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Brittany Summers
Stealth Marketing: How to Reach Consumers Surreptitiously
This article discussed the ins and outs of stealth marketing. The authors explained what
stealth marketing is, its objectives, its techniques, the ethical issues that come along with it, and
so much more. According to the article, “word of mouth seems to be the most effective form of
promotion.” They say that stealth marketing basically tries to catch consumers at their most
vulnerable moments so that they can buy their products. The goal is to get certain people to talk
about a specific product and/or service so that people will go out and purchase it and then they
will talk about it and the cycle will continue.
The authors described three reasons for why stealth marketing is becoming more popular. The
first was the fact that the advertising industry is receiving so much criticism lately because of the
decline in how effective ads have become on TV and in other areas. The second reason is mainly
because advertisers are having a harder time attracting potential consumers because the
audiences are splitting more and more and it’s a lot more expensive to try and reach multiple
audiences. The third and final reason that the authors gave was the fact that the invention of
recorders like DVRs allow consumers to skip commercials so they don’t have to watch
advertisements and the companies aren’t reaching their target audiences.
The authors then went on to discuss the six types of stealth marketing techniques which are:
viral marketing, celebrity marketing, brand pushers, bait and tease marketing, marketing in video
games, and marketing in pop and rap music. They go through and break down each marketing
type and explain how they work to attract consumers. It almost seems like a very sneaky and
subtle way to get consumers to buy your product and also suggest and recommend it to others.
Although stealth marketing does get information to consumers better than regular advertising,
the authors point out that the two are not one in the same and they give some of their differences
along with the strengths and weaknesses of stealth marketing. One of the weaknesses and
differences is that with traditional advertising, the companies have more control over how their
messages are conveyed to their audiences. With stealth marketing on the other hand, there is a lot
less control since a lot of this marketing takes place by word of mouth, the messages can become
misconstrued as they are passed along. One of the benefits of stealth marketing in relation to
traditional advertising is that stealth marketing comes out to be a lot cheaper than an advertising
campaign. Many stealth marketers also fear backlash from their consumers because they may
feel that they have been “played” or lied to in certain situations which could cause uproar and
their product would no longer sell as much.
As with anything in society, there are ethical and legal issues as it relates to stealth marketing
and their campaigns. The authors stated that critics have argued that stealth marketing is
“pushing the commercial envelope.” They also stated that putting products in songs can be an
invasion of privacy to those listening to the music and that it’s not necessarily appropriate to
allow brands to be involved with video games that have a lot of violence. As a result of these
issues, companies are beginning to regulate stealth marketing more closely.
It’s safe to say based on this article that stealth marketing is definitely on the rise, and it is
safe to question whether or not this is the best form of marketing for consumers since a lot of it is
based on word of mouth. The authors, Andrew and Jack, really explained what stealth marketing
is and provided a better understanding of how it’s different from traditional advertising and how
it can effect consumer thoughts and behaviors.