What is Guerrilla Marketing? (& When is it worth it?)

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The word "guerrilla" appears very intense and powerful in its written form. It evokes images of rebellion and conflict. However, when combined with the word "marketing," some people are probably puzzled. Find out exactly what guerrilla marketing is all about in this post.

What is Guerrilla Marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is a very unconventional form of inbound marketing, as it increases brand awareness among a large audience without interrupting them.
Because it is so unconventional, however, it is not the easiest concept to explain. Guerrilla marketing is usually easiest to understand when explained by example.

so we will approach its best practices and takeaways here.

The roots of the guerrilla strategy

When we hear the term "guerrilla marketing," it's hard not to think of guerrilla warfare - which makes sense, because that's where this type of marketing got its name he

But how does that translate into the work we do every day? In marketing, guerrilla techniques usually play with the element of surprise. It's about creating highly unconventional campaigns that catch people unexpectedly in their everyday lives. You'll see what that looks like in some of the examples below.

The term itself was originated in the early 1980s by the late business writer Jay Conrad Levinson, who wrote several books on guerrilla tactics in a variety of professional fields. Of course, marketing generally looked very different back then, and while guerrilla marketing is still used today, the ever-growing digital landscape is changing the face of it.

You will see how this looks in some of the examples below.

Budget friendly

What marketers really like about guerrilla marketing is the comparatively low cost. The real investment here is a creative, intellectual measure - but the implementation doesn't have to be expensive.

Through unusual, perhaps even provocative, methods, you can thus achieve strong effects on the audience. This is due to the fact that this type of marketing stands out from the crowd and is special.

Types of guerrilla marketing

As niche as it may seem, there are actually some subcategories of this particular form of marketing:

Outdoor Guerrilla Marketing.This involves adding something to existing urban environments, such as placing removable objects on a statue or placing temporary artwork on sidewalks and streets.
Indoor Guerrilla Marketing. It is similar to outdoor guerrilla marketing, but only takes place indoors such as train stations, stores or university campuses.
Event Ambush Guerrilla Marketing.Involving the audience of an ongoing event - such as a concert or sporting event, to heavily promote a product or service, usually without sponsor approval.
Experiential marketing for guerrillas. All of the above, but executed in such a way that the public must interact with the brand.

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FAQ

What is Guerilla Marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is a type of marketing where a company uses creative and unconventional tactics to promote their products or services. These tactics usually use public places to reach a large number of people. They are usually low-cost and aim to achieve high recognition.

What are the types of guerrilla marketing?

There are many different types of guerrilla marketing. These include street marketing, ambient marketing, viral marketing, guerrilla PR, guerrilla social media marketing, event marketing, product placement, unexpected events, consumer promotions, pop-up marketing and more.

What goals can be achieved with guerrilla marketing?

Through guerrilla marketing, companies can promote their brand and product or services, attract more customers, increase sales, create a strong presence on social media, draw more attention to their brand and increase sales.

What are the advantages of guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is a cost-effective way to reach a large number of people. It can also be implemented quickly and is an effective form of advertising that draws attention to the brand and creates customer loyalty.

What are the disadvantages of guerrilla marketing?

The biggest disadvantage of guerrilla marketing is that it can be difficult to find the necessary resources to launch a campaign. Another disadvantage can be that a company cannot guarantee that the investment in guerrilla marketing will pay off in the long run.

What is a guerrilla marketing campaign?

A guerrilla marketing campaign is a series of activities aimed at raising awareness of a brand, product or service and attracting more customers. These campaigns can be carried out in various ways, such as distributing flyers, creating events or using social media channels.

How do you successfully implement a guerrilla marketing campaign?

To implement a successful guerrilla marketing campaign, companies must first develop a clear strategy. They need to think about what goals they want to achieve, what budget they have and what channels they want to use. They also need to make sure they have unique and original ideas to promote their brand.

What creativity is important for guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing requires creativity and flexibility. Companies must have original ideas to capture the attention of their target audience. They must also be able to react quickly to changes and find creative solutions to promote their brand.

What are the most important tools for a successful guerrilla marketing campaign?

The most important tools for a successful guerrilla marketing campaign are a creative idea, a limited budget, a strong social media presence, sincere customer engagement and detailed tracking and reporting.

What are the key success factors for a guerrilla marketing campaign?

The key success factors for a guerrilla marketing campaign are a clear strategy, a limited budget, a creative idea, a strong social media presence, a measurable target audience and detailed tracking and reporting.