Create ideas using: Sabotage
What should I sabotage without it backfiring completely?
Remove something expected but not essential. The sabotage should create noticeable tension but not actual harm. Take away your logo, limit product availability, shut down on your busiest day--things that demonstrate commitment to a principle while still being reversible. If the sabotage genuinely hurts your business long-term, it's martyrdom, not marketing.
How do I make sure people understand why I'm sabotaging something?
The reason has to be crystal clear and worth the disruption. Don't make people guess. Explain the 'why' immediately--you're proving a point, demonstrating values, or challenging norms. If the sabotage feels random or the reasoning is weak, people will just think you screwed up, not that you're making a statement.
Example: How it could look
REI closes on Black Friday--their biggest shopping day--and pays employees to go outside instead of working. They sabotage their own revenue to prove they actually believe outdoor activity matters more than consumption. The sabotage is the message: we mean what we say about getting outside. Costs them money, earns massive respect.
Or like this:
Why is Sabotage a great technique?
Sabotage proves commitment by deliberately removing or limiting elements most brands protect, demonstrating values through sacrifice.
Creates powerful proof of authentic values
Generates massive PR through bold action
Differentiates through counterintuitive strategy
Builds trust by showing principles over profit
Anyone can say they care about something. Sabotaging your own business to prove it? That's memorable. When the sacrifice is real and the reasoning is sound, sabotage becomes the most powerful brand statement you can make.
! When not to use the Sabotage Technique
When you're sabotaging things for shock value without genuine principle behind it. Empty sabotage looks like a publicity stunt and breeds cynicism.