Ambush Marketing: What is It Strategy, Types, and Definition
Ambush marketing is a marketing strategy in which a company markets its product or service by linking it to an event that has already happened
. Ambush marketing mostly takes place in sports events where the company makes people aware about its brand.
Why do businesses use Ambush Marketing?
In almost all Ambush marketing , a company uses any other event to communicate information about its product or service to the people without signing any sponsorship contract.
By using Ambush Marketing , many companies become famous themselves by using other’s events, so many companies use Ambush Marketing.
The brand uses the same graphics and words in its campaigns as the official sponsorship of the event did. Now because such campaigns are very attractive, people see and remember the campaign well.
However, companies use such methods to do Ambush marketing which goes outside the established guidelines of the company.
Is Ambush Marketing Legal? – Is Ambush Marketing Legal in India
Now because companies sometimes violate guidelines in Ambush Marketing such as use of copyrights, trademarks etc. of other companies, so you need to know whether Ambush Marketing is legal in India or not?
Although there are no strict laws related to ambush marketing in India, but if you want to do ambush marketing, then before starting the campaign, pay attention to the following things:
- Do not use the same name , logo , slogan of any event
- You can introduce yourself as a sponsor or supporter when starting a campaign
Now as I told, there is no strict law for this, but before starting this type of creative marketing , you should understand the legal things and do your marketing accordingly and keep in mind that the event you will use Ambush Marketing Do not use any copyrighted thing related to it.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Ambush Marketing – Pros & Cons of Ambush Marketing
Every marketing strategy has some advantages and some disadvantages in the same way, so let’s know what are the advantages and disadvantages of Ambush marketing?
Advantages in Ambush Marketing:
- low cost
- Brand recognition grows
- Best growth opportunities for startups
- a creative way
- from mobile to city
- Initial script can be modified
Disadvantages of Ambush Marketing:
- ROI is difficult to calculate
- Requires prompt response and detail planning
- depends on time and place
Before starting Ambush Marketing , you should be well aware of both its advantages and disadvantages , so keep the above mentioned things in mind.
Types of Ambush Marketing?
There are mainly two types of Ambush Marketing:
1) Direct Marketing 2) Indirect Marketing
Direct Ambush Marketing
In Direct Ambush Marketing , the brand associates its own brand with the event using different activities without becoming a partner or sponsor of any event.
There are also 4 types:
Predatory Ambushing: In this, a brand does marketing targeting another brand, in which people do not know the real sponsor.
Cotile Ambushing: In this, one brand sponsors another brand whose event is held.
Trademark Ambushing: In this, one brand uses both the logo and name of another brand, due to which people do not know the real event.
Self Ambushing: In this, the brand does its own event but does not do those things which are written in the contract.
Indirect Ambush Marketing
In this type of Ambush marketing , no brand targets any other brand, rather these people ask others to speak about themselves to the people, due to which people get to know their brand.
Examples of Ambush Marketing
Many big brands use Ambush marketing techniques , so let’s look at some examples as well.
BMW and Audi
You will not believe it but even big car companies like BMW and Audi use Ambush marketing . As you can see in the photo below, “First of all BMW had put up their poster which had checkmate written on it which means ” Loss of defeat “. And put up his own poster which reads “ You move, BMW ” which means “ BMW what will be your next step ” .
Now if you read from the right, the poster of Audi reads ” BMW what will be your next step ” and on the right and BMW has written ” Lost in danger ” .
Audi used Ambush marketing very well