The title of this post comes by way of Benjamin Franklin sometime in the 18th century (Thanks, Ben.). Despite the age of this wisdom, the world is littered with examples of marketing efforts that have prepared for and executed against failure, often with spectacular results. Some of the most recent examples may soon become business school case studies in what can go wrong, including:
American Express sent a branded direct mail offer inviting customers to "Immerse Themselves" on a European....