If freedom of speech only allowed for only one type of marketing to exist I would ask it to be Guerilla Marketing. Out of all the marketing tactics out there, Guerilla Marketing is by far my favorite. For those of you who don’t know Guerilla Marketing is, it is a term coined by Jay Conrad Levinson from his 1984 book, “Guerilla Marketing.” According to good ‘ol Wikipedia, Guerilla Marketing is the following:
“An advertising strategy in which low-cost unconventional means (graffiti, sticker bombing, flash mobs) are utilized, often in a localized fashion or large network of individual cells, to convey or promote a product or an idea.”
My definition is a little different…
“A marketing communications tactic that uses groundbreaking and innovative messaging in the form of eye-catching visuals that aim to catch consumers off-guard with unusual methods.”
Guerilla Marketing was inspired by the concept of guerilla warfare which aimed to utilize a-typical tactics to achieve a goal in a competitive and unforgiving environment. And as any marketer knows, the world of communicating messages to consumers can definitely be quite competitive and unforgiving at times.
While traditional marketing tactics focus on trying to obtain the most assets and manpower to communicate messaging, guerilla marketing does the opposite and focuses on maximizing results from minimal resources. In today’s age, this is something the marketing budget definitely appreciates. Additionally, it relies on 3 components that are integral its success:
1. Time
2. Energy
3. Imagination
Although I haven’t seen too many small businesses utilize Guerilla Marketing, principles of marketing say this marketing tactic is best suited and less risky for a small business. This is due to the fact that if the tactic doesn’t work, it will be looked at as a failed stunt versus a PR nightmare for a bigger commercial business.
And now for the fun part. Here are 10 examples of Guerilla Marketing that are my favorite!
If you have other examples of great Guerilla Marketing you’d like to share, leave a comment below and let your ROAR be heard!
