Euro 08: Publicis commits to Ambushing
Publicis has developed a strategic tool for ambushing and sponsorship initiatives. It identifies common affinities among brands, people, and events and brings them together. Achill J. Prakash, a strategic planner at Publicis, wants to remove ambushing from the moral debate and explains why event organizers and sponsors are wrong to condemn this tactic.
With Euro 08 in mind, the Publicis agency has developed a strategy tool for ambushing and sponsorship commitments at sporting events. Ambushing is usually equated with misleading consumers through the unauthorized association of a product or service with an event with advertising impact in order to profit from it without making a contribution of one's own. Achill J. Prakash, strategic planner at Publicis, disagrees: "The definitions of ambushing in the scientific literature are still too judgmental and too narrow. In addition, the discussion is conducted on a moral and ethical level. In his eyes, ambushing and sponsorship must stand side by side on an equal footing.
"Ambusher and official sponsors were particularly successful during the World Cup 06. Major brands such as Nike and Lufthansa confidently acted as ambushers," Prakash told Werbewoche.
So far, marketing and advertising strategists have simply been asking themselves the wrong question. "It's not about what's good or bad, what's better or worse. The question must be which strategic and communicative message achieves the desired goal most efficiently and which path leads there. Whether with official sponsorship or ambushing."
But doesn't ambushing harm the sponsors? No, says Prakash: "The brands are in a daily communicative battle for attention and relevance anyway. Ambushing at best harms the organizers and the event, that is undisputed. But that is ultimately not the problem of the brands."
Today, organizers must learn to accept Ambushing as a communication tool. Instead of clinging desperately to their rights, they should look for innovative financing options and not simply ignore real developments. "The helplessness of event organizers reminds me of the music industry's reaction to illegal downloads," says Prakash.
He expects Uefa to take tough action against ambushers around Euro 08 in order to protect the official sponsors. "Fighting through the courts may do a brand more harm than good, however. After all, people and consumers are interested in the experience, not in the brand's bullying," said the strategic planner.
The new tool identifies common affinities for brands, people and events and merges them together. From this, communicative strategy fields and main messages can be systematically derived. Prakash presented the tool at a Euro-08 seminar for marketing experts on Monday. "It is conceivable that we will also use the strategy tool with non-customers in workshops and develop the strategy and message with them." The tool is tailored to sporting events and can also be used for sports other than football.
The new tool from Publicis is part of an entire ambushing toolbox that the agency is developing together with the Lucerne School of Business, the Swiss Institute of Business Administration and the Swiss Marketing Club. The federal government also supports the toolbox. It supports companies throughout the entire management process, from the decision-making process for a communicative ambush commitment to the development of measures.
"Ambusher and official sponsors were particularly successful during the World Cup 06. Major brands such as Nike and Lufthansa confidently acted as ambushers," Prakash told Werbewoche.
So far, marketing and advertising strategists have simply been asking themselves the wrong question. "It's not about what's good or bad, what's better or worse. The question must be which strategic and communicative message achieves the desired goal most efficiently and which path leads there. Whether with official sponsorship or ambushing."
But doesn't ambushing harm the sponsors? No, says Prakash: "The brands are in a daily communicative battle for attention and relevance anyway. Ambushing at best harms the organizers and the event, that is undisputed. But that is ultimately not the problem of the brands."
Today, organizers must learn to accept Ambushing as a communication tool. Instead of clinging desperately to their rights, they should look for innovative financing options and not simply ignore real developments. "The helplessness of event organizers reminds me of the music industry's reaction to illegal downloads," says Prakash.
He expects Uefa to take tough action against ambushers around Euro 08 in order to protect the official sponsors. "Fighting through the courts may do a brand more harm than good, however. After all, people and consumers are interested in the experience, not in the brand's bullying," said the strategic planner.
The new tool identifies common affinities for brands, people and events and merges them together. From this, communicative strategy fields and main messages can be systematically derived. Prakash presented the tool at a Euro-08 seminar for marketing experts on Monday. "It is conceivable that we will also use the strategy tool with non-customers in workshops and develop the strategy and message with them." The tool is tailored to sporting events and can also be used for sports other than football.
The new tool from Publicis is part of an entire ambushing toolbox that the agency is developing together with the Lucerne School of Business, the Swiss Institute of Business Administration and the Swiss Marketing Club. The federal government also supports the toolbox. It supports companies throughout the entire management process, from the decision-making process for a communicative ambush commitment to the development of measures.
