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Are you tired of watching YouTube Ads? We generally run away from them, don’t we? When an ad starts to play right before a video on YouTube, we smash the skip button as soon as it’s available! So, what strategy can you use to grab people’s attention and create a positive impression? The answer is obvious; Guerilla Marketing!
This marketing strategy is all about creative methods of advertising and getting attention from people when they are least expecting it. Therefore, guerilla marketing is considered an objective method of advertising which shouldn’t look like advertising! Sounds confusing? Don’t worry! We’re here to put your mind at ease.
Since many people prefer online shopping instead of going to the store, guerilla marketing can increase your brand awareness as well as your lead conversion.
In this article, we will discuss guerilla marketing in detail so you can use it in your business easily. So, let’s start.
What Is Guerilla Marketing
Guerilla marketing can be a bit different from old-school marketing strategies such as email marketing. As a modern marketing approach, guerilla marketing is an interesting, funny, interactive, and innovative method of marketing that doesn’t sound like marketing at all. This marketing strategy takes people off guard and creates a remembering expression with an unconventional approach. Therefore, It makes people accept it with open arms and even appreciate it. Interesting, right?
In other words, Guerrilla marketing is an advertising strategy that uses unconventional, creative, and often surprising tactics to promote a product or service in public spaces. It aims to create a memorable experience and generate buzz around a brand through personal interactions and word-of-mouth marketing, rather than relying on traditional advertising channels.
Key Aspects of Guerilla Marketing
Now let us talk about some of the guerilla marketing aspects that can impact your campaign a lot.
The key aspects of guerrilla marketing are:
- Low-cost and innovative,
- Unconventional and surprising,
- Personal interactions,
- Takes place in public events and spaces,
- Viral marketing and word-of-mouth and viral marketing.
These campaigns are designed to be inexpensive yet impactful, utilizing creativity and imagination instead of large advertising budgets. This is the reason why guerrilla marketing is a huge and important part of experiential marketing as well.
How Does Guerilla Marketing Work
Guerrilla marketing employs unexpected and unconventional methods to grab attention and create a lasting impression on the target audience. These campaigns often take place in public areas with high foot traffic, such as streets, parks, concerts, or sporting events, to reach a wider audience. They frequently involve direct, personal interactions with potential customers, aiming to create an emotional connection with the brand.
The ultimate goal of guerrilla marketing is to generate buzz and encourage people to share their experiences with others, amplifying the campaign’s reach through word-of-mouth and social media sharing. Some common types of guerrilla marketing tactics include:
- ambient marketing: using unconventional spaces for advertising,
- ambush marketing: promoting events without being an official sponsor,
- street marketing: engaging with people in public spaces,
- viral marketing: creating content designed to spread rapidly online.
The term “guerrilla marketing” gained popularity as a cost-effective alternative to traditional advertising, particularly for small businesses and startups, allowing them to create impactful campaigns with limited resources.
Let us show you an old (but gold) guerilla marketing example:
As much as this ad hurts my feelings, it persuades me to hit the gym!
This marketing strategy is perfect for startup businesses because it can be incredibly inexpensive. Don’t let its low-cost fool you for its incapability. You just need to dedicate more time and a lot of creativity to reach your desired results.
Guerilla marketing ideas are based on creative thinking. Therefore, you usually don’t see guerilla advertisements on TV, radio, or in newspapers. These platforms are too typical and expensive. Instead, they are placed in noticeable locations to make direct interaction with viewers and create a dramatic impact.
Therefore, as you can see, guerilla marketing chooses the harder path. But the good news is that this strategy can be used to sell everything from food, dress, and movie tickets to estates and cars. And by being clever, you can minimize the risks.
Different Types of Guerilla Marketing
Different approaches are utilized in this marketing strategy to attract customers. Here, we’ll discuss some of the most common types of guerilla marketing ideas and how to employ them:
1. Astroturfing Marketing
This marketing tactic is among the most dangerous guerilla marketing strategies and it has a high risk of backfiring. Astroturfing focuses on generating hype around a brand or product through targeted reviews, surveys, and discussions on forums and online platforms.
This can have a negative effect if the readers realize the review isn’t honest and is written by marketers for commercial purposes.
Since it can easily damage the company’s credibility, astroturfing is among the most controversial guerilla marketing strategies. However, thanks to the low price and high outcome, it’s getting more popular these days. After all ‘Bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. But the higher the climb the harder the fall’.
2. Street Marketing
Since the origins of guerilla marketing tactics go back to guerilla warfare, it is no surprise that streets are the main arena for this marketing strategy. Street marketing is a subdivision of guerilla marketing and its advertisements can be seen in the streets, parks, sides of cars or public transport, etc.
Most of the street marketing elements are displayed in random locations to be eye-catching and create memorable effects on the audience. Street marketing is also known as outdoor guerilla marketing.
3. Indoor Marketing
Indoor guerilla marketing focuses on public places with enclosed structures such as shopping malls, university campuses, football stadiums, etc. The marketing strategy follows the same tactics as outdoor marketing. However, the areas that are going to be displayed are different.
4. Viral Marketing
Viral marketing or buzz marketing is the main approach of guerilla marketing. In this strategy, marketers encourage the audience to pass on the message to others through different channels (usually social media). Therefore, with viral marketing, marketers expose their brand to thousands or even millions of individuals by approaching a small number of people. In this sense, viral marketing is also referred to as word-of-mouth marketing.
Best 20 Guerilla Marketing Examples
Companies use different strategies to promote their brand. If you want to know what strategy is best for you, consider these 20 examples in your idea-generating processes and get the attention your business deserves.
#1 BBC’s Dracula Billboard
When the night falls, vampires start to feast. That’s exactly what BBC had been trying to imply with this famous billboard for advertising the Dracula TV series. This billboard was located in London and Birmingham. Still, the news about it spread worldwide.
At first glance, it’s just a billboard with some spikes and a few drops of blood on it. But when the sun goes down, this masterpiece reveals its horror.
This design was so effective that after two years, people still talked about it. Only if the series was as good as this billboard!
#2 McDonald’s Heat Sensitive Panel
McDonald’s always comes up with the best guerilla marketing ideas. On July 4, 2015, McDonald’s decided to challenge the sun and cool down everybody with 100 free cops of Mc Flurry.
It was one of the hottest days of the year in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The panel was designed to be opened at 38.6 degrees Celsius.
Everybody was gathered around the panel and hoping it would get hotter! Finally, at noon the wait was over, and everybody got what they wanted.
McDonald’s could simply give free ice cream and save the day. However, that would be like any other free sample advertisement. And nobody would remember it the day after. But, with a little creativity, McDonald’s made a memorable impression. And got everybody to wish for a hotter day in the middle of the summer! I would wish for the same thing if I could get free ice cream!
#3 Dentistry Group, 2019
This one is one of the best guerilla marketing examples ever. And just by looking at the banner, you’ll understand why.
I noticed the missing eyebrow only after reading the title. This marketing campaign gives you a heads-up to pay more attention to your teeth. And it gives you a pretty solid reason why.
#4 Domino’s Paving for Pizza
The worst thing in the world is to get your pizza and see that the ingredients are all over the box! Most of the time, people blame the delivery for destroying their favorite pizza.
However, Domino’s Pizza decided not to point its finger at the poor delivery guy. Instead, they put the blame on the potholes in the street. And that was the starting point for one of the best guerilla marketing campaigns.
At first, Domino planned to pave the potholes in only 20 cities. However, after receiving 130,000 submissions in a short amount of time, they expanded the campaign to all 50 states, which resulted in gaining everybody’s respect at the national and international levels.
#5 Caribou Coffee Giant Oven
To launch their new ‘hot ‘n wholesome’ menu, Caribou Coffee decided to transform a bus shelter into a giant oven with actual heat!
Nobody would mind a little heat during the freezing wintertime. Many passengers might choose this station to wait for the bus. And during that time, they are definitely going to take a look at whatever you are advertising.
This creative guerilla marketing design gives you enough reason to walk towards it. Moreover, the campaign is definitely treated as an invited guest rather than an annoying intruder!
#6 IWC Hanging Straps
If you can’t take the customers to your shop, bring the shop to them! IWC marketers surely had that sentence in their minds when they decided to change the form of the hanging straps to the watches IWC produced.
Every time one of the riders grabs these straps, they are actually trying one of those products of this company on their hands.
Just imagine how magnificent the outcome is going to be when you apply this guerilla marketing tactic in a city like New York, with approximately 3.6 million public transport ridership.
#7 AXE Body Spray
Axe body spray advertisement is one of the coolest guerilla marketing campaigns. It’s simple, interesting, and innovative all at the same time. And, of course, it promises something special about the brand!
The advertisers decided to add a sticker of some ladies chasing the guy in the exit sign to imply he had used an appealing body spray!
The exit sign can be seen in almost every building on this planet (and probably on other planets). So, it’s a good start for you if your brand’s products are similar to AXE’s.
#8 Kill Bill Advertisement
One of the best examples of a guerilla marketing campaign is the Kill Bill ads. Tarantino’s movie had a talented marketing team with brilliant ideas.
The picture speaks for itself. Everything on their banners is related to the movie. Even if you haven’t watched the movie, you can have a pretty accurate guess of what it’s going to be about. With this kind of marketing, you can excite the audience ahead of time.
#9 Volkswagen Slide
One of the notable examples of guerilla marketing is Volkswagen’s promotion of its Polo GTI model. The company decided to promote the car by highlighting its notable features: being fun and speedy.
Therefore, they created a slide next to the stairs of a subway and gave everybody a chance to take the fastest and the funniest direction.
In the end, everybody had a smile on their face, and none of them would ever forget how fun, fast, and comfortable Volkswagen could be. And they did it just by creating a slide.
# 10 GoldToe Underwear on New York City Bull
Imagine you are on your way to go to work just like any other day. And suddenly, you notice something unusual about the huge statue on the sidewalk. It is wearing underwear!!! Who wouldn’t notice that?
That’s exactly why GoldToe decided to put underwear on a huge bull in the middle of NYC. It took people off guard and surprised everybody. Some of them even took pictures of it.
GoldToe’s advertisement can be categorized as one of the best Guerilla marketing examples.
#11 Warm Wishes from Drybar
Nothing is lovelier than a warm breeze on your face when you are freezing on a cold winter day. Since it’s impossible to happen naturally, Drybar saw this as an opportunity and took it in its favor.
You can’t miss an upside-down yellow drier with a big box next to it when you are passing by. And when you stay in front of it, a warm breeze is going to caress your face. I bet it must feel amazing.
Brands that interact with their audience at this level can create a memorable experience and leave their mark for a long time. This is exactly what guerilla marketing is all about.
#12 Spider-Man 2 Commercial
Spider-man 2 advertisement in 2004 is another example of one of the best guerilla marketing ideas to inspire your brand.
Grabbing people’s attention is one of the biggest challenges in marketing which was perfectly dealt with in this example. Who wouldn’t notice a urinal on the wall and of course, the poster next to it?
You should be either spider man or 12 meters tall to use that.
#13 Kit Kat Campaign
Kit Kat’s famous slogan, ‘Have a break, have a Kit Kat’, is all over their 2021 outdoor marketing campaign. Their famous tagline is printed on the banner, and there is a break on it instead of the word “break”.
To emphasize their slogan, even more, they decided to tie a hammock in the empty space. Therefore, they create a place for people to actually have a ‘break’. This is one of the best and most unique guerrilla marketing examples.
#14 Pepsi and Coca-Cola Campaigns
These two giant drinking brands have a long history of roasting each other through guerilla marketing advertisements. And most of their ads are actually funny, creative, and engaging. Here you can see Pepsi’s marketing campaign for Halloween:
Pepsi landed a beautiful punch on Coca-Cola. However, Coca-Cola managed to dodge it perfectly. And they did it by using the same photo and just changing the sentence. Who do you think did it better?
#15 Barbie and Oppenheimer Movies
The best moves of 2023 are expected to have the best marketing ideas too. As these movies were released on the same day, their fans passionately rallied behind their favorites. So, the marketers saw the potential and increased the hype through guerilla marketing.
They used trash cans in the streets to attract more viewers. These types of trash cans are not something you would see every day. So, the guerilla marketing campaign sticks to people’s minds just like the movies. This marketing idea has an environmental effect too. Why would someone want to dump the trash on the sidewalk when they can use it to support their favorite movie? Here you can see Barbie is ahead of Oppenheimer, and it’s not even close!
#16 IHOP Changing Name Campaign
Changing your brand name for a short period can attract lots of attention and criticism as well. Pancake restaurant IHOP staged a temporary transformation into the International House of Burgers, or IHOb, to promote its burgers. The restaurant received a lot of attention as a result of the transfer.
However, lots of the attention came from public news and countless social media memes. They were ready, handled the situation well, and got what they wanted—public attention.
#17 ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
The ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ was a guerilla marketing idea that gained popularity on social media in 2014. For this specific challenge, participants had to cover their heads with a pail of ice water, encourage their friends and family, and others to do the same during the next 24 hours, or pay money to the ALS foundation.
The campaign was a huge success, raising a substantial amount of money for charity purposes and increasing awareness of ALS.
#18 Dove Real Beauty Sketches
Using a heartwarming message in your guerilla marketing campaign can boost your awareness among your customers significantly.
Dove launched a campaign against false and excessively perfumed beauty images in 2013 with the publication of an advertisement titled “Real Beauty Sketches.” In the film, ladies gave an artist a description of themselves, after which someone else described them using the description provided by the first person.
Dove’s sales climbed from $2.5 billion to $4 billion during that campaign year, demonstrating the ad’s success.
#19 WePay War Against PayPal
A payment processing firm called WePay disrupted the PayPal conference in 2010 by dropping 600 pounds of ice in the conference room, with several dollars hidden beneath the block of ice.
The prank served as an inventive means of informing individuals that PayPal freezes its customers’ accounts. This is one of the best guerrilla marketing examples that uses an unusual method to spread its message.
#20 Red Sparrow Movie Campaign in Canada
In this guerilla marketing example, Twentieth Century Fox Canada aimed to create excitement for Jennifer Lawrence’s 2018 movie Red Sparrow by bringing it to the Toronto streets.
Twenty models donned Russian spy costumes by Lawrence to distribute business cards featuring the movie’s showtimes. The film made over $151 million at the box office. That is a remarkable sight to be seen for sure!
This is an example of being bold in your guerilla marketing campaigns and experiencing new things.
The previously mentioned cases are some of the most famous examples of guerilla marketing. Now, let’s introduce you to 10 more budget-friendly marketing examples.
How to Execute a Guerilla Marketing Campaign
Just like guerilla fighters, you should gather information about the target and learn the situation before making a move. This way, you can create more successful campaigns. So it is vital to:
1. Know Your Audience and Understand What Impresses Them
You are launching a guerilla marketing campaign in 2024 to grab the customer’s attention. So, it’s vital to know what they need and what creates engagement for them. The best thing about guerilla marketing is that you are considering all the customers, but advertising for a small number of them. Therefore, it’s much easier to find their taste and design something impressive.
2. Choose Guerilla Marketing Ideas that Work for Your Brand
There are many guerilla marketing tactics, such as ambient marketing, ambush marketing, network marketing, street marketing, buzz marketing, etc. The tactics should be chosen based on the results you desire, your resources, your brand’s features, and the customer data from the previous stage.
3. Think out of the Box
Literally! Innovation is the key. You don’t want to be a cheap copy of a masterpiece when it comes to guerilla marketing. Don’t be afraid to be unusual. Use your imagination. Be bold and make a grand gesture to win the customers’ hearts!
Top 10 Guerilla Marketing Examples for Small Businesses
A true guerilla fighter fights with whatever they have, and so does a guerilla marketer! You can not make excuses about your limited budget. Make it up with creative ideas. The next 10 guerilla marketing examples can be a lifesaver for small brands.
#1 Folgers Coffee
Using landmarks in your favor is one of the key strategies for launching the best guerilla marketing campaigns. Folgers Coffee advertisement in New York is a perfect example of it.
They saw a steaming manhole and turned it into a hot cup of coffee. How? Just by covering the manhole with a sticker. The sticker is the image of a coffee mug. And the steam gives the impression that the coffee itself is steaming. Simple and clever right?
This type of outdoor marketing is engaging and memorable. And costs almost nothing. So, if you have a coffee shop, waste no time and check the streets for a steaming manhole!
#2 Windex Cleaner
Windex Cleaner presented what its products offer in a brilliant way.
They used semi-transparent glasses in a bus station to imply glasses are covered with steam. And stick their product on it to show their cleaner made the steam go away.
See! There is no need to spend a bag of money. Just a little creativity.
#3 Mr. Clean Crosswalk
By using your imagination, even crosswalks can turn into an element for your guerilla marketing advertising.
The color contrast between the bright strip and other strips is something hard to miss. Everything about this campaign is perfect. There is no unnecessary explanation. The advertisement speaks for itself and directly points to what the product is capable of.
Why is there a shining strip among all these muddy stripes? Because of that bold man! Mr. Clean!
#4 Durex Father’s Day Campaign
Funny guerilla marketing advertisements are the best ones. And Durex is a pioneer in this matter.
In 2010, Durex pointed out what would happen if you don’t use their product and go for other competitors’. So, if you don’t want to receive congratulations on Father’s or Mother’s Day, it’s better to stick with Durex.
#5. SmileAtTheWorld Billboard
Your guerilla marketing ideas should always be based on the environment around you to leave a memorable impression and attract customers.
SmileAtTheWorld is a team of orthodontists that decided to run a unique advertising campaign in 2020. They saw Covid-19 as an opportunity for their business and encouraged everyone to get braces while the whole world needs to wear masks. This way, nobody would notice you are aligning your bite and straightening your teeth. SmileAtTheWorld is considered one of the best guerilla marketing examples.
I would definitely get braces during that time if I hadn’t gotten them 8 years prior 🙂!
# 6 Nike Innovative AD Commercial
I know! This Nike advertisement in 2018 was an annoying one! But, as long as people notice the brand, the guerilla marketing campaign has served its purpose.
It’s almost guaranteed that everybody who sits on the other bench would notice something is wrong with the opposite bench. They’ll probably ask themselves ‘Why on earth this bench is missing its seat?’ But the moment they see the Nike logo, everything would be clear to them. And if there is no place to sit, you have no choice but to keep running.
#7 Porsche Commercial Banner
Even mega companies like Porsche might also go for simple creative advertisements once in a while. This shows how important innovation can be in marketing. And sometimes, it covers up your budget limitation.
However, this one is not much of a guerilla-standard commercial. Still, it’s a funny, interesting, engaging, and very clever advertisement banner.
#8 Ford Ranger Extreme
Porsche is not the only car company with an eye on creative marketing ideas such as guerilla marketing. Ford also uses this method to surprise customers and increase sales. They saw the potential in a matchbox. Can you believe that?
A company as big as Ford can afford any type of advertisement. But they would never skip such a simple effective method to get customers attention. With this guerilla advertisement idea, every time people want to turn on the fire, they will notice that Ford is selling one of its limited edition trucks.
#9 Oral-B Electronic Toothbrush
You can see another budget-friendly method of street marketing in Oral-B’s electronic toothbrush guerilla marketing campaign. They used garbage trucks to advertise their toothbrushes. It’s very unconventional to use a truck that collects trash to promote something for cleaning. But they did it, and it worked.
Oral B is not a small brand, but they took their chances with guerilla advertisement. Their campaign shows how much potential this type of marketing has. Your brand can be the next one advertising its products on a trash truck, if you are creative enough.
#10 Pantene Ad on Escalator
Escalators are one of the best places for guerilla marketing advertisements. And you can see one of the best examples here.
Pantene is a hair and beauty products brand that used the space between two escalators to show by using its products how smooth and shiny your hair would get. Everybody that sets foot on these moving stairways will notice something unusual about it and that’s exactly what guerilla marketers wish for.
If anybody wishes for straight hair, they would definitely Google Pantene. And that’s a huge step for a successful marketing campaign.
How can social media be used for guerrilla marketing
Social media platforms can be leveraged for guerrilla marketing campaigns in several ways:
1- Leveraging Viral Content
One of the key strengths of social media for guerrilla marketing is the ability to create and spread viral content. Brands can craft highly engaging, unconventional, and shareable content and guerilla marketing ideas that capture attention and spark conversations. This could include:
- Quirky videos or memes that tap into current trends or internet culture,
- Interactive challenges or contests that encourage user participation,
- Provocative or thought-provoking posts that stir emotions and discussions.
The goal is to create content that resonates with the target audience and compels them to share it widely across their networks, amplifying the campaign’s reach organically.
2- Ambush Marketing
Social media provides opportunities for ambush marketing, where brands insert themselves into popular conversations or events without being an official sponsor. This could involve:
- Hijacking trending hashtags or topics with clever, on-brand content,
- Piggybacking on major events or cultural moments with timely, relevant posts,
- Engaging with influencers or popular accounts to leverage their existing audiences.
By strategically inserting their brand into the online buzz, companies can generate awareness and associate themselves with high-profile events or discussions.
3- Surprise and Unconventionality
Guerrilla marketing thrives on surprise and unconventional methods. Social media allows brands to break away from traditional advertising formats and experiment with unexpected tactics, such as:
- Hosting live, interactive events or Q&A sessions with influencers or brand ambassadors,
- Launching augmented reality (AR) filters or lenses that provide unique brand experiences,
- Partnering with meme accounts or internet personalities for unexpected collaborations.
These unconventional approaches can capture attention and create memorable brand experiences for social media users.
4- Targeted Engagement
Social media platforms offer robust targeting capabilities, enabling brands to reach specific audiences with precision. Best Guerrilla marketing campaigns can leverage this by:
- Identifying and engaging with niche communities or interest groups,
- Geo-targeting campaigns to specific locations or events,
- Utilizing influencer marketing to tap into established, engaged audiences.
By targeting the right audiences with tailored guerrilla tactics, brands can maximize the impact and relevance of their campaigns and have a huge impact on their customer satisfaction metrics.
Importance of Social Media Influencers For Guerilla Marketing Campaigns
Social media influencers can be leveraged for guerrilla marketing campaigns in several effective ways especially using free influencer marketing platforms such as AInfluencer:
1- Leveraging Influencer
One of the primary advantages of collaborating with influencers is their ability to tap into established, highly engaged audiences that align with a brand’s target demographic. By partnering with the right influencers, brands can precisely target their desired consumer in any of their audience segmentation and leverage the influencer’s credibility and rapport with their followers.
2- Creating Unconventional and Disruptive Content
Influencers can help brands craft unique, attention-grabbing content that breaks through the clutter of traditional advertising. This could involve:
- Developing quirky, viral-worthy challenges or stunts that influencers participate in and promote to their followers.
- Creating interactive, behind-the-scenes content that offers a fresh, authentic perspective on the brand or product.
- Leveraging influencers’ creativity and understanding of internet culture to produce memes, skits, or other shareable content that resonates with their audiences.
3- Facilitating Ambush Marketing Tactics
Influencers can be instrumental in executing ambush marketing strategies, where brands insert themselves into popular conversations or events without being an official sponsor. Influencers can:
- Use creative, on-brand content to capitalize on current hashtags or themes and connect to your audiences.
- Engage with and amplify the brand’s presence at major events or cultural moments through their social media posts and stories.
- Collaborate with other influencers or brands to create unexpected partnerships and cross-promotions.
4- Fostering Authenticity and Trust
Influencers are often perceived as more authentic and trustworthy than traditional advertising channels. By collaborating with influencers who genuinely align with a brand’s values and messaging, the best guerrilla marketing campaigns can benefit from increased credibility and resonance with the target audience.
5- Amplifying Reach and Virality
Influencers can act as powerful amplifiers for guerrilla marketing campaigns, leveraging their extensive follower bases and social media reach to rapidly spread brand content and messaging. Their ability to spark conversations, encourage sharing, and ignite viral trends can significantly boost the impact and reach of guerrilla tactics.
Why Should You Invest in Guerilla Marketing
The main reason is that traditional methods have a very low conversion rate and are out of date. However, by utilizing clever guerilla marketing tactics, your marketing campaign will be treated as an invited guest rather than an annoying intruder!
There are many different methods to find customers. Many people think paid advertisements, such as advertising on TV, YouTube, and in magazines, are the only options. This method not only costs a fortune but also has no satisfactory results. This kind of marketing is categorized as traditional marketing, which is the counterpoint of guerilla marketing. By using guerilla marketing and with the help of CRO tools in the market, you can be sure to attract many more audiences to your brand.
What Are Guerilla Marketing Advantages
Even though we have already mentioned some of the benefits of using guerilla marketing ideas in a marketing campaign, it is still worth mentioning them all once more:
- Being budget-friendly,
- Creating a memorable image of your brand,
- Giving you a chance to go viral,
- Creating an opportunity to interact with the audience directly,
- Helping you to choose the target audience.
Guerilla Marketing History
Although guerilla marketing might sound new, it has been around for a while now. Jay Conrad Levinson, an American business writer and marketer, was the first person to define guerilla marketing in his 1984 book of the same name.
The term has diverged from guerilla warfare and follows the same strategies! But, since wartime is long gone, its strategies have been modified to hunt more customers 😉!
Guerilla marketing is the result of shifting from traditional media to digital media and viral marketing. Therefore, this type of marketing is very cost-effective.
Guerilla Marketing FAQs
Now, let us answer some of your most frequently asked questions regarding guerilla marketing!
Q1. What Brands Use Guerilla Marketing?
This strategy is applicable to all brands. Even big names such as Coca-Cola, Wendy’s, Frontline, and Nestle use guerilla marketing strategies in their advertisement. But it is perfect for smaller brands with short budgets. With the perfect strategy and a little creativity, they can even challenge the biggest companies.
Q2. What Is the Best Guerilla Marketing Book?
Jay Conrad Levinson is a famous business writer and the father of guerilla marketing. He has written the best books about guerilla marketing strategy such as:
- Guerilla Marketing (1984),
- Guerrilla Marketing for Writers (2010),
- Guerrilla Social Media Marketing (2010),
- Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters (2011).
Q3. How Did Guerilla Marketing Get Its Name?
Due to the unconventional and creative marketing techniques of guerilla marketing, its term is generated from guerilla warfare which relies on surprising elements and is full of unusual strategies.
Q4. Why Is Guerilla Marketing Underused?
Because it is really hard to design! Running a guerilla marketing campaign can be challenging! You need to dedicate a lot of time and energy and come up with creative ideas that have never occurred to anyone before.
The innovative part of guerrilla marketing makes it challenging to predict the results. On very few occasions, the marketing actually backfired and caused a bad reputation for the brand. A good example is the 2007 guerilla marketing campaign incident. That’s the main reason why so many big companies avoid guerilla marketing.
However, the good news for small businesses is that even if the campaign doesn’t go according to the plan, it’s just a bad advertisement. But, to minimize failure and maximize effectiveness, you should know how to apply this marketing strategy.
Conclusion
No matter how brilliant your products are, you need to improve your brand awareness. Marketing can cost a pretty penny. And mass media belongs to big companies. In this situation, guerilla marketing is the best option on the table.
In this article, we mentioned 30 successful guerilla marketing examples to help you with planning for your advertising campaign.
