The ready-aim-fire traditional approach works best in more mature markets, where your strategy is to add features and value to competitive products, or address an underserved new segment of the marketplace.
College brought a similar experience: He was doing well until a local radio station broadcast his name and address in a recurring segment alerting the public to sex offenders in the area.
The authors of the study reckon that it is difficult to address risky sexual behaviour when a significant segment of the population strongly believes that such behaviour is morally wrong.