AMBUSH MARKETING

The word ambush means “an attack from a hidden position “parasitic marketing –attached to a host and gets benefited. The term was coined by the famous marketing strategist Jerry Welsh.

A promotion tactic designed to associate a company, product, or service with a particular event, or to attract the attention of people attending the event, without payment being made for an official sponsorship.

The ambush consists of giving the impression to consumers that the ambusher is somehow affiliated with the event. Marketing strategies are usually combined with the use of words or imagery that will remind consumers of the famous event.

Ambush marketing is not just for the amateurs, it is also adopted by professional marketers
To get maximum returns on the marketing buck and to undermine the branding efforts of the rivals by stealing the attention, increasing the clutter and confusing the viewers

Ambush marketing is not only a smart marketing tactic but also a highly cost effective medium ambush marketing is a clever way to promote ambush marketing as one of the mix in your overall marketing strategy to a brand.

Examples:

 Ambush marketing was first witnessed in 1984 Olympics In 1996 Summer Olympics Games in Atlanta, Nike company covered the city in ads, benefiting from the focus on the city for the olympics., Pepsi also involved in ambush market in the same event XIX Commonwealth Games The Pepsi hot air balloon flying above Sharjah, on the day of the Coca-Cola Cup final.

In the examples described above, the ambushed company cannot avail of any specific legal remedy. The advertising campaign can only be considered an unfair trade practice, the remedy for enforcement of which is not very clear.

Healthy Competition, Successful ambush strategies feed on ill-conceived sponsorships and incompetent sponsors it is probably just the next step on the marketing evolutionary ladder and at times the only option left.

Article By

N. Kalaiprakash

Ist MIB

PSGCAS