Grassroots marketing

Will someone give me a defintion of grassroots marketing? I have heard it tossed around in various contexts. What's the textbook definition?

Hello RainMaker.

Connecting with existing and prospective customers through non-mainstream media methods, grassroots marketing is also known as field marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, etc. Grass roots marketing is characterized by non-traditional and extremely flexible marketing methods. Instead of focusing solely on making sales, grassroots marketing aims at building strong client relationships that will survive the test of time. Advantages to grass roots marketing include gaining customer loyalty and involvement, consistent repeat business, increased sales, a potentially positive effect on the community, etc. By engaging in grassroots marketing, a company focuses more on nurturing relationships and developing higher quality market share that makes them less vulnerable to competitive attacks and external economic factors.

Source: http://www.onpoint-marketing.com/gra...-marketing.htm

Thanks for looking that up Jeff. The concept isn't new but I hadn't heard the term before.

You are very welcome Agent Smith. Happy to be of help.

Today it is spamming forums, MySpace, Blogs and that is very sad for sure!

Originally Posted by anthonycea Today it is spamming forums, MySpace, Blogs and that is very sad for sure!

I'm not sure that qualifies as Grassroots Marketing but I think I know how you feel.

Grassroots marketing is possibly considered a more old fashioned type of marketing as it stems from the times when technology played a less important or none existent part, in selling.

You were appealling more to a local market and succeeding at this level you would be more or less sunk.

Originally Posted by Dolly Grassroots marketing is possibly considered a more old fashioned type of marketing as it stems from the times when technology played a less important or none existent part, in selling.

What kind of technology Dolly?

Basically I was thinking of the communications systems and the way we can now market our businesses and reach our customers.

We have opened our businesses up to a global market, if of course we want to, but I do think it has been to the detriment of sales techniques to a great extent.

Also you have to consider the impact of credit and the means of utilizing that. If people didn't have access to credit, and the technology that makes it easy to use, then selling would become much more difficult and brought back to a grass roots level.