Middle Finger Marketing

I really enjoyed this post from Greg Verdino's blog where Greg reflects on how big-budget marketing moves like slapping your name on a sports arena can actually create animosity among your customers.

In his real-life example, Greg had just gotten off a flight where staff was overworked, space was limited and bags of peanuts no longer flow freely from the carts of perky flight attendants.

We can all accept these little sacrifices in a time where most businesses are struggling to keep afloat. However, upon hopping in a cab Greg came face to face with an arena sponsored by the very airline that served up a down-graded customer service experience. This, says he, is middle finger marketing. Spending the big bucks on flashy branding projects instead of on the customer experience - right under our noses!

Think about it, in these time there is probably more value in creating a buzz-worthy customer experience that will generate free word-of-mouth advertising from a trusted source (our own friends and family!) than shelling out to sponsor an event that most of us can no longer afford to attend.