Artur Modliński Faculty of Management (University of Lodz) THE CONCEPT OF TRACKVERTISING AN INTRODUCTION INTO THE BASIC MECHANISMS Introduction The objective of the article is to present the mechanisms of trackvertising which started to develop dynamically in 2014. As far as the concept was called one of the biggest innovations in marketing promotion of 2014, it seems to be worth scientific consideration and it is necessary to provide the definition of the phenomena. It is also worth describing its examples and pointing out the basic mechanisms which differentiate trackvertising from similar concepts. The main sources used in the article are trackvert videos found online, comments and suggestions of the marketing experts who have mentioned the idea of trackvertising in their articles. This text serves as a compendium of the published information about the phenomena since the concept of trackvert has appeared for the first time. Such compilation provides a starting point for further research and in-depth scientific discussion concerning constraints and effectiveness of trackvertising. Trackvertising – definition of the concept There is no common definition for ‘trackvert’ in the marketing literature which would be approved jointly by all investigators. As a potentially new phenomena, it is rather still discussed in the popular science articles than in the open scientific debate. Jarboe (2014), as one of the first marketers, defined this concept as a music video which is co-released by an artist and a brand. He suggested that an indispensable element of each trackvert is an announcement of collaboration in the video title, video description or within the video itself. This is highlighted by Jarobe as especially innovative and unique. Wood (2014) adds that trackvertising is melting the boundaries between ads and music videos, creating a hybrid of both and for this reason it is an attractive form of promotion for various brands. This thesis is highly supported by Waterhouse (2013) who claims that such hybrid of a music video and an ad is a “magical combination” which can boost the brand effect on the audience tired with traditional, irritating promotion. However, such enthusiasm is not shared by all marketers. A great number of marketing trend followers argue that trackvertising is nothing more than a simple product placement in a slightly modified form. For this reason, it is perceived as an unattractive hoary old chestnut having poor results. To prove that the idea of trackvertising differs from other concepts, its basic mechanisms should