Let’s talk about something I’ve coined Repellent Marketing—a term that describes the intrusive, annoying, and often unethical marketing practices we encounter all the time.
You know the ones: spam emails clogging your inbox, ads that follow you around the internet for weeks, flashing banners that hurt your eyes, pop-ups blocking content, and those creepy moments when websites know way too much about you. These are all examples of Repellent Marketing.
The idea behind it is simple: instead of drawing people in, these tactics actually push them away. Sure, companies might get a few quick clicks or sales, but at what cost? Are marketers offending 1,000,000 people to get a single sale?
That one sale could result in frustrated customers, broken trust, and people feeling disrespected. Over time, these methods do more harm than good.
A few years ago, one of our Account Managers bought something for her teenage son at The Gap. When checking out they asked her for her email address “in order to send you a receipt”. She knew better but as a privacy professional, she wanted to see what would happen, so she gave it up. The next few weeks freaked her out. She got 7 emails a day for 7 straight days. She unsubscribed but found out that there is one door in and many doors out. She had to unsubscribe from 9 “sister companies” of The Gap and it took 2 weeks for the emails to stop. She was a very kind and gentle soul, but this left her spitting mad. She vowed to never shop at The Gap or any of their sister brands again.
So The Gap pays good money to push their actual customers away. That is the very definition of Repellent Marketing.
If The Gap was using solid marketing tactics, that email address would only be used for the purpose stated (sending a receipt), at which point they could ask them if they would like promotional emails from any of their brands, offering their proven customer a chance to receive good offers and deals for brands they select. Honest choice. No tricks.
If they do not choose to opt-in, their email address should be deleted from The Gap’s system. Once the stated purpose has been completed, they no longer have consent to do what they want with that data. The respectful thing to do is delete it.
If brands really want to win over their audience, they need to focus on building genuine relationships over time. It’s about treating customers with respect, being transparent, and delivering real value. That’s how you grow lasting loyalty—not by chasing people away with Repellent Marketing.
So the next time you want to add a marketing tactic to your mix, slow down long enough to fully understand it from your customer’s point of view. Ask yourself ” Will this offend some people?”
Perhaps building a brand requires you to think about the process as a large piggy bank. Every action you take (running a TV ad, sending an email, using aggressive re-marketing tactics to track down a sale, making your ad a flashing, annoying GIF so it stands out, etc) either puts a brand-chip IN the bank, or takes one OUT. You are either adding to your brand or chipping away at it.
Using this construct, is your brand almost bankrupt due to your digital marketing tactics?