The definition of guerrilla marketing is simple and essential to know for those who work in marketing and public relations. It is a way to promote products/services. This method involves unconventional, and sometimes very surprising approaches to marketing campaigns. If you are lucky to perform a well-done guerrilla campaign, the impact on your business awareness will be impressive and long-lasting.
Guerrilla Marketing: The Main Focus
Modern world of marketing is highly-saturated. If you want to spread a message, it becomes a real challenge as you have to cut through the enormous noise of ads and promotion campaigns of similar brands. Guerrilla marketing aims to do common things creatively to grab the maximum of attention.
Usually, the price for a guerrilla marketing campaign is way cheaper. It can become an excellent alternative for new brands who build their reputation and brand awareness. However, do not forget that this method requires much more efforts and creativity.
The rewards of ordering guerrilla campaigns are obvious. However, you should not forget about the possible risks of this marketing tactic. Local authorities, as well as the public might not appreciate it. To give you an example of such a situation, we need to see the case of Smirnoff. The company received a huge fine as soon as the British government did the investigation of the pop-up and classified the message as vandalism. That is why there is no need to rush with launching your guerrilla campaign. When it is possible, consult the specialists to be sure that your promotion does not violate the law.
How Was Guerrilla Marketing Created?
The history of guerrilla marketing started in 1984. The author is Jay Conrad Levinson. This marketing technique has deep roots with military warfare. In the beginning, the same tactic was used by little military forces with limited financial funds. You can recognize the signs of guerrilla marketing tactics in Cuba in the 50-60s. The Cuban troops had serious problems with finding funds, so they had no other choice than to look for creative ways and find solutions outside the zone of comfort. You can hence the same parallel with modern brands, when they just try to enter the international market without a huge budget for ads and PR.
Guerrilla Marketing in Practice
Guerrilla marketing is associated with creative and unexpected ways of promoting products/services without any boundaries. You should read the following examples to have a better understanding and inspiration:
Vodafone was cooperating with Romanian pickpockets in order to put flyers into the pockets of passengers in a secret way. It is a very specific way of raising your brand awareness.
Circles.Life is a well-known company in Singapore. They created a special machine for dispensing $50 bills which used to cost only $3. The users had to add a hashtag/QR code to perform the operation. It goes without saying that it went viral.
Wendy’s is an excellent fast-food company that originates in the USA. People know an entertaining approach to using social media platforms associated with this brand. Once the company has engaged in a rap battle with another fast-food restaurant. The battle happened on Twitter. It was a viral event. The company did not have to invest even one dollar into its promotional campaign.
