Salami Tactics - Business and Satire

Business and Satire

The term is also used in business, where it means that someone presents problems or solutions in pieces, making it hard to see the big picture.

The term "salami tactics" was used in the British political satire, Yes Prime Minister in Series 1, Episode 1, "The Grand Design". In this episode, the prime minister's chief scientific advisor opines that the Soviets won't suddenly invade western Europe, but will annex areas slice by slice and thus Prime Minister Jim Hacker realizes he will never get to push the nuclear button to stop the Soviets.

Examples of salami tactics can also be found in the consumer marketplace, for example the planned obsolescence of automobile makers, in which newer vehicle models are introduced every year. In consumer electronics hardware and software, frequent small changes are often made to lure customers into purchasing intermediate products. Another well-known exponent of salami tactics in product pricing is perhaps the Irish airline Ryanair, which has become infamous for its headlined cheap fares to which arrays of additional costs are added slice by slice: fees are charged for baggage check-in, issuance of boarding cards, payment by credit card, priority boarding, web check-in, etc.