AMBUSH MARKETING

Ambush marketing a new innovative counter marketing strategy that is very prominent in today’s global environment.
Ambush can be defined as concealing yourself and waiting to attack by surprise.
Ambush marketing is a marketing campaign that takes place around an event but does not involve payment of a sponsorship fee to the event. For most events of any significance, one brand will pay to become the exclusive and official sponsor of the event in a particular category or categories, and this exclusivity creates a problem for one or more other brands. Those other brands then find ways to promote themselves in connection with the same event, without paying the sponsorship fee and without breaking any laws.
Ambush marketing is very prevalent in the sports world; prominent ambush marketing strategies have been witnessed in India namely Coke sponsoring the ICC Cricket World Cup and Pepsi coming out with “nothing official about it” ad campaign.
Ambush marketing arises out of the fact that there is a huge hype surrounding mega events like the Olympics, cricket and football world cup’s. The huge marketing potential for such events arises out of the fact that such events have huge customer viewership.
Ambush Marketing take two forms namely
• Association Ambushing- Where in the non-sponsor gives the impression of being an official sponsor by using words or symbols associated with the event
• Intrusion Ambushing- Where in the non-sponsor rides along with the main sponsor by gaining access to the exposure of the event, eg: advertising in near by areas.


Ambush Marketing can be identified as follows
1. Sponsoring media coverage of an event
2. Sponsoring a sub-category within a event
3. Sponsoring the physical elements like people associated with the event

Thus we understand that ambush marketing is a problem faced by some marketers who are not able to reap the full benefits from certain marketing strategies. We understand that there are legal loopholes that have to be rectified. Sponsorship to events should be restricted and regulated for we should understand that today’s advertiser could be tomorrow’s ambusher.

SURAJ KUMAR PLAKKOTTE