Being an asshole as a business strategy?

[Stouch]

I cant comment on ethics with regard to cancelling accounts etc as I am not too aware of any of the accusations levelled. However lets look at the concept of negative publicity being good publicity in some cases.

I think the real distinction needs to be broken down into 2 things... The personality and the program they represent.

Firstly, our guy in question is more than happy to have people think he is a total prick, an asshole or whatever. However it is done in a way that the arguments are *usually* with him, not his program. In general, his program is generally considered no better or worse than most other programs out there. If he has cancelled accounts then its not what the program is known for, and I also know that it wouldnt be the only sponsor to cancel an affiliates account.

Then lets take a look at Perfection Jeff. Now I have never pushed that program or know the guy, but owing to what can only be described as some adverse publicity, I wouldnt touch it with a bargepole.

If I was summarising the situation I would say that he has used negative *personal* publicity in an immensely clever way to build a pretty good business. Could he change the persona? Probably, but why bother? Its working because his negative publicity is nothing like the negative business publicity that PJ has attracted.

If ever he did a PJ and failed to pay across the board it would probably drop like a stone though owing to the way its been built.