• BusinessWeek, Monday, June 23, 2008 11:15 AM

BusinessWeek coins the term "antipreneurs" for the thousands of business owners who have won both notice and profits by being overtly or covertly anti-big business and anti-advertising. Their marketing strategy is targeted toward consumers who have grown cynical about buying products and services from larger companies, whose methods they deem irresponsible. "Once these cynical consumers find a company they can trust, they are very motivated to stick with [it]." says marketing professor Amanda Helm.

Antipreneurs are business reformers, not social do-gooders, and they can offer lessons to big brands striving for long-term customer loyalty. "What appeals to people is our positive vision of how the marketplace can and should work," says Adam Neiman, CEO of No Sweat Apparel, a $1 million Boston company.

Rather than traditional advertising, any advertising that antipreneurs do tends to be ironic, in-your-face, or highly political. One risk: these businesses face the wrath of passionate customers if they underdeliver or even appear to underdeliver.

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