In 1984, the Olympics became a self-sustaining entity when the International Olympics Committee (IOC) put on its first games that did not require public funding. They accomplished this by offering lucrative sponsorship contracts that provided exclusive rights to “official sponsors.” Unknowingly, they also gave birth to new advertising strategy known as “Ambush Marketing.”
Ambush marketing is an emotionally-charged phrase that refers to the practice of appearing to align a brand with an event for which that brand has not paid for the right to be a sponsor. Probably this practice had existed in some form long before 1984, but the sheer volume of money involved and the worldwide attention given Olympic events have led many to view the 1984 Olympic games as the origin of ambush marketing.
A successful marketing campaign all boils down to strategy. The planning stages in marketing can set your venture up to be a complete success or an absolute failure. This is the stage where no stones may be left unturned. With competition growing daily, you must do what it takes to set your company apart while increasing the demand for the goods or services that your company has to offer. Even in an often saturated market, this may be done but it takes work. Your marketing strategy alone could, if executed correctly, produce the results you seek in the timely manner in which you seek them. All it takes is strategic planning.
With the rise in spam and spam blocking technology, you may think that sending electronic newsletters is no longer an effective way to market your business. However, statistics are showing just the opposite. A recent projection done by the Direct Marketing Association forecast that for every dollar spent on effective email marketing, $42.08 will be generated for the business in 2010. The key to this profitability is to evolve with the ever changing internet market.
