Covert Marketing Strategy and Techniques

Abstract

Growing rivalry has increased the tendency of firms to use messages to persuade consumers, more intensively. However, as the consumer is exposed to more messages every day, this has resulted in insensitivity on the part of customers towards commercial messages. Traditional marketing communication has failed to solve this problem. New models and strategies are needed. Under these conditions a new strategy, covert marketing has emerged. In this strategy, commercial messages are transmitted to consumers using unexpected times and styles so that they are not even aware of it. This may be a solution to the problem of communication with the consumer. The purpose of this study is to firstly explain the concept of covert marketing strategy and its techniques and secondly to suggest a communication model which can be used in this process. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.