Also known as buzz marketing or stealth marking,
undercover marketing is a marketing approach that is used to attract the
interest of customers without making those consumers aware that they are being
subjected to a marketing approach. This process relies heavily on the basics of
viral marketing, a strategy that involves spreading the word about a good or
service from one person to another. Often, the approach is somewhat low key,
does not appear to have a great deal of direct involvement with the producer of
the product, and may even include the distribution of free samples to target
customers.
There are many examples of undercover
marketing in use today. One common approach is to engage the services of a
well-respected public personality, such as a performer. The performer is then
seen by the general public using the goods or services produced by the
business, but without any specific type of sales pitch taking place. The
performer may offer to share the product with others in his social or business
circles, and may even offer a testimonial of the benefits derived from the use
of the product. This approach often works based on the rapport that already
exists between the performer and interested consumers. In this way, undercover
marketing has shown a fairly consistent ability to produce sales over time.
Another example of undercover marketing
is one individual's endorsement of certain goods or services to others that are
part of his social network. This may include
friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, or anyone with whom the individual
interacts from time to time. The idea is that at least a few of those contacts
will be intrigued enough to try the products for themselves. In the event they
also find the products beneficial, they in turn will share the buzz or the good
news with the people they come in contact with on a regular basis. This stealth
approach to marketing can be extremely effective in terms of reaching consumers
who tend to be on their guard when it comes to television commercials, email solicitations, or
splashy advertisements in magazines and newspapers.
One of the benefits of undercover marketing is that it
can be an extremely cost-efficient way to reach consumers. Assuming that the
effort is launched properly, and the products are high-quality and deemed
affordable, the potential of this strategy is virtually unlimited. Because
undercover marketing relies heavily on relationships and the establishment of
trust between people, it is able to reach consumers who may not be easily
swayed by more aggressive and conventional methods.
Like any marketing
strategy, undercover marketing can be abused. When
this takes place, the process is often referred to as roach baiting.
Essentially, this means that efforts were made to mislead consumers into liking
the product by making a product appear to be something that it isn’t. This can
include overstating the attributes of the product, or making claims for its
effectiveness that are simply not supported by the available evidence.