What Is Guerrilla Marketing?
In the world of marketing companies use Guerilla marketing to promote their brands. It is a cost-efficient marketing technique used by companies. Using unconventional elements like humor, elements of surprise, and shock value to catch the attention of the audience. This way business can stand apart from the rest of their competition. The way it impacts the audience’s mind is unique, hence creating better connections.
It was introduced by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing in 1984. It is a strategy used by mobile and agile forces to target larger audiences in less. This is used to amplify awareness of the products and services that the company provides. These campaigns can be held online and offline or a mix of both. Brands interact with their audience personally or digitally depending on the campaign medium. Hence creating a long-lasting impact.
Why Is It Called Guerrilla Marketing?
It is drawn from the small tactics called ‘Guerrilla Warfare’ used by armed civilians and paramilitary personnel. Akin to guerrilla warfare, it also uses creative strategies to surprise the audience and create an impact. This strategy relies heavily on the element of surprise. It aims to catch individuals off guard throughout their regular activities. Larger corporations spend too much on marketing, but a small company may target certain demographics or locations spending less of its resources. The primary goal is to reach a larger audience with less expenditure.
7 Types Of Guerrilla Marketing
Guerrilla marketing can give your business a huge boost. It can make a brand popular all over the world. There are different ways to practice guerrilla marketing and companies choose one of the methods according to their budget and the creativity of the team. Following are some different types of it:
Event Ambush Marketing
Ambush marketing aims to catch the attention of an audience that is captive at an event. It is usually held in places like subway stations or sporting events. It can be controversial sometimes but it’s very effective for brand awareness.
Examples Of Event Ambush Marketing
- Signage – Using signage outside of a concert can be very effective to grab attention.
- Flash mobs – These are groups of people or performers who suddenly ambush a public area and draw people’s attention. They perform for a while and quickly disperse.
Astroturfing Marketing
It works by creating an artificial appearance of support. It uses fake endorsements or other means. It generates fake hype through online blogs and forums or at a place of business.
Examples Of Astroturfing Marketing
- Influencer marketer – Influencers promote a product to their followers claiming they love and trust that product, while being paid to say so.
- Affiliate marketer – Famous youtubers or bloggers promote a product and then receive their share from sales made.
Buzz Marketing
Buzz marketing is completely different from astroturfing. It aims to maximize the marketing potential of a product or campaign by leveraging genuine endorsements from celebrities.
Examples of Buzz Marketing
- Bizarre Marketing – It is a method that is slightly outside of the marketing norm like unexpected advertising with unexpected techniques.
- Controversial Marketing – It is a method where you create that makes people gossip about it.
Experiential Marketing
It is a guerrilla marketing strategy that makes customers engage and participate in the growth of the business. They help in increasing brand awareness, and it is usually done at events.
Examples of Experiential Marketing
- Gamify Your Product – Make the campaign playful and let customers compete for something.
- Stepping Out Of Comfort Zone – Creating a campaign that lets customers put out their thoughts.
Grassroots Marketing
This strategy targets highly niche audiences here companies create campaigns to engage directly with the targeted audiences. It aims to share its message with a larger audience.
Examples of Grassroots Marketing
- Support For A Good Cause – Working for a noble cause can have a positive impact and boost popularity.
- Emotional Marketing – Utilizing people’s emotions is an effective way to share your message.
Stealth Marketing
Stealth marketing is a campaign in which a product or service is being advertised to the audience without them realizing they are marketed. It is a strategy to make creative campaigns.
Examples of Stealth Marketing
- Undercover Marketing – It is a sneaky method to introduce a product without making it appear like marketing.
- Product Placement – Placing a product in a film or television program for promotion.
Street Marketing
It is a strategy that is used to creatively promote a brand in streets and public areas. It is more effective than traditional marketing to build brand awareness.
Examples of Street Marketing
- Product Placement – Good product placement can have a long-lasting effect on the audience.
- Undercover Marketing – It’s a powerful method to advertise where people don’t realize they are being marketed.
How Guerilla Marketing Is Used In India?
- 5 Star & Cadbury: The Cadbury Dairy Milk hoarding captures the lengths one can go to for their loved one, while the 5 Star ad emphasizes the contrasting idea of staying still and doing nothing.
- Sarova Hotels – Leopard on the Lamppost: Sarova Hotels has successfully integrated social and environmental concerns into their business, as evident on their website and through the leopard-on-a-lamppost ad. This guerrilla marketing campaign effectively boosts brand recognition and reinforces the brand’s identity, showcasing the power of drawing attention to a cause. The striking image of the leopard on the pole encourages viewers to reconsider dismissing future “Save the Trees” campaigns.
- Faber Castle – Paint the sky: Faber Castell’s captivating billboard highlights the artistic potential of young individuals, demonstrating that they can create beauty akin to the sky. The strategic placement of the hoarding featuring a child with a paintbrush received significant attention and admiration.
Advantages Of Guerrilla Marketing
- Cost-effective: Guerrilla marketing strategies are budget-friendly, requiring minimal investment while encouraging creative thinking.
- Audience Engagement: These tactics foster personal connections between brands and consumers, promoting deeper engagement.
- Word-of-mouth growth: Guerrilla marketing relies on powerful word-of-mouth promotion, harnessing its potential to generate buzz around products and services.
- Impactful impression: Innovative guerrilla marketing leaves a lasting impact on people’s minds, creating a memorable experience.
- The snowball effect of publicity: These strategies expand a brand’s reach, targeting a broader audience and generating awareness and buzz for its products in the market.
Conclusion
Guerrilla Marketing offers brands the opportunity to think creatively, expand their target audiences, and stand out in a competitive landscape. However, careful planning is necessary to assess potential risks and ensure successful execution. When executed well, guerrilla marketing can gain appreciation from the masses and increase brand visibility, making it a viable option to enhance brand reach. To get more information stay updated with Antraajaal.