Going+Guerilla

//Going Guerilla: Exploring the Relationship between Media Consumption, Covert Marketing Tactics and Attitude Toward the Ad”// The article ‘//Going Guerilla’// addresses one of the new tactics being employed by companies and organizations in an attempt to attract attention in an over-saturated media market. The tactic is known as guerilla marketing and the article in particular examines the audiences’ receptivity toward its performance-based strategies. Only a small amount of research and attention has been focused on the subject oh guerilla marketing. Being so, it falls under indefinite titles with variations of names such as, stealth marketing, viral marketing, undercover marketing, covert, performance-based advertising etc. All in all, it can generally be thought of as a non-traditional form of marketing. The origin of the term ‘guerilla marketing’ can be traced back to Jay Levinson whom pointed out that this type of marketing should be based upon human psychology. Consumers have become resistant to traditional marketing due to over-stimulation and saturation. Therefore, advertisers and market researchers have begun to utilize newer, non-traditional mediums to reach their intended audience. More so, they are becoming interested in how receptive their audience is to guerilla marketing. One interesting method used to examine this audience receptivity rate is Brehms psychological reactance theory, which analyzes a person’s behavioral reaction to a seeming threat. It is noted that individuals will react different then the message intended but will also in turn be more intrigued by such message and therefore more likely to pay attention to it. Also, if an individual is aware that the message is obviously persuasive they are less likely to react to it. In other words, if a message is ironic or mysterious they will actually be more interested in it and not rule it off immediately. Viral marketing might garner a better response amongst the audience based upon the fact that it is not made obvious to them that they are being marketed to.  References Susca, M., Creasy, C., Davenport, J., Debes, J., & Schmidt, E. (2008). Going Guerilla: Exploring the Relationship Between Media Consumption, Covert Marketing Tactics and Attitude Toward the Ad. Conference Papers -- National Communication Association, 1. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.