Today’s consumer is inundated with over 400,000 bits of information a day. Considering the increase of media saturation, grabbing the attention of your consumer is a much more daunting task than ever before. Their attention span is short, and competition is tight with so many products and services to choose from. Everyone is competing for a little corner of your attention and striving to stand out.
A recent Time Magazine featured an article on marketing that stated: "In an age of rising media saturation and sinking corporate credibility, the theory is that marketing is most effective when you don’t know that it’s marketing.” That shift in attitude is what has spawned an unconventional approach to selling products and services…without the high brand and high pressure. The latest promotional innovation is to engage in under the radar marketing, referred to as “stealth” marketing.
The positive aspect of undercover marketing is that it is a way to attract customers by removing barriers and offering information from a neutral source delivering what they want, without the concern of being “sold”. Instead of being sold to, smart marketers have figured out how to provide a safe resource format which has proved to attract more customers.
This "under the radar" marketing, while still an unconventional strategy, helps the consumer get what they want without feeling hassled. By removing the barriers, prospects feel free to use your services without feeling obligated. The overall aim is to create a comfort zone to attract a prospective buyer, service their initial need and then initiate an ongoing drip system of communication with additional support and information until such time they are interested in doing business with you.
Beauty products, pharmaceuticals, cameras and even alcohol are sold through subtle, user friendly ways to get to the consumers attention. No one wants to be sold; they would rather choose to buy through smart marketing.
Stealth marketing strategies are proving to reduce traditional marketing expenditures by as much as 53%. Less marketing dollars are required for large display ads and fancy brochures which are replaced with simpler classified ads and targeted direct mail. Internet based leads show a substantial increase when the main brand is a softer sell and the customer has the option of getting information on their own terms.
