Hannibal: Preparing Marketers For Battle

War elephants. Bloody battles. Military acumen. Enemy territory. Strategic alliances. The element of surprise. Clashing armies.

Yep, it’s the story of arguably the greatest military commander in history, Hannibal Barca.

Or, as Wayne Pollard of CMO magazine points out, it’s also a source of great marketing lessons.

According to Pollard, Hannibal’s war stories can shed valuable light on many marketing battles, such as attacking a market with an established competitor, protecting current customer bases, forming strategic alliances, using the element of surprise, knowing your competition, choosing your battleground and superior planning.

“For nearly 20 years Hannibal survived in an enemy’s territory, winning battles against the greatest power in the Mediterranean. He may have ultimately lost to Rome, but Hannibal still has been called the Father of Strategy; prior to Hannibal, armies simply marched toward each other and fought,” Pollard wrote.

For specific Hannibal military marketing strategy, read “Hannibal, CMO” by Wayne Pollard.

Marketers grab your helmets.