STEALTH MARKETING STRATEGY – ORIGINS, MANIFESTATIONS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Abstract

Stealth marketing has been witnessing growing recognition during the last decade. However, the results from its application remain a daunting task for marketers as they cannot be measured accurately given that such campaigns are very rarely disclosed. The aim of this article is to present the contemporary manifestations of stealth marketing strategies by also contrasting them to its predecessor – viral marketing. The paper presents an original author model of stealth marketing and distinguishes it from other forms of surreptitious marketing strategies. At the end of the paper a new understanding of the traditional marketing mix is presented taking the stealth marketing perspective.