Six points to NAB (Australia’s biggest bank) for trying, but their recent attempt at infiltrating a football blog with advertising messages about their new SMS banking service (they were giving away free tickets to a game as part of their launch promotion) raised the ire of many, including the respected online magazine Crikey and blogger Duncan Riley, who started a reasonably successful call to boycott the bank.

I happen to be an NAB customer and I can’t say I like their tactics either.

The idea to spam the comments sections of private blogs was a recommendation of PR agency Cox+Inall,  and had been undertaken by Cox+Inall with the bank’s full knowledge and approval. A NAB spokeswoman said that no-one at her company or at Cox+Inall had considered approaching blog owners first for permission before posting their promotional messages.

“Cox+Inall had searched for blogs that included AFL coverage and were well-enough read to attract readers who might be interested in our offer. We identified five or six blogs where we felt we’d give it a try.” the spokeswoman (Felicity Glennie-Holmes) said.

“Blogs are a public forum”, said Ms Glennie-Holmes. NAB and Cox+Inall felt this meant commercial interests could feel free to contribute unsolicited and irrelevant commercial material as comments.”

I have to pop into my local branch this afternoon to give them some documents relating to a credit card account I’m trying to close. I might hang around for a little while in the foyer and hand out flyers to customers who look like they might be interested. You know, just to give it a try. NAB won’t mind surely?

• Seth Godin — He often gets referred to as a marketing guru, and it could just be the haircut, but Seth comes up with a nuggety bit of original marketing gold pretty much every single day. It’s worth reading because it’s always fresh and it is guaranteed to shift your perspective.
• Creative is not a Department — Marketing and branding observations with a freshly Australian perspective.
• Marketing Vox — News, news and more online marketing news. If you like to digest a digest, Marketing Vox is the place.
• Shoe String Branding — A useful, insightful blog on marketing for independent professionals
• Google Webmaster Blog - If you’re not getting found in Google you’ve got a serious problem. This is their dialogue with the world and I’d consider it essential reading for any webmaster or mistress.
• Duct Tape Marketing — John Jantsch has been called the world’s most practical small business expert for consistently delivering real-world, proven small business marketing ideas and strategies. And he’s not afraid to tell you so either.
• Ypulse — Research and articles about reaching the Y Generation.
• Adspace Pioneers — Julian Cole’s perspective on social media; a refreshing blog from someone who ‘gets’ it.

What have I missed?