Web Ink Now: Interruption Marketing Hall of Shame

David Meerman Scott has started an Interruption Marketing Hall of Shame over at Web Ink Now and I thought that I would include his number 4 here. Valuable lesson here -- he's willing to boycott a mall he likes to visit because they chose to interrupt him, rather then engage him.

So look at his other nominees and be sure to add your own thoughts!

Interruption marketing sucks. But what's worse is when a company that you do business with deems it important to interrupt you with unwelcome marketing messages that you cannot stop and that annoy you so much that you seek to do business elsewhere.

Why do these companies deem it important to annoy their existing customers, who are the best prospects they have for repeat business? Why do these companies insult our intelligence? Do they think that loud, unwelcome marketing messages are good for their brand? Or is there some rouge marketing genius doing something that the CEO and the head of customer support doesn’t know about? Or is it just me who is annoyed and other people like this stuff?

Here then, is my Interruption Marketing Hall of Shame. Feel free to add your own nominees via comments or trackbacks to this post.

4. Simon Property Group for installing video screens throughout the local mall, including the food court. I often pop over to the Burlington, MA mall for lunch in the food court. But last week the mall operator, Simon Property Group, installed video screens in the food court that blare the same advertisements to people who are trying to enjoy a quiet meal alone of chat with friends. Again, video alone is OK, it is the audio, that you cannot escape, that sucks. I am boycotting this mall. Too bad, because it is the holiday shopping season and the stores I frequent will miss out. (Emphasis mine)

If anyone from these organizations is reading, please comment here and let us know why you do this nonsense. It is not helpful, and certainly hurts you in the long run.

Link: Web Ink Now: Interruption Marketing Hall of Shame.

Comments

[David Meerman Scott]

Hi David!

Thank you for sharing my post. As you can tell, this is a subject that I care about. I just don't understand how marketers can get away with annoying customers so much. It seems like the bigger the organizations get, the less in touch they become.

PS - I mailed the link to this post to the PR people at the Hall of Shame nominees and got no responses from anyone.

Take care, David