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Fancy half
a million dollars worth of free advertising? Try ambush marketing. Get
it right and it will catapult your company name into a mass audience
arena beyond the wildest dreams of your actual promotions budget.
Free
advertising is the driving force behind a marketing technique developed
by Kym Illman, of the Perth-based Messages on Hold Australia. It has
won him customers, awards and a heap of personal satisfaction. Ambush
marketing has secured MOHA more than $500,000 in free promotion since
it started in 1988 and has played a key role in securing the title
of Western Australia's Fastest Growing Private Company (1996) and
placement in BRW's Fastest Growing Private Company listings (1996,
1997 and 1998).
MOHA
produces a simple but clever product. The company¹s 25-member team
creates tailor-made audio productions for businesses to play to their
callers while on hold. The audio productions are designed to entertain
and inform callers about the range of services offered by the business.
Illman attributes his business and personal success to hard work and
"thinking outside standard marketing methodology". Enter, ambush marketing.
Or, in other words, the strategic placement of corporate logos at
events which attract media attention.
Model Marketing
The
1999 Qantas Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne is a recent ambush
marketing success story for MOHA. On Sunday, March 7, Channel 9 viewers
watched top placing Ferrari driver, Eddie Irvine, accept the Formula
One trophy. They also watched a giant white MOHA flag wave across
the screen amid the sea of red Ferrari flags. It was the final feature
in the company's remarkable Melbourne marketing campaign. The jewel
in the crown was Chantal Spurling of Melbourne, a blonde model dressed
in a white bikini, with tyre tread marks, and the MOHA logo, painted
across her body.
A few
days before, Illman walked with Spurling to the garage of British
Formula One team, Arrows. Awaiting her arrival were more than 60 international
and national photographers and television camera crews. According
to Illman, what followed was 30 minutes of frenetic media activity
as photographers and camera crews vied for the perfect shot of Spurling
with the Arrows team and cars.
"Formula
One racing is about fast cars, but it is also about the beautiful
women employed by major sponsors to walk Pit Straight," says Illman.
"We exploited the media's demand for great pictures and secured national
and international exposure for our company. Channels 7 and 9, the
ABC, the Age and People used pictures of Spurling and we'll also see
her in other national magazines.
"Given
the highly guarded world of Formula One racing and the enormous dollars
companies pay to associate themselves with the team, I feel like we
pulled off a marketing miracle."
Identifying
opportunities for marketing miracles is the key to successful ambush
marketing, according to Illman. "Watch the news, listen to the radio,
read newspapers, magazines, newsletters, anything that provides information
about upcoming events, celebrity visits and protests. Decide if the
event is likely to attract media attention and then determine how
you can incorporate your company's logo in the media coverage. That's
when the fun starts!"
Bet Each Way
Illman
says there are two styles of ambush marketing. The first involves
creating a feature that can be incorporated into an event, such as
hiring a model for the Grand Prix. "Chantal's physical appearance,
outfit and body painting were all selected to reflect the fun, flamboyant,
sexy aspect of the Formula One racing scene. The hook that caught
the media's attention was the fact that I had painted tyre tracks
across her chest and lower abdomen."
The
second style of ambush marketing is a little less media friendly.
"The Collins Dictionary defines ambush as 'the act of waiting in a
concealed position in order to launch a surprise attack'. And that's
exactly what's involved.
"Pick
a celebrity, sports team, politician, protest march - any person,
team or event that will attract a throng of television camera crews
and newspaper photographers. And then be there with your logo as large
as life. It's aggressive marketing and involves bluff and a dash of
courage."
A
typical MOHA example of its effectiveness is the Heineken Golf Classic.
"We produced large white golf umbrellas bearing the MOHA logo and
positioned staff in the vision line of television cameras covering
the action at key course holes. The ambush was extremely effective,
particularly the shot of South African golfer, Ernie Els.
It was
broadcast and published nationally and internationally." Illman urges
business people to consider ambush marketing as an effective promotional
tool. "I know what it's like to start from scratch, watch every penny
and struggle to find dollars for promotional items," he says. "Ambush
marketing works, is relatively inexpensive and can be a great deal
of fun. It's not for everyone but it can make a difference to consumer
awareness of your business and its products and services.
"Ambush
marketing has contributed to the success of MOHA and I believe it
is a tool that more Australian businesses should incorporate into
their marketing plans."
Breakout
Box
Along Ambush Way
*Elle
McPherson, Perth Airport
The
company produced giant "w elle come" signs, featuring the MOHA logo.
The signs were used to greet McPherson at Perth Airport in March 1997.
A staff member also presented her with a bunch of flowers wrapped
in paper decorated with the company logo. A photograph of McPherson
holding the flowers with a sign in the background was published on
page one of the West Australian.
Pictures
were also screened on Channels 7, 9 and 10 News.
*AFL Football, Subiaco Oval
The
company produced giant hands featuring the MOHA logo. Staff were positioned
behind the goal posts and at key television camera angle sites around
the ground.
Messages
On Hold Australia (MOHA) has been trading since 1988 and has undergone
dramatic change and growth. This was recognised in 1991, 1994 and 1995
when the company was a state finalist in the Telecom Small Business
Awards and in 1992, a state winner and national finalist. The same year
MOHA was selected as WA's Most Innovative Enterprise by the Small Business
Development Corporation.
In 1995,
Illman was awarded the 1995 Australian Young Business Achiever of
the Year and represented Australia in the World Young Business Achiever
Awards in Belfast, Ireland. He was also a finalist in the WA Entrepreneur
of the Year Awards in 1997. MOHA was in the 1996, 1997 and 1998 BRW
list of Australia's Fastest Growing Companies.
Excellence
in both product and customer service levels has also been recognised
with an OPHI award for the Most Creative Series of On Hold Programs
in 1992 and, in 1993, an Excellence in Customer Service Award from
the OPHI, US. MOHA is also possibly the only Quality Assured (ISO
9002) company in its industry.
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