Ambush Marketing

Ambush Marketing
It has been defined as a companys
intentional efforts to weakenor
ambushits competitors official
sponsorship. It does this by engaging in
promotions and advertising that trade
off the event or propertys goodwill and
reputation, and that seek to confuse the
buying public as to which companies
really hold official sponsorship rights

The objectives of ambush marketing are twofold:

To get maximum returns

To undermine the branding efforts of
the rivals by stealing the attention,
increasing the clutter and confusing
the viewers.

Types
The purchase of advertising in and around a
sporting event telecast is one of the most common
and popular tactics of ambush marketing.
Non-sponsors try to secure a presence in and
around the sporting event venue. In the early days
of ambush marketing, companies would employ
blimps and airplanes with trailing banners to
ambush a major sporting event, but event owners
have successfully closed this ambush avenue by
working closely with the administrative agency.

Types
Other popular ambush marketing
avenues have included: securing
strategically placed billboards;
erecting tents and inflatable in hightraffic locations; and distributing
literature and samples to consumers
attending the event

 Conduct consumer promotions that associate the

ambush marketer with popular sporting events.
Such promotions typically are offered at retail
locations and are supported by point-of-sale
displays that feature visuals themed to the
particular sporting event and that utilize words
that generically refer to the sporting event.
An association with a particular event, companies
will often create advertisements offering
congratulations to the winning team or certain
players.

Success or Failure
Recall and recognition of ambush
marketers versus official sponsors
Consumers are less aware of ambush
tactics being employed. They do not
oppose ambush marketing practices and
that consumers were not disgruntled by
companies that engage in ambush
marketing and that there seems to be a
general acceptance of the practice.

 Effective ambush marketing can

confuse consumers into thinking a
non-sponsor is actually a sponsor.
Average consumer does not
differentiate between official
sponsors and ambushers.

Hurdles
There are significant hurdles for sport
organizations regarding the
prospects of educating the general
public with respect to the official
sponsors of the event and the
potential negative impact of ambush
marketing upon the value of official
sponsorship programs.

 It is in the interests of sport that

ambush marketing activity be
positioned in the public mind as
unethical and deceptive and that
offenders be subject to public exposure
and embarrassment. It is only by
making ambush marketing unattractive
to potential offenders that sport can
continue to protect its revenue base.

STRATEGIES FOR AMBUSH

MARKETING
Sponsoring Media Coverage of an
Event.
Engagingin advertising that coincides
with sponsored event.
Distributing free samples of a nonsponsored brand productat the event.
Attack on the sub-conscious mind of
the audience.

Examples
Jet Airways came up with an ad
campaign saying Weve changed!
To ambush the campaign, Kingfisher
airlines came up with Weve made
them change which was further
ambushed by Go Airways saying
Weve not changed. We are still the
smartest way to fly.

Pepsi and Coke 2002 Fifa World

Cup

Coca Cola Official Soft drink sponsor at the world cup

in 2002.

Pepsi aired Ads featuring football stars like David

Beckham, Roberto Carlos.

It merely used the event to successfully capture

audience attention.

Innovative and creative media campaign and it used

the Stars of the event to promote its brand.

NOTHING OFFICIAL ABOUT IT.

Pepsi roped in SACHIN TENDULKAR.

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Ambush Big Bazaar

Keep West-aSide. Make a smart choice !

Shoppers! Stop. Make a smart choice !
Change Your Lifestyle. Make a smart choice !

 The war between Hindustan Unilevers

shampoo brand Dove and Procter &
Gambles shampoo brand Pantene.
P&G launched its intriguing ad campaign
for Pantene with the tagline A mystery
shampoo. Eighty percent women say it is
better than anything else.
A few days later and before P&G could
launch the new Pantene, Hindustan Unilever
ambushed the campaign by placing an
adjacent hoarding with the tagline There is
no mystery. Dove is the No. 1 shampoo.,
thus ambushing Pantenes campaign.
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