Strategies Outside the Box: The Power of Guerrilla Marketing
February 22. 2024
Have you ever been surprised by a marketing action that caught your eye for its creativity, boldness and impact? Perhaps it was a flash mob, a different billboard, an urban intervention or a funny prank. If so, you've probably been the target of a guerrilla marketing strategy, a form of communication that seeks to generate results at low cost and with high engagement.Strategies Outside the Box: The Power of Guerrilla MarketingIn this article, we'll explain everything you need to know about guerrilla marketing, from its characteristics and advantages to valuable tips on how to apply it to your company. Follow along!
What is guerrilla marketing?
The term guerrilla marketing was coined by the American advertising executive Jay Conrad Levinson in the 70s. The approach is inspired by the tactics used in the Vietnam War, which consisted of quick, surprising and unexpected attacks on the enemy.The concept follows the same logic: it's a form of communication that seeks to surprise the target audience with creative, innovative and differentiated actions that go beyond the traditional means of advertising. The aim is to create a memorable experience for the consumer, generating word of mouth, viralization and loyalty.
Features
Guerrilla marketing is different from traditional marketing, which uses mass media such as TV, radio, newspapers and magazines to promote a brand or product. This is because the strategy seeks alternative and original ways of communicating with the consumer, exploring the urban environment, social networks, events and everyday situations. It also has some other characteristics that differentiate it from other forms of marketing. Check them out:
Low cost, because it doesn't depend on large investments in media, but rather on original and intelligent ideas that can be executed with limited resources;
High impact on the target audience, arousing their curiosity, emotion and admiration for the brand or product.
Creativity to create actions that are different, unusual and relevant to the target audience;
Boldness to break with conventional communication patterns and risk doing something new and different;
Engaging the target audience with the brand or product, encouraging them to interact, share and recommend the action.
Advantages
Given all that has been said so far, you can certainly see that guerrilla marketing has several advantages for the companies that use it, can't you? We've listed some of them below; check them out:
It increases the visibility of the brand or product, as it draws the attention of the target audience and the media, who can publicize the action for free;
It increases brand awareness, as it creates a positive association between the brand and the experience lived by the target audience;
It promotes differentiation, as it shows that they are unique, original and innovative in the market;
It increases the target audience's loyalty to the brand or product, as it creates an emotional bond between them and generates satisfaction and loyalty.
Types of guerrilla marketing
There are various types of guerrilla marketing that can be applied in different situations and contexts. Here are some of the most common:
Viral marketing: involves creating content (video, image, text, etc.) that is so interesting or entertaining that people want to share it on social networks;
Ambush marketing: this consists of taking advantage of an event or situation that has a large audience to promote the brand or product without authorization or sponsorship. For example, taking advantage of the launch of a famous product and offering yours, in the same place or very close to it, for a lower price;
Events and sponsorships: brands can create or support events that are related to their segment or the interests of their target audience, such as fairs, festivals, lectures and workshops to carry out unusual actions or offer free gifts or services to participants;
Reverse guerrilla marketing: consists of doing the opposite of what is expected from a marketing action, generating an unexpected reaction from the target audience. For example, creating a billboard that says "Don't buy this product";
Street performance: involves using the public space as a backdrop for the brand's actions. The brand can use actors, musicians, dancers, visual artists or other professionals to make artistic interventions, flash mobs, pranks, installations or other manifestations that attract attention and generate emotion in people passing by;
Word of mouth: one of the oldest and most effective forms of marketing and one of the main objectives of guerrilla marketing, which seeks to create buzz, comments and shares on social networks.
Where can guerrilla marketing be applied?
The strategy can be applied in various places and situations, depending on the objective, the target audience and the creativity of the action. Here are some examples:
Urban interventions: consists of using public spaces in the city to create an artistic intervention or a message related to the brand or product;
Social media: can be used to create creative and viral content, such as videos, memes, lives, stories, among others, reaching a large number of people. Brands can also take advantage of the of digital influencers and make strategic partnerships with people who influence the target audience on social networks to promote the brand or product;
Public transport: use public transport (bus, metro, train, etc.) to promote the brand or product in a creative way;
Events: consists of participating in or creating an event that is related to the brand or product. For example, organizing a flash mob in a public square or sponsoring a music concert.
Success stories
Many companies have used guerrilla marketing successfully and achieved incredible results. Here are some famous cases:
Coca-Cola
In 2010, the company created a soft drink machine that dispensed not only Coca-Cola, but also hugs, pizzas, flowers and even trips to consumers who interacted with it. The action was called the "Happiness Machine" and went viral on social media.
Burger King
In 2011, the fast food company created a campaign called "Whopper Sacrifice", which challenged Facebook users to delete 10 friends from the social network in exchange for a Whopper sandwich. The action generated controversy and repercussions in the media. But with the action, Burger King achieved a high level of consumer engagement on the social network. And, of course, increased sales of the sandwich.Still on the subject of Burger King, how about finishing off with a pinprick to its competitor?Burger KingSource: See SP
6 tips for guerrilla marketing
After seeing these incredible examples, you may be wondering how to do guerrilla marketing in your company. To help you with this mission, we've put together 6 tips that can guide you when it comes to creating your own actions. Check them out:
Know your target audience
The first step in guerrilla marketing is to get to know your target audience well, their habits, interests, desires and needs. That way, you can create actions that are relevant, attractive and appropriate for them.
Define your objectives
Next, define the objectives of your campaign, i.e. what you want to achieve with it. For example, increasing sales, generating leads, strengthening the brand, educating the market, or any other action. This will help you plan the best strategies and measure the results.
Be creative
As we saw earlier, one of the main characteristics of guerrilla marketing is the use of creativity to generate actions that are original and surprising.So don't be afraid to dare and try out new ideas. Look for references, brainstorm, use humor, emotion and interactivity. The important thing is to grab the public's attention and make an impact.
Take advantage of opportunities
One advantage of guerrilla marketing is that it allows you to take advantage of opportunities that arise in the external environment to promote your brand, products or services.You can, for example, take advantage of commemorative dates, events, trends and current events to create a connection with the public.
Choose the right channels
Next, choose the most suitable channels to publicize your marketing campaign. Versatile, the strategy allows you to use both traditional media, such as billboards, flyers and posters, and digital media, such as social networks, blogs, videos, among others. It also allows you to strategically combine the two media. The important thing is to know where your audience is and how they consume information.
Monitor the results
The last step is to monitor the results of your guerrilla marketing campaign. To do this, you can use tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Insights and YouTube Analytics, among others, to measure indicators such as reach, engagementtraffic, conversion, sales, etc. As you can see, guerrilla marketing is a form of marketing that can bring many benefits to your brand, if it is done with planning, creativity and quality.Did you like this article? How about sharing it on your social networks so that more people can take advantage of the power of this marketing strategy?
