What is Guerrilla Marketing?
If you're looking for a way to make an impact with minimal spending on advertising, then Guerrilla Marketing might just be for you. Unlike traditional advertising methods, which can be expensive and inefficient, Guerrilla Marketing is designed to create buzz and generate interest in your brand without breaking the bank.
What is Guerrilla Marketing?
At its core, Guerrilla Marketing refers to any unconventional marketing tactic that relies on creativity, ingenuity, and sheer chutzpah to make a lasting impression on the target audience. The term itself is derived from the strategies used by guerrilla warfare, which emphasizes surprise attacks and unconventional tactics to gain an advantage over larger, more traditional forces.
Roots of Warfare
The concept of Guerrilla Marketing was first popularized by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing, which was published in 1984. Since then, it has become a widely recognized term in the marketing world, and has been adopted by businesses of all sizes across a variety of industries.
Budget-Friendly
One of the main advantages of Guerrilla Marketing is that it can be done on a shoestring budget. Rather than spending tens of thousands of dollars on a TV commercial or billboard, you can create a memorable experience that will leave a lasting impression on your target audience without breaking the bank.
Types of Guerrilla Marketing
There are many different types of Guerrilla Marketing, including:
- Street Art and Graffiti
- Stunts and Publicity Stunts
- Ambush Marketing
- Buzz Marketing
- Product Placement
- Influencer Marketing
Guerrilla Marketing Examples to Inspire Your Brand
Here are 11 amazing Guerrilla Marketing examples that demonstrate just how powerful this approach to marketing can be:
1. Bounty's Giant Popsicle
In 2016, Bounty created a giant ice pop made entirely out of their paper towels, which they displayed in New York City's Herald Square. The display attracted a huge crowd, generating a lot of buzz and media coverage for the brand.
2. Deadpool's Tinder Profile
In 2016, to promote the release of the movie Deadpool, the marketing team created a fake Tinder profile for the character. The profile quickly went viral and helped generate buzz for the movie.
3. Childish Gambino's Ice Cream Pop-Up
In 2019, Childish Gambino held a one-day pop-up shop in Los Angeles, where he sold branded ice cream in collaboration with creative agency Wolf + Rothstein. The pop-up generated a lot of buzz on social media, helping to promote his album '3.15.20'.
4. The GRAMMYs Singing Posters
To promote the 2020 GRAMMYs, the marketing team created posters that played music when you pressed a button. The posters were placed in high-traffic areas, generating a lot of buzz and media coverage for the event.
5. Frontline's Interactive Floor Ad
To promote their flea and tick prevention product, Frontline created an interactive floor ad that featured a dog jumping on the screen to chase away fleas. The ad was placed in a busy shopping center, generating a lot of buzz for the brand.
6. Public Breakup on Burger King's Instagram
In 2019, Burger King announced that they had broken up with their long-time advertising agency, and publicly unfollowed them on Instagram. The move generated a lot of buzz, and helped to differentiate Burger King from their competitors.
7. UNICEF's Dirty Water Vending Machines
In 2019, UNICEF created vending machines that dispensed dirty water instead of clean water. The machines were placed in high-traffic areas, generating a lot of attention and raising awareness about the lack of clean water in many parts of the world.
8. GoldToe's Giant Briefs
In 2010, GoldToe created a giant pair of briefs and hung them on the side of a skyscraper in New York City. The stunt generated a lot of buzz and media coverage, helping to promote the brand.
9. Fiji Water's #FijiGirl
In 2019, at the Golden Globes, Fiji Water created a sensation with their 'Fiji Girl', who photobombed countless celebrities on the red carpet. The stunt generated a lot of buzz on social media and helped to promote the brand.
10. Greene King's Candid Videos
To promote their IPA beer, Greene King created a series of candid videos of real people tasting the beer for the first time. The videos were shared on social media and helped to generate interest in the brand.
11. BBC's Dracula Billboard
To promote their TV show 'Dracula', the BBC created a billboard that appeared to show a pair of bite marks on the neck of a woman. The billboard generated a lot of buzz and media coverage for the show.
Guerrillas in the Wild
With so many creative and cost-effective tactics available, there's no reason why any business can't incorporate Guerrilla Marketing into their overall marketing strategy. So why not take a page out of these examples and start thinking outside of the box?