Ambush Marketing

WHAT IS AMBUSH MARKETING?

IT IS MARKETING STRATEGY WHERE A COMPETING BRAND ATTEMPT TO ATTACH A PRODUCT TO A MAJOR EVENT WITHOUT PAYING ANY SPONSORSHIP FEES.

RECENTLY,THE SAME HAPPENED IN THE FMCG MARKET.PROCTER & GAMBLE HAD LAID DOWN PLANS FOR ITS SHAMPOO BRAND PANTENE.IT WAS JULY 23 WHEN MUMBAI CAME OUT WITH HOARDINGS SAYING 'A MYSTERY SHAMPOO!!80% WOMEN SAY IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE.'IT WAS LATER KNOWN THAT P & G WAS PLANNING TO COME UP WITH NEW PANTENE ON AUGUST 1.

HUL FOUND OUT AN OPPORTUNITY OUT OF THIS.THEY AMBUSHED P & G.ON JULY 28 WHEN P & G HOARDINGS WERE FLYING SKY HIGH;MUMBAI WOKE UP TO ANOTHER HOARDING.IT SAID 'THERE IS NO MYSTERY,DOVE IS THE NUMBER ONE SHAMPOO.'DOVE IS ONE OF THE BRANDS IN HUL SHAMPOO PORTFOLIO.IT TOOK JUST ONE DAY FOR HUL TO GO FROM PLANNING ,BRIEFING AND THEN EXECUTION.THIS WAS THE QUICKEST ADVERTISING TURNAROUND IN THE COMPANY'S HISTORY.IT GENERALLY TAKES SIX WEEKS FOR THE COMPANY FOR BRAND CAMPAIGNING.ALL THANKS TO UNILEVER'S CEO PAUL POLMAN,WHO INSTRUCTED HIS MANAGERS TO TAKE ON THE SPOT DECISIONS TO FACE COMPETITIONS.IT IS AN EXAMPLE OF CLASSIC AMBUSH MARKETING.

IN INDIA,AMBUSH MARKETING IS A RARE SCENARIO.THERE ARE CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS TO IT SUCH AS JET & KINGFISHER,COKE & PEPSI ETC.FOR INSTANCE,WHEN COKE BAGGED THE OFFICIAL SPONSORSHIP IN 1996 CRICKET WORLD CUP.PEPSI CAME UP WITH A TAGLINE 'NOTHING OFFICIAL ABOUT IT.'

WE HAVE SEEN A DRASTIC FALL IN THE OVERALL GROWTH RATE IN THE SHAMPOO MARKET.IT HAS SLOWED DOWN FROM 17% IN 2008 TO 11% IN 2009 & 9% IN 2010(TILL MAY).THOUGH COMPANIES SHOULD FOCUS ON CONSUMERS RATHER THAN ON COMPETITION ,THE DECIDING FACTOR IS WHO IS HAVING A GREATER MARKET SHARE AND WHICH COULD ONLY BE ATTAINED THROUGH AGGRESSIVE ADVERTISING.