Stealth marketing strategies in the USA to capture American consumers

Brands like Balmain, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Balenciaga are trendsetters for all Italian companies seeking effective ways to do business in the United States through Stealth Marketing

In fact, all the most well-known brands in the USA are using this technique to be less intrusive in promoting themselves in the American market

Vogue calls it invisible marketing, while Highsnobiety has coined the term "Merchtainment": this represents the new frontier of strategies to sell in the United States.

Louis Vuitton and Gucci have launched pop-up stores in low-profile locations without much fanfare, challenging the norm that every major launch should be surrounded by interviews and posts from renowned influencers. These pop-ups were handed over to the hosting communities, sparking reactions on social media—not controlled responses, but user-generated content and word of mouth.

Similarly, Balmain has halted print advertisements in fashion magazines to allocate its marketing budget to more informal tactics, while Balenciaga recently made headlines by presenting a fashion show where the models themselves were unaware they were models, culminating in a Simpsons-style projection of how that bizarre runway should have been.

A new trend is thus emerging in the world of marketing in America: as American consumers seek novelty and authenticity, and designers strive to stand out within increasingly crowded advertising channels, luxury brands are beginning to use subtler marketing strategies to convey their message. This means testing low-profile, less intrusive, and ideally more organic tactics. Importantly, this mode of existence within the U.S. market marks the shift from a top-down sales approach to so-called "stealth marketing": essentially, American consumers become aware of the brand without realizing it.

In America, marketing explicitly aimed at sales has ceased to be the most profitable: American consumers are overloaded with paid media and are tired of looking at their screens

Those selling in the United States have a better chance of success if they use discreet sales techniques

American consumers are all getting a bit tired of aggressive selling. Marketing with this objective is not a brilliant strategy, and it's no surprise if customers end up rejecting it. How can one pay attention to an advertisement on Instagram after having seen a hundred others? 75% of consumers never look at online ads...

"Stealth marketing" is fundamentally a relationship-building tactic that can also be shared and discussed with your target consumers in the USA.

Unlike flashy billboards and sponsored posts on social media, the main goal of invisible marketing in America is not acquisition but loyalty. Take Nike, for example: over the past ten years, the sportswear giant has moved away from high-budget strategies to invest in smaller neighborhood stores, local events, and value-added services that allow interaction with a localized audience.

It's as if to say that, in the end, loyalty is the ultimate goal of these brands that sell in the United States. After all, no one looks at a billboard or walks into a Gucci store saying, "Wow, Gucci is amazing, I need some of it!" With Gucci or even Balenciaga, the relationship with the consumer takes shape over the course of many months, through events and on platforms where users discuss the brand.

WeTransfer has become a powerful new tool to introduce brands to certain consumer segments in the United States

In response to American consumers’ rejection of traditional marketing, some brands (Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, and Stella McCartney) are diversifying their advertising channels and experimenting with unexpected platforms like WeTransfer, a free service for sharing large files online.

The surge in revenue from luxury fashion clients on WeTransfer began in 2018, when companies operating in the U.S. realized that over 70% of the platform’s users worked in creative industries. This offered a direct pathway to reach America’s premium creative community.

Thus, stealth marketing on WeTransfer has become a new tactic for brands to engage and grow their communities within the U.S. market. The key advantage is that the advertising doesn’t feel forced or intrusive, so it doesn’t risk making the brand seem untrustworthy or damaging its image. There are many ways to execute excellent stealth marketing.

The future of branding in the USA: incorporating subtle strategies into marketing plans

The growth of stealth marketing won’t replace influencer marketing or more traditional sales techniques in the United States. Rather, the shift in American consumer preferences shows that brands will need to find the right balance between “push marketing” and “pull strategies,” between acquisition tactics and loyalty strategies. Ultimately, the greatest advantage of employing invisible marketing in America is that it creates a high level of audience engagement. Consumers open to dialogue will walk away with an almost instinctive understanding of what the brand represents and its core values.

As an old proverb goes, "Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand." ;-)