Simply put, undercover marketing is the strategy of introducing a product to consumers in a way that does not seem like advertising. Sometimes referred to as stealth marketing, these strategies typically involve agents posing as regular everyday people who show products to others who are completely unaware they are being marketed to.
The idea is, the product is delivered or talked about in a very casual way without promotion or hype. Companies who use undercover marketing are hoping to generate buzz for their products in a much less obvious way. This works great for people who have become resistant to traditional advertising techniques over the years.
Undercover marketing is huge on the Internet, where companies can pay others to create positive reviews of their products in blogs, forums and comment sections. This has created a huge number of additional undercover marketing opportunities.
BONUS: There are some huge advantages to using undercover marketing including its low cost and its ability to generate word-of-mouth recommendations. It’s great for both small companies who might have limited advertising budgets and for larger companies that are looking to generate excitement for a product before turning to more traditional marketing strategies.
Depending on the budget, some companies have even used celebrities to help promote a product. We see this most often with shoes and athletes. A shoe company will give some high-profile athletes their newly designed shoes to wear both before and during the launch of the new product.
Undercover marketing doesn’t have to include famous celebrities to work. A new pet store, for example, might employ a few pet enthusiasts to visit pet related community events around town and find ways to casually bring up the new store. Talking about the store in a positive light can help build credibility and awareness.
Creating an effective undercover marketing plan takes more than just simply sending people out to talk about your product or service. It’s important to first understand the audience you are trying to reach and why your product is important to them. Thought should be put into when and where their target demographic can be reached.
With the right market research, a company can create an effective undercover marketing campaign complete with the right message. Once the message is nailed down, it can then be rehearsed and refined so it comes across the right way.
For tips and ideas on how to skillfully craft an undercover marketing campaign and to learn more about how to mix in some traditional marketing, give us a call at 480-596-6300