How is an Ambush Marketing Plan Developed and Employed?

Ambush marketing is a newly popular marketing technique that raises awareness of a brand in covert ways. Ambush marketing methods come in myriad forms, but have one common element: It aligns a brand with an event or property without having paid for the right to be a sponsor.

A top priority in launching an ambush marketing campaign is finding an adept programmer (or team) who can create the kind of web presence that causes campaigns to go viral. This frequently requires a website with a blog, Facebook accounts, Twitter accounts, Instagram, and the development of an intuitive smart-phone app. Essentially, a brand must carve out its own slice of Internet “real estate” in a way that’s highly interactive, entertaining, and distinct.

After assembling the web team and brand ambassadors, the next step is to place powerful smartphones into the hands of those who’ll be walking amongst the crowd. Marketers must be able to tweet, post, upload photos, and share videos with those following the brand. Just as people are motivated to stay connected with friends and family, a brand should seek to position itself inside of those relational circles, at least in online interactions.

The final step is for the brand to physically position itself. This requires gathering at events or properties where crowds tend to form, and then creating a presence. This sometimes involves shocking behavior to get the attention of the crowd, but not necessarily. The campaign will need to be unexpected, but it can be framed in a way that’s enjoyable rather than jarring. Most people welcome pleasant surprises—and more importantly, remember them.