A STUDY ON AMBUSH MARKETING STRATEGY- IN THE CONTEXT OF ETHICAL AND UNETHICAL ASPECTS

Abstract

The ambush was one of the popular war strategies to attack the enemy. But in marketing context ambush marketing is defined as a promotional strategy which includes wide range of marketing activities by which a company seeks to associate its name, logos, products or services with an event without making payment as an official sponsorship. However, different people may hold different views regarding ambush marketing as ethical or unethical marketing practice. No doubt ambush marketing weakens the marketing efforts of the true sponsors by confusing the public regarding a company’s association with an event but at same time it gives platform to smart marketer to make use of publicity opportunities which may or may not be within the control of event organizer and to get extra exposure at minimal cost. This paper concludes that successful ambush strategies feed on ill-conceived sponsorships but where morality is concerned ambush marketing is unethical but not illegal in some cases. It might be impossible to stop ambush marketing activities, so sponsors and event organisers have to become more vigilant and hard worker.