Ultimate Guide to Outdoor Ads: Types & Benefits
October 30, 2023Cost Of Billboard Advertising In India: Exploring Effective Strategies
November 6, 2023What comes to mind whenever you read Guerilla Marketing (GM)?
- Unique
- Light-hearted
- Inventive
Is this what you think about when you hear the word Guerrilla Marketing? If so, then you are pretty close. This is marketed as a form of advertising to target their audience. The term was first used by the late business writer Jay Conrad Levinson in 1984 when he wrote a book, Guerilla Marketing, to develop creative marketing ideas.
The essence of guerrilla marketing lies in the element of surprise. The ultimate goal of marketing is to create enthusiasm in the market, but this method took a whole new level. So that people always remember it for a longer duration, they develop an emotional bond with the brand because of its unique, out-of-the-box appearance.
What is Guerilla Advertising?
Guerilla Marketing: Guerilla marketing is an unconventional, innovative, and resourceful tactic to direct a product/service/idea into the market by launching itself in a buzzing zone. This is helpful when the brand objective is Brand Awareness. The word itself comes from the types of tactics that predators use during marketing—attacking with ambush-style strategies, just like how guerrillas would attack.
Picture a surprise, wild move—that’s the core of guerilla marketing. The term “Guerrilla War” comes from ambushing methods in war to win it, which is quite similar to our Guerrilla Marketing, where marketers surprise the crowd with campaigns to attract people’s attention. The media strategy is also called the publicity strategy.
- The event staff wants to surprise people with something new and odd at a time not expected in front of as many people as possible, making an impression so that they talk about it later.
- Guerilla marketing is a great strategy for small firms to compete with giant firms because it’s cost-efficient and yields a more significant return.
Guerilla Advertising Advantages
Well, if your techniques belong to the “not stereotypical” end, you will surely benefit from guerrilla advertising. Some of them are:
Less Expensive
Guerilla marketing can be considered one of the best ways to run a campaign because it is far cheaper than other devices used in traditional marketing. The critical part here is time investment, the use of creative ideas, and the execution of them, which is relatively inexpensive.
Wide Reach
Guerilla marketing reaches better parts of society due to its creative and out-of-the-box campaigns, which spread like wildfire. This allows you to get a large number of people.
Create an Unforgettable Impact
Unlike regular ads you can turn off, guerilla marketing catches you off guard. It’s like when you get a surprise in the middle of nowhere. It leaves a lasting impact on your target audience like no other. They will remember it for the rest of their lives.
Word Of Mouth Marketing
This form of marketing is about more than selling the product outright but building buzz around the product or service due to its unexpected nature. Change what kind of thing people talk about the most. Of these, 90% of customers trust and purchase products through word-of-mouth marketing.
Build Brand Identity
Guerilla marketing is one of the best tools for creating a solid brand identity. Even if it’s advertised differently than the competition, it will stand out and remain memorable.
High Return On Investment
Even though you spend very little, your ROI will always be high. This is visible by observing how conversions, sales, and brand value increase.
Buzz In The Town
You’ve seen silly memes on WhatsApp or Instagram that you feel compelled to share. Guerilla marketing works similarly. The quirky campaigns often go viral, creating buzz around the product or service.
Builds Strong Relationships
Strong connections with online social media platforms are essential, but you can also engage local vendors, organizations, and business officials to help launch campaigns more effectively. These relationships will also help your campaigns in the future.
How to Make Guerilla Advertising Work for Your Business
Because guerilla marketing is about thinking outside the box, you can get it to work for your business in all kinds of ways. These are the seven best ways to get started in the field of guerilla marketing:
Make use of the space
- Utilize the front of your store to showcase your products in a way that entices passersby to stop and take pictures.
- Use the window area with vibrant images of your product to grab attention.
- You can also use the entrance to your store for attention-grabbing displays.
Hire Mascots
Be noticed by hiring someone to dress as a mascot, just like McDonald’s does with cartoon characters. Kids will get excited and want to take pictures, bringing attention to your brand. Parents will accompany them, helping to get great coverage for the brand.
Wear Your Brand T-Shirt
Employees should wear brand t-shirts, just like the employer. When you walk into a store, people will see and remember the brand name better. When they see it outside, they’ll remember the brand.
Fill the Wall With Your Creation
Hire an artist to color a city area with your brand and logo. This can create viral moments, as people can’t help but upload pictures of anything unique.
Distribute Free Gifts
Many big brands have events and giveaways with brand presence and messages. For example, when you visit a store, they might give you free products or services to promote their brand.
Roadshow
Plan a flash mob dance or shocking event in a prime area of the town. People will become curious to learn more about your product, which will likely go viral among the audience.
Use Video
You’ll need a big wall, a projector, and an area with decent foot traffic at night to do this. Play your ad campaign video at night when people are less hurried. If your video is appealing, people will take the time to watch it.
Make use of Chalk art
Many organizations employ chalk artists to draw their brand name on the sides of their retail outlets. This is one of the most popular guerilla marketing strategies. It will turn heads and bring attention to your brand if executed correctly.
Final Thoughts
Guerilla Advertising is a type of marketing in which businesses can be extremely creative without following the typical market trends. If the audience likes the tactics used by a brand, they can become trendsetters.
This form of publicity marketing involves risks, but business is about taking calculated risks. If you embrace some risk, add a touch of shock to your marketing efforts, and focus on creativity, you should experience the magic of guerrilla advertising!