Standard marketing is all about PR, advertising, leaflets, websites and the like. The techniques below put a different slant on standard marketing and we hope it will make you stop and think about marketing from the other side.
Scarcity Marketing
This style of marketing works by driving demand for something that is rare or unattainable. If consumers decide they want the latest toy, phone or fashion item and they can’t get it, many will move heaven and earth to get their hands on it. And they’ll pay premium. Clever marketers know how to create this scarcity whilst still holding an interest in the product. This can be done by making the product appear unique and desirable i.e. giving it a unique selling point. The demand for something that only a few people will have and is in limited supply creates scarcity. Use the words ‘limited edition’ on a product and suddenly people will believe they can own something that others can’t.
Ambush Marketing
This is all about hype and participation. The concept is to promote your business or product anywhere and everywhere to get prime exposure. Leave no marketing stone unturned. Use posters, stickers and leaflets to promote your joint efforts. Invite the press, radio and even TV to events and organise something eye-catching like a competition or charity lunch. Ambush marketing is all about being seen.
Undercover marketing
Also known as stealth marketing, undercover marketing is the subtle way to promote your brand or business. It costs very little and can have a massive impact on sales and product awareness. One of the common stealth marketing methods is for a company to pay for their products to be used in a movie or TV programme. If viewers see an actor wearing a branded t-shirt or drinking a particular beer or eating a certain branded food they’re more likely to purchase the product.
Cultural marketing
This kind of marketing takes into account cultural differences and changes by doing more than just react to consumer demand. Cultures are constantly evolving and changing slowly, and wise marketers watch these trends and adapt their marketing according to the desires of other cultures. However, this form of marketing can be very delicate as it is vital to understand cultural differences. In a new market many errors can be made, often with translation.
Humanistic Marketing
Humanistic marketing is social marketing. It appeals to consumers’ wants, needs and aspirations. Social marketers research the desires of their target market by talking to them face to face to find out what they really want from a product. Humanistic marketing looks at how it can sell the dream and encourage people to buy into the idea. This marketing style tends to use more traditional approaches such as PR, networking, word of mouth, advertising and media campaigns. Marketers actually talk to the people instead of assuming they know what they want through studying facts and figures. Humanistic marketing is also about honesty. It supports the trust of consumers in a brand and considers the consumer’s respect and loyalty towards a product they believe in.
