Ambush attack: military manoeuvre turned business tactics

In military ambush is an occupational hazard. This threat is ever-present so that soldiers are trained to encounter it any time while on duty. Creeping into business ambush has become one of the un-conventional business tactics. Here is a comparison of ambush in military theatre and business field:

Military

There are seven elements:

1. Attack only the un-suspecting enemy

2. Attacker is often concealed and never visible until action begins

3. Speed & surprise are Siamese twins in every ambush

4. Ambush can be executed by even solo soldier well-armed

5. Often, the terrain is difficult to negotiate by enemy such as an alley or mountain pass where the surrounding heights are under the control of ambusher

6. Kill zone is selected by the process: Observation, reconnaissance, detection, execution and review (ORDER)

7. Escape route, if any is totally sealed.

Business application

Mainly ambush attack is used in marketing/advert called as “Ambush Marketing” a term coined by marketing strategist Jerry Welsh, while he was working as the manager of global marketing of American Express in the 1980s. There are seven elements:

1. Ambush attack takes place only against opponents in the same field. Sports, fashion, finance, consumer retail are fields where threat of ambush is present

2. Await enemy undertakes marketing/advert campaign. Be ready to hijack his campaign by broadcasting weaknesses of his new product

3. Pre-emption is the driving theme. Before enemy gets his foot-space come with counter-campaign so that firm nullifies enemy’s ‘first mover advantage”. In other words firm is set to “steal the thunder” so to speak

4. End-result is to bring confusion in the minds of prospective customers as regards to the intent and purpose of enemy company and the new product he is going to unveil into the market

5. Now firm takes the moral high-ground and tries to clear the confusion created in the minds of customers by organizing its own campaign where its product is introduced and explained in lucid manner without marketing jargons.

6. Subsequent to this firm organizes panel discussion where so-called independent analysts air their reviews highlighting weaknesses of enemy product and eulogizing the features of firm product. This is termed as indirect attack.

7. Reviewing the results after panel discussion,  if need arises to vanquish the enemy totally, firm mounts a direct attack on the enemy and his products  using own logo and name manned by the so-called experts who  air their views couched in neutrality using impartial language but with the intention of showing the firm in favourable light. 

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Business Strategist

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail:   cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Business Strategist