The story of the infamous Shed at Dulwich is a great example of how Internet marketing techniques can scam the unsuspecting public. The Shed at Dulwich was a fake restaurant created by Oobah Butler to prove the gullibility of today’s Internet user. I have been involved in technology marketing and sales for almost 20 years.  I was amazed and chuckled when I saw this story.

Oobah’s goal was to become the #1 rated restaurant in London on TripAdvisor. And he achieved it. He created an online presence for his fake restaurant.  Had friends post online TripAdvisor reviews.  In seven months they went from being ranked #18,149 to #1 .  Click through to see the video from VICE about his journey.

By John Mecke

John is a 25 year veteran of the enterprise technology market. He has led six global product management organizations for three public companies and three private equity-backed firms. He played a key role in delivering a $115 million dividend for his private equity backers – a 2.8x return in less than three years. He has led five acquisitions for a total consideration of over $175 million. He has led eight divestitures for a total consideration of $24.5 million in cash. John regularly blogs about product management and mergers/acquisitions.