In his latest post, Ernie Schenck considers the growing ranks of anti-advertising forces.
These days, it seems like everyone is talking about the rise of the consumer as marketing ally. But what about the rise of the consumer as marketing antagonist?
It’s one thing to put up a microsite and ask people to make movies about sneakers or write stories about their greatest hotel adventure or whatever. But what do you do when instead of brand mavens, you’ve got a bunch of brand malcontents seemingly driven to undermine you at every turn.
Consider Hummer. If it isn’t a bunch of eco-terrorists sneaking into some hapless Califiornia Hummer dealership in the dead of night and torching every single one of the big ass SUV’s on the lot, it’s these guys. They call themselves The Green Hummer Project and I seriously doubt Hummer will be asking them to get involved with future marketing projects.
I once had the chance to work for an entrepreneur who used his Hummer as a private office, since his real loft-style office had no door. While sitting in his passenger seat one day, listening to his pitch as he motored around the West Loop, I thought there’s no way I can work for this guy.
