:

• Prefers other multiplayer games (43%)
• Time constraints (30%)
  
• Prefers solo games (15%)

Only a small share mentioned hardware or content issues,  showing the brand they were reaching the right gamers. They just needed to adjust messaging to highlight what set their game apart from others.

Example of Video Game Zero-Party Ad

This kind of direct, contextual feedback reveals whether the issue is your message, your audience, or your brand perception and gathering it in ads gives you timely data to leverage sooner rather than later. 

Step 2: Find Your Fans and Lean Into Them

When people tell you they don’t like your brand, look closer at the ones who do.

Crocs faced years of ridicule for their clunky design, yet instead of apologizing, they leaned in. They found their superfans – healthcare workers, parents, Gen Z fashion lovers – and built campaigns that celebrated their weirdness. The result? Record growth, cultural relevance, and $4B+ in annual sales.

The same principle applies in advertising. When you find audiences that respond positively to your creative or product, you can use AI like VoiceAlike® to scale those segments, in order to reach more high-intent consumers who share the same preferences and needs as your fans.

Step 3: Pivot Your Strategy

Once you know why people react the way they do and who loves your message, the next step is to act on it.

When Peloton launched its 2019 holiday ad showing a woman receiving a bike from her husband, it was meant to inspire, but quickly drew criticism as “tone-deaf” and “sexist.” Recognizing they already had a passionate community, Peloton shifted from aspirational luxury messaging to community-driven, empowerment-focused creative with campaigns like It’s You vs.You and Motivation That Moves You. They also leaned into real member stories, user-generated content, and more inclusive representation.

The Lesson?  Negative ad reactions can spark a powerful creative reset that better aligns with audience emotion and brand purpose.

Zero-Party Ads: Turning Feedback Into Smarter Media Decisions

With real-time insights from in-ad surveys, brands can:

• Test and refine creative mid-campaign
• Shift media spend toward responsive audiences
• Eliminate wasted impressions on disinterested viewers

Feedback shouldn’t be the end of a campaign, but the start of campaign optimization.

Final Bite

Candy corn might not please everyone, and neither will your ads. 

When you use feedback to understand, identify, and adapt, even the “no’s” become useful. Because in advertising, the scariest thing isn’t negative feedback – it’s silence.

So this Halloween, take a note from candy corn, Crocs, and Coke: don’t fear the feedback. Listen to it, learn from it, and let it guide your next great campaign.

Want to turn real-time ad feedback into smarter targeting and stronger ROI? Contact us for a free consultation.