Ambush Marketing

 What is Ambush Marketing?

Ambush marketing is a method in which a brand team tries to link their goods or services with a major event that already has official sponsors from several firms. In this kind of marketing, the brand team is sneaking up on the competition. The vast majority of the time, it takes place during sporting events, and its purpose is to increase brand awareness of a certain corporation without giving that company any sponsorship rights.

Why do businesses use ambush?

Ambush is used in business because: 

• Ambush is utilised by companies because it is a tactic that is used to confuse customers and make them think twice about comparing the items that are shown via ambush marketing approach.
• The increasingly competitive market margins and the ability to reach the masses in a shorter amount of time are the reasons why ambush marketing is now leading the pack as one of the marketing methods that are employed by firms the most.
• Generally, ambush marketing is used to "ride off" the popularity and attract of a massive event by coordinating promotional activities and publicity around it. This is done in order to avoid having to pay fees to the event's organiser in order to be designated as a "official" sponsor in a particular product category.
• It is one of the most efficient and cost-effective forms of advertising that is available.

What are some types of ambush marketing?

Ambush marketing with a direct approach: This refers to actions taken on purpose by a single brand or corporation to give the impression that they are engaged with an activity for which they do not own the relevant rights.

Ambush attack by predators: When a firm or brand engages in predatory ambushing, they deliberately attack the advertising efforts of their competitor's brand in an attempt to steal the focus and mislead their target audience.

Ambush on the Coattails: When a company engages in "coattail ambush marketing," they make an attempt to directly identify their brand with a particular event, but rather than becoming the event's sponsor, they do so by using an affiliation with the event.

Self-Ambushing: Ambush marketing is a sort of marketing in which the official sponsor engages in actions that go above and beyond what was originally settled upon in the contract.

Ambush marketing using an indirect approach: This refers to the practise of a brand inadvertently linking itself with another occasion by either establishing an allusion by utilising comparable pictures or using similar language.

What are ambush marketing tactics?

Providing Financial Support in Exchange for Coverage in the Media

There are several events where the accompanying media coverage rights are not included in the sponsorship rights to the event itself.

Providing Financial Support for a Particular Aspect of an Event

In this instance, it is arguable that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) put a greater focus on guaranteeing its own income streams than it did on protecting the interests of its sponsors.

Making a Contribution to a Players' Pool That Is Connected to My Sponsorship

Competitors of official sponsors have the option of not only obtaining the rights to mass media sponsorship but also sponsoring teams or people that are participating in particular events. For instance, Adidas sponsored Ian Thorpe back when Nike was the official apparel supplier for the Australian Olympic team. Another example of this kind of sponsorship is the sponsorship of a company by a sports team.

Organizing promotional activities to coincide with an event that is being sponsored

Competitors of official sponsors have the option to buy regular advertising time and space as well. Ambush marketing may also take the form of a rival engaging in heavy advertising at or in the immediate vicinity of an event that they have sponsored.

Which of the following is an example of ambush marketing?

Apple's paint gets on Rona. Rona catches it.

Apple had a billboard in Montreal, Canada, that promoted the iPod nano. The colour of the iPod would trickle down to the bottom of the billboard. Home improvement retailer Rona seized a golden chance and executed what is perhaps one of the most successful ambush marketing strategies ever. They created the illusion that paint was falling into buckets by hanging a banner below the Apple billboard and positioning it in such a way that it seemed like the paint was falling. The inscription on their banner said, "We recycle any remaining paint," which is the literal translation.

Fiat photobombs Volkswagen

In 2012, Fiat discovered that Google street view vehicles had been driving about the streets of Sdertlje, which is located in Sweden. What was it that they did? They trailed the vehicle for forty-five minutes until they were within striking distance of VW's headquarters, at which point they sped ahead and successfully parked a fiery red Fiat 500 in front of the establishment. The fact that the automobile was actually parked in front of the entrance is incredible, and it makes one wonder how the thief or thieves managed to drive the vehicle up those steps. The picture continued to be shown there for at least a year or two since Google has a habit of delaying updates. Unfortunately, the Google car also mapped the automobile that was driving to and from the murder site.

What is the difference between ambush marketing and guerilla marketing?