Marketing nowadays is an entire field of study in itself, with social media and technology boosting marketing methods and strategies. Marketing experts are continuously thinking out of the box and coming up with new marketing strategies that take inspiration from fields unrelated to marketing and advertising. One such strategy created in such a way is the Beachhead strategy.
What is the Beachhead Strategy?
The Beachhead strategy is originally a military strategy that is employed during armed conflict. The strategy typically deals with times of invading enemy territory and taking over it. According to the Beachhead method, the invasion should start from the low-guarded areas on the outskirts which are easy to take over and occupy. These areas then form a stronghold for the invading party through which they can launch an attack on the central areas of the enemy territory.
The strategy involves the invading party taking control over an area that isn’t deemed important by the enemies. That area is then used as a base for the forays and campaigns throughout the territory. It holds a similar meaning in marketing, just involving methods that don’t lead to violence and bloodshed.
The Beachhead Strategy in Marketing
Often, a newly launched product or service is first marketed in areas that are on the outskirts with low population and lives not as busy as they are right in the middle of the city. These areas are used as a test for the new product. The reaction to the product, as well as the marketing strategies, is studied and analyzed. If a favorable response is seen, the same marketing strategy is spread over a far greater distance and utilized throughout the area. This is an example of the Beachhead strategy in marketing.
The Beachhead strategy offers businesses and marketing firms a fantastic opportunity to test their ideas with the public without using a large amount of money. The initial marketing drive is fairly limited in scope and budget and extends to small areas, which is fairly cheap. Furthermore, the responses returned by that small group of people are not just simpler to gather and analyze, but also a fair representation of what the response would be over a large area, with some changes of course.
Hence, the Beachhead strategy provides marketing professionals with a tool that they can utilize to judge reactions cheaply. It is nearly foolproof in operation, however, it needs to be handled with care and expert insight. A major aspect to take care of is the area where the strategy is initially tested.
The area needs to be representative of the larger expanse where the product or service will be launched. You cannot launch an advertising campaign in an area culturally and socially removed from the target location. Furthermore, the analysis needs to be done with the possible future growth in mind, which will require insight from a seasoned marketing professional.
