There are 10 best examples of stealth marketing.Stealth Marketing: Definition and Examples.
Word-of-mouth marketing can give email and content marketing a run for their money in a digitalized world.
Take a look at the figures on how effective this organic method is for spreading the news about a product.
The meaning of guerilla advertising will be explained in this article, as we take a look at ten stealth marketing examples.
It is a type of marketing that does not involve the people.It is not uncommon for stealth marketing to stir up interest and excitement around a product.
Product placement is the most common type of stealth marketing.Outside of advertising context, it is the practice of featuring a product as a part of a movie, TV show or other form of mass media.
Online forums can be used to carry out stealth marketing, where people talk about the product to create a buzz.Targeted audiences are more receptive to direct advertising.
The endorsement of public figures and celebrities is a popular form of stealth marketing.This helps raise awareness about a product that hasn't been advertised or released yet.
guerilla marketing is a subset of stealth marketing.Consumers do not have the chance to opt out when they don't know what it is.This deceptive nature is one of the reasons why it is considered an ethically dubious marketing strategy.
Now that we know what stealth marketing is, it is time to take a look at some of the most creative and inspiring examples of this advertising strategy.
In a classic guerilla/stealth move, Axe body spray made a small modification to a common exit sign.
The company added the same style of stickers as the exit man sign, with women chasing after the man figure.
This is in line with the brand's commercial messaging of men becoming irresistible to the opposite sex when using Axe body spray, ultimately creating a new narrative and a mini story of a famous exit sign.
Product placement uses movies as a media.One of the most striking examples of automotive brands being prominently featured in movies is in the film "The Italian Job."
In the movie, a group of people make a run for it in Mini Coopers.The car starred throughout the movie and turned it into a giant ad for Mini Coopers.
In 2015, Starbucks started a nationwide controversy over the design of their Christmas cups.
Every year, the coffee brand releases a unique design for their holiday cups and in 2015, the design was thought to be too plain and not Christmassy enough.
Pundits, consumers and critics made their opinions known about the lack of elaborate cup design.The product got a lot of media attention across the planet.
The controversy caused Starbucks sales to go up, but it was a fake.
In one scene of the show, a Starbucks cup was left on the table.
The unexpected appearance of the object got people talking online and offline.This was a well-thought-out publicity stunt that caught the attention of viewers around the world.
It also stirs up brand awareness by saying, "sex sells."That must have been the thought of the executives when they launched an undercover marketing campaign for their products.
The campaign, which took place outdoors in the city streets, consisted of attractive young women flirting with random males.The women would ask the men to enter their phone numbers in their phones and then give them a call.
They didn't call, but they did give out brand new models, thus starting a buzz about the product.The image download failed.
Tom Hanks played a survivor stranded on a deserted island in the movie "Cast Away."He was playing a FedEx delivery man who was in a life and death situation.
FedEx branding and packages were featured prominently throughout the movie, in which Hanks keeps his sanity by trying to find his way back home in order to deliver a letter.FedEx will deliver and get the job done, that's the underlying message of the movie.
When the movie "King Kong" 3D was announced as a special effects spectacle, creatives had work to do in order to meet audience expectations.
To create buzz and excitement leading up to the movie's release, a stealth/guerilla marketing campaign involving giant "King Kong" footprints on sandy beaches was unleashed upon the public.
It provided free advertising for the movie because people took photos and posted them on social media.
The wooden stick in the ice cream bar is a replica of Colgate's toothbrush.That is what the consumer found in the magazine ad.
Tyskie, a Polish beer company, implemented an out-of-the-box idea to help put their product in the mind of potential consumers.
To make it appear as if customers are holding a large Tyskie beer jug, they placed images of their beer on bar door handles.
A visually effective and memorable way to add an interesting detail to a mundane establishment entrance and instill the beer brand into the minds of potential customers is part of this undercover marketing example.
This is an example of a noble awareness campaign that drives a point across.It features a simple image of a pair of legs on a packet of food, but the corner where the bag is torn to release the food conveys the horrors of land mines.
The reality of life in many countries is communicated on the other side of the bag.
Undercover marketing stirs up conversations to bring consumers closer to the brand and get better acquainted with their products.
No matter the size or niche of the enterprise, stealth marketing is a useful strategy for stirring up buzz for a product or brand.
Big businesses can afford multiple marketing strategies for a single product and stealth marketing is one of them.Companies rarely use stealth marketing as their only advertising channel.
It is an advisable method for small businesses on a budget that want to generate an initial buzz around their company or product.