Conferences are often used by companies to target rivals and at Dreamforce this week the aggressive marketing tactics being employed by Salesforce.com competitors was simply shameless.

Microsoft took the chance to slap Marc Benioff’s firm in the face with some workers going around on Segways to spread the Redmond giant’s CRM message.

A Microsoft Segway man. Ad reads "I didn't get forced" ... note the Oracle ad in the background too

Usually, rivalries in the tech industry only amount to friendly banter, but there now appears to be a distinct taste of genuine animosity brewing between Microsoft and Salesforce.com. There is nothing particularly underhand going on, quite the opposite – when these guys want to make a point they make it and then some.

Benioff himself had some strong words for Microsoft at Dreamforce, saying the Redmond firm was trying to protect a monopoly.

But despite Microsoft’s efforts, it did not take the crown for the best marketing ploy of the week, which has to go to the choir singers of SugarCRM, which was also offering free data migration for Salesforce.com users who made the switch to Sugar 6.

Merry Christmas Salesforce.com!

Salesforce.com had a slightly cheerier marketing effort, with a mightily impressive lineup of guests at Dreamforce, including Stevie Wonder and Will.i.am, who professed his own love of the cloud. Benioff even got on stage for a little dance to some beats being busted out by the Black Eyed Peas star and Cheryl Cole buddy later on in the night.

Benioff on stage with Will.i.am

Benioff’s bunch also had some mascots doing amusing dances, which worked for me.

The Salesforce.com mascots getting their groove on

Did I learn anything from any of this? Not really, but regardless of whether marketers have any shame, their attempts to excite customers rarely fails to inspire a little mirth.