Definition: Guerrilla advertising employs innovative, imaginative strategies to reach a specific audience and generate excitement around an item, brand, or service.
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What is Guerrilla Marketing?
Guerrilla marketing is a marketing campaign in which companies employ unconventional strategies that often involve one-on-one interactions to generate buzz about a new product or service.
Guerrilla marketing is typically based on a small number of people who are dedicated to spreading the word about the product or service through one-on-one conversations or social sharing. Social media influencers are frequently employed to promote products or services.
The most important takeaways
- Guerrilla marketing employs a variety of unconventional techniques to generate interest for the business or brand.
- These techniques are typically free or at no cost and involve personal interactions as well as specific postings on social networks.
- The aim is to make the campaign on the internet to reach the largest number of people.
Different types of Guerrilla Marketing
Businesses that use guerrilla marketing rely on advertising that is propagated via viral marketing or word of mouth, so reaching a wide market at a fraction of the expense of traditional national advertising.
It is typically used to describe “edgy” products, and is targeted at younger customers who are more likely to react positively.
Some guerrilla marketing strategies include:
- Buzz Marketing focuses on the power of word-of-mouth: Commonly used on social media platforms, the strategy is based on users sharing promotions on their networks on social media networks, friends, or family.
- Stealth Marketing: Sets up products behind TV programs and videos to introduce them subtly to viewers.
- Ambient Marketing: Places the logo of the product in a place where it is easily noticed, like an advertisement on a bus bench.
- Ambush Marketing: A form of coattail advertising that does not require the expense of the form of formal sponsorship. It is typically observed at major sporting events as well as concerts.
- Grassroots Marketing: An easy, old-fashioned method of marketing, like mailing out flyers printed on paper.
History
Guerrilla marketing was developed as a viable alternative to traditional radio, print, and television advertising. The term was invented by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing.
The objective is to generate buzz around the product or brand in order to increase the chance that the consumer will buy the item or service or share the information with other prospective customers.
Guerrilla marketing can be extremely economical for small-scale businesses as well as companies that are looking to create an internet-wide phenomenon in marketing. The strategy can be focused on the core purpose of the business, like growth, education, technological, climate, or productivity. The company could design programs that promote these values through its marketing campaigns and increase awareness.
UNICEF has launched a campaign that features vending machines that provide unclean water, as a reminder that many people around the world are not drinking safe water.
Advantages and disadvantages
Guerrilla marketing is a low-cost alternative. Local and small-scale businesses and businesses with a few corporate constraints often employ guerrilla marketing that are guerrilla.
Guerrilla marketing is based on the informal nature of information about marketing. Marketing professionals are often creative and discover guerrilla marketing campaigns to be more appealing and enjoyable to implement.
Guerrilla marketing strategies can fall flat. They are based on the imaginative abilities of the team that is involved.
Marketing professionals might have a difficult time determining the impact of their campaigns.
Pros
- Cheaper and faster than conventional public relations and marketing
- This allows for more creativity
- May engage a broad audience
Cons
- A lack of structure can lead to less achievement
- Innovative efforts can produce unpredictable results
- Data can be difficult to keep track of or to collect.
Some examples of Guerrilla Marketing
In the lead-up to the debut of the film “Deadpool,” the Marvel character was granted a Tinder profile. Because a data-based app is not the usual method to promote a movie, this bizarre method of advertising the movie and character is an excellent illustration of guerrilla marketing.
In a different guerrilla advertising campaign, college students from Queens, New York, were offered uninvited “doses of joy” by Coca-Cola. A vending machine equipped with human assistance, named the Happiness Machine, was also able to provide pizzas as well as flowers and an enormous sandwich. This marketing gimmick won prizes.
Red Bull used empty cans to promote its guerrilla campaign. By filling the bins of clubs filled with empty Red Bull cans, the company made it appear that the beverage was loved by the people who frequented the club.
Is Guerrilla Marketing Illegal?
Guerrilla marketing is permitted; however, it could employ techniques that are questionable. In 2007 2007, the Cartoon Network promoted a show with LEDs by putting up signs that depicted the appearance of an alien being in public areas in Boston. The signs triggered a bomb alarm and resulted in Turner Broadcasting $2 million in penalties.
What is Guerrilla Marketing?
Guerrilla marketing is derived from the tactic of guerrilla warfare, which relies on small, random acts of disruption to deter an adversary.
What makes Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns a Success?
Guerrilla marketing could be effective in the event that it is unique and unconventional. The use of humor can help. The purpose of a guerrilla advertising campaign is to create an impression on a handful of people, and then let it grow through the community.
The Bottom Line
Guerrilla marketing employs unique and hopefully entertaining or innovative strategies for spreading the word about a brand-new product. It’s possible to succeed if executed with a certain level of precision.
