Unlike traditional marketing, under the radar marketing is often subtle.
The advent of under-the-radar marketing, also referred to as guerrilla marketing or stealth marketing, has a long history in the world of advertising. Most people have been exposed to some form of under-the-radar marketing, perhaps without even realizing it. This is often the objective of this strategy, unlike large corporations which generally inundate the market with advertisements touting their products. Understanding the nuances and processes behind implementing an under-the-radar marketing campaign can pay significant dividends for businesses of all sizes.
History
Under-the-radar marketing began as an idea, and a subsequent book from Jay Conrad Levinson in 1984 entitled "Guerrilla Marketing" as an answer to student questions (he was a professor at Cal Berkeley at the time) on market small businesses on very low budgets. As the concepts began to take hold, more and more small businesses realized under-the-radar marketing was a means to get the word out about their product or service, without the need for huge marketing budgets.
Requirements
Under-the-radar marketing begins with conducting in-depth market research to determine exactly what market, or demographics, are being targeted before implementing the strategy. Many companies begin by analyzing the buying behaviors and demographics of their existing customers. Because under-the-radar or guerrilla marketing is designed to be low-cost, the strategy must employ a focused effort, and this begins with determining what markets will react most favorably to your product or service.
Creative
Implementing this type of strategy requires thinking outside the box from traditional marketing campaigns. For example, rather than simply purchasing air time on a radio or television broadcast to reach the masses, under-the-radar marketing is often so subtle as to be indistinguishable to prospective customers. Understanding what will resonate with your target market, and then creatively adopting ideas to reach these people is what under-the-radar marketing strategies are all about.
Examples
Paying a person or couple to sit at a bar and use a smartphone and share all the neat features with the patrons around them, in a conversational tone, is one example of under-the-radar marketing. Going online to various chat rooms and forums and posting information about your product or service as if you are an end user is another strategy. This type of marketing may be as subtle as providing free basketball shoes to locally known recreation league players, and then have them mention (several times) how comfortable and supportive they are to the other players. In this example, it's likely the other players will never even know they are a party to a marketing campaign.
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