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Introduction

Throughout the ages, marketing techniques and tools have adapted to meet the changing preferences, sensibilities and needs of the consumer. Marketers have always wrapped up a "promise" in a neatly-bundled package to stimulate, attract and lure the consumer into an exchange.
But the traditional role of the consumer as a naive participant in the exchange is slowly transforming into that of a powerful skeptic better educated about manufacturing, marketing and motives. Traditional marketing can be entertaining and sometimes informative; rarely is it the impetus for action (Salzman et al 2003). Marketers are increasingly under pressure to come up with new and better ideas to capture the eye of the consumer. According to a study done by Universal McCann, global advertising spend in 2005 was about $ 605 billion¹. With the Internet emerging as the single biggest driver of ad spend growth in every region and country (Carat) and maturing into one of the most referenced mediums the world has seen, the debate still rages on as to whether traditional marketing is experiencing a shift in philosophies. Whether or not marketers follow Jerome McCarthy's 4P Model or Philip Kotler's more customer centric 4C Model, marketers are finding it increasingly difficult to grab mind-space. Stealth Marketing, or more commonly referred to as Guerilla Marketing, is proving to be a more viable alternative to conventional advertising because it is perceived to be softer and more personal (Kaikati & Kaikati, 2004). This paper attempts to weigh the benefits of this fast growing medium of promotion and how it can be sustained over the long term to build relationships and trust with the consumer.

Traditional Marketing

While the 4Ps Model of Product, Price, Place and Promotion (sometimes extended to include People) is still the weapon of choice for the majority of marketers today, there is an increasing pressure on marketers to build brands as opposed to increasing sales. There are many reasons for the same from the rapid proliferation of products in the market place to sustainability of sales to capturing market share. Relationship building is now the primary focus of almost all marketing managers and a key source of competitive advantage. However, before building a brand it is necessary that customers perceive value and associations in what they purchase. Traditional advertising has always lived by the hierarchy-of-effects model which presumes that consumers tend to move through a measurable cognitive process before making a purchase.

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1 http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/financial/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001615315

* Contributed by: -
Ramkishan Rajan has completed his Bachelor's (Mechanical Engineering) from College of Engineering, Trivandrum, and is a marketing enthusiast with specific areas of interest in Marketing of high technology products and consumer behaviour.
M. S. Diana has done her Bachelor's (Computer Science) from IIT Chennai, and has a strong analytical approach to marketing. Her specific areas of interest include marketing strategy and brand management. She is also majors in operations.
Both are currently students of the PGDM Programme (Batch 2006-08) at IIM Kozhikode.