Ambush Marketing

The rapid growth in sponsorship throughout the world has been accompanied by a parallel growth in ambush marketing practice over the last two decades, particularly in the context of major sporting events. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the concept of ambush marketing, discuss the moral and ethical issues surrounding ambush practice, and provide solutions and recommendations in dealing with ambushing issues from the perspective of different parties. This chapter begins with an introduction of ambush marketing and explanation of how it has evolved over time. The different types of ambush marketing strategies are then identified, followed by an exploration of the effectiveness of ambush marketing and its influence on sponsorship activity. The main focus then turns to the moral and ethical debate on ambush marketing among events owners, sponsors, and ambushers. Finally, the future development of ambush marketing is discussed and suggestions are made in terms of how to cope with the ambushing issues in the future.