WHAT IS GUERRILLA MARKETING AND HOW CAN YOU APPLY IT AND BENEFIT FROM IT?

 

Guerrilla Marketing is a marketing strategy that has been used effectively for decades, although it started as a strategy for small businesses with a tight budget, large companies quickly saw the benefits of guerrilla marketing and used tactics as well.

Any company aiming to increase sales, brand awareness, and loyalty should add guerrilla marketing tactics to their existing strategy, keep reading to learn more about this effective method, how it works, and how you can operate it.

* Define guerrilla marketing.

* History of marketing gangs.

* How it works.

* Its different types.

* Components of gang marketing.

* Benefits of guerrilla marketing.

* Strategies and tips.

* Examples to inspire your brand.

Guerrilla Marketing is a common term among brands and companies, but it is not fully understood, because it encompasses a wide range of marketing methods that can seem difficult to explain easily.

The technical definition of guerrilla marketing, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is "innovative, unconventional, low-cost marketing techniques aimed at obtaining maximum exposure for a product".

Others define guerrilla marketing simply as the use of unconventional methods to build brand awareness and increase sales.

So, what is guerrilla marketing? The simplest definition of guerrilla marketing is the use of unconventional promotional methods that surprise people in daily activities, you can read more about tactics to get a more in-depth understanding below.

Guerrilla marketing is a term first used by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing. The idea derives from guerrilla warfare, a term used to describe unconventional techniques used in combat for centuries.

Guerrilla warfare was aimed at shocking, intimidating and ultimately defeating the enemy through irregular tactics, such as ambushes, raids, and hit-and-run strategies.

These tactics were usually carried out by armed civilians and other small groups not directly linked to the military, and were very effective in mobilizing propaganda and support, even from some groups that did not want to participate.

Jay Conrad Levinson has studied the success of guerrilla warfare and adapted it for marketing, sharing that "shock and awe" tactics have been very effective in creating publicity, increasing popularity, and garnering support for a company's product or service.

After his book was released in 1984, companies started to embrace this idea, and street promotion was born. Over the years, the specific tactics expanded to suit social media and the digital world, but the basic principles remained the same.

Audiences have become somewhat "blind" to most traditional marketing methods, being bombarded with emails, texts, social media ads and even endless billboards making it easy to ignore.

To be successful, you must be able to stand out from the crowd and the competition, but it can be difficult to do so when the audience is completely ignored.

Using gang marketing is the equivalent of the sun suddenly breaking through the clouds on a dreary day, it's unexpected, it's fun and it's impossible to ignore.

Guerrilla marketing means shocking people in the midst of their usual daily routine, for example, they go to work the same way they work every day. Their minds have gotten used to the pattern and color of the road, so they can adjust and move automatically as they go.

Suddenly in the middle of the road, they find a bright advertisement painted on one section, it is so unexpected and out of the ordinary that it breaks the habit in their minds, and here they will have to stop and watch.

More often than not, they will take pictures and share them on their social media pages, and they will think about it for a while afterwards - and they will share it with their friends.

Guerrilla marketing is about breaking the norm, it's about putting something unexpected in the public eye that they can't overlook.

Guerrilla Marketing can come in many shapes and forms, but here are some of the most common types in use today.

Street advertising is an unconventional attempt to establish a brand or product in the minds of the public. Tactics are implemented in highly visible areas. Street marketing involves many activities, including light displays, product samples or demos, billboard advertisements, promotions, and more.

Ambient marketing promotes products or services through unexpected places, usually using the environment. It is a slight break from what people expect as usual and tends to help them remember the brand.

One example of a great example of guerrilla marketing is IBM placing rain covers and benches on the sides of buildings, which are shown below. You may also find surrounding advertisements on hand dryers in bathrooms or the appearance of receipts or hand belts on the subway.

The idea behind viral marketing is simply to spread a message - like a virus, a marketing technique should grab the attention of people who see it, who then pass it on to a couple of friends, then pass it on to others and continue to spread.

There is no guarantee that the promotion will go viral, but the more attention you can get, the higher your chances. While viral marketing has a category of its own it is an essential component of many guerrilla marketing techniques.

Ambush marketing is a tactic in which companies try to profit from an event that already has sponsors. For example, Adidas may be the official sponsor of the game, although Nike may slip in and sponsor a single player.

Popular marketing aims to build a personal relationship with the audience, targeting smaller groups on an individual basis with the idea that the audience will share it with others. It is similar to viral marketing in this way but with a much smaller initial goal.

Your guerrilla marketing tactics should be relevant, innovative and capture the attention of your audience, however, they should also fit the following characteristics to get the best results.

No matter how you deliver the message, you want it to be easy to understand, it can be the smartest message in the world, but if the audience doesn't understand it, it won't work.

For a guerrilla marketing strategy to work and to fulfill its purpose, it must be memorable. One example of guerrilla marketing that is hard to forget is the Jeep campaign to create parking spaces in unconventional places, including on sidewalks and steps, another event when McDonald's placed Giant coffee cups on the side of the street.

Actively engaging the audience in your campaign is a great key to success, for example VR activities, product trials, demos, and treasure hunts usually yield good results.

Your guerrilla marketing strategy should make your audience love you, and there's a great way to do that: give them something they'll love away, it might be food, T-shirts, a super useful book, or car wash.

Giving things away creates emotion on the part of the audience, it also generates reciprocity, you did something for them, so they feel the need to reciprocate and be loyal to your brand.

Don't imitate other brands How can you stand out if you are imitating someone else? It is always better to come up with something original and creative.

One of the biggest advantages of guerrilla marketing is that it costs much less than traditional advertising, in fact guerrilla marketers report spending up to 90% less on advertising. Although large companies also use guerrilla marketing tactics, its cost-saving advantage makes it an incredible resource for small businesses.

Gangster marketing gives companies a creative and unconventional way to present their brand.

It can be difficult to stand out from the crowd through traditional marketing methods, but guerrilla marketing can certainly grab attention for your brand, and it provides a way to make an impression that is not likely to disappear overnight.

With some thought and effort, here are some effective guerrilla marketing ideas and strategies to get your creativity flowing.

• Writing and drawing on the walls

• Flyers and Posters

• Optical displays

• Posters

• Erotic advertising

• Funny Banners

• Innovative ideas

• Video on the side of buildings

For more inspiration, take a look at these effective guerrilla marketing campaigns.

The Copenhagen Zoo's marketing team has turned everyday transportation into something amazing - and a little terrifying, photo-realistic images of zoo animals are placed on and off the city bus and subway.

2. MR. CLEAN

Mr. Clean is well known for wiping smudges and removing dirty and dirty spots, apparently the same goes for dirty pedestrian marks.

UNICEF is communicating its powerful message through "dirty water drinking machines" a very brilliant idea to deliver a candid message.

Providing relevant and useful items is a great way to attract attention, affection, and emotion, and IBM discovered this.

Part of the success of guerrilla marketing tactics is to use what the audience already deals with and tweak it to fit your brand, Folgers has found an ingenious way to turn the unwanted steam scene into a desire for morning brew.

Guerrilla marketing can take your business to new heights without breaking your marketing budget. Take some time to think about your audience, your message, and your goals.

Then get your team to work on creating an original, exclusive and unique campaign that grabs attention and ensures your brand is forever in the minds and hearts of your audience.