8 Real Life Use Cases of Guerilla Marketing

In its printed form, the term "guerrilla" appears to be quite intense. It evokes visions of insurgency and violence. When you put it next to the word "marketing," a lot of people wonder, "Huh?

 

However, guerrilla marketing is not an aggressive mode of communication. In reality, it's a highly unusual type of marketing in that it boosts brand recognition among big audiences without interfering with them.

 

Introduction to Guerilla Marketing

 

Guerrilla marketing is a marketing approach in which a corporation promotes a product or service through surprise and/or unexpected interactions. Guerrilla marketing differs from traditional marketing in that it frequently relies on personal interaction, has a smaller budget, is inspired by an original idea to engage the target audience, and focuses on smaller groups of promoters who are responsible for spreading the word in a specific location or locations rather than through widespread uniform marketing campaigns.

 

Guerilla marketing is a means of increasing brand recognition and driving publicity by promoting utilizing unconventional methods aimed to elicit surprise, astonishment, or shock.

 

Jay Conrad Levinson, a late business writer who wrote multiple books about guerrilla tactics in a variety of professional sectors, coined the word in the early 1980s. Of course, marketing in general looked considerably different at the time, and while guerilla marketing is still used today, the ever-changing digital landscape is changing how it looks.

 

Companies who use guerrilla marketing rely on their in-your-face promotions to spread through viral marketing or word-of-mouth, allowing them to reach a larger audience for free. Guerrilla marketing relies on connecting with a consumer's emotions. This strategy is not intended for all goods and services; rather, it is frequently utilised for more "edgy" products and to target younger consumers who are more likely to respond positively.

 

Guerrilla marketing occurs in public venues with a large audience, such as streets, concerts, public parks, athletic events, festivals, beaches, and shopping centres. Choosing the correct time and place to launch a campaign to avoid potential legal difficulties is a critical component of guerilla marketing. Guerrilla marketing can take place indoors, outdoors, as a "event ambush," or as an immersive campaign designed to get people to interact with a company.

 

Also Read | Guerrilla Advertising: What is it all about?

 

Types of Guerilla Marketing 

 

Guerrilla marketing became popular in the early 2000s, and many ideas have been rehashed since then. To compete for attention, today's strategies must be exceptionally new. Digital marketing provides a higher return on investment (ROI) these days because it reaches consumers where they are—on the internet. Currently, 90 percent of Americans use the internet, and time spent online has more than doubled in the last decade to six hours each day. Guerrilla marketing's ultimate purpose, when conducted correctly, is to increase brand exposure on digital channels.

 

The following guerilla marketing tactics have been discussed:

 

1. Environmental Marketing

 

This marketing strategy involves placing advertisements in unexpected places in order to attract public notice. The advertising pique the public's interest by making them intrigued about the campaign and its choice of place.

 

2. Viral or Buzz Marketing

 

Buzz marketing is a type of marketing that relies on word-of-mouth distribution. This method, which is frequently used in social media, is based on a single person sharing material from a firm with their social network, friends, or family. Instead of attempting to build enthusiasm on its own, guerrilla marketing relies on customers to boost awareness of a product or brand naturally.

 

3. Experiential Marketing 

 

The public is given brand experience in this sort of marketing. This marketing is done in person, with the company attempting to give an experience or service in the hopes of converting a customer.

 

4. Stealth Marketing

 

Stealth marketing is a low-cost method that aims to market to a customer without the customer realizing it. Consider the last time you sat down to watch television. Although you may not be paying attention during commercials, companies that use television adverts may be attempting to promote things to you without your knowledge.

 

5. Ambush Marketing

 

Consider watching a sporting event while watching advertising for firms that sponsored the event. In many circumstances, businesses will try to use coat-tail marketing, which involves appearing to be a sponsor when they are not. Ambush marketing is a popular guerilla marketing tactic used by organizations trying to save money while capitalizing on a large event that is taking place.

 

6. Projection Advertising

 

Projection advertising comprises displaying enormous, eye-catching advertisements on the sides of buildings or plain walls. This type of guerrilla marketing frequently allows businesses to personalize promotions, particularly for events. Rather than a more permanent kind of advertising that necessitates financial investments or long-term contracts, projection advertising may be more casual and require less upfront capital.

 

7. Grassroots Marketing

 

Grassroots marketing is a low-cost guerrilla marketing strategy. Companies that support grassroots marketing frequently use low-cost marketing tactics that rely on people's time (such as handing out fliers) rather than larger marketing strategies. Often used by local or small businesses, grassroots marketing is a more straightforward approach to launching a marketing campaign.

 

8. Attack Marketing

 

This style of marketing seeks to forcefully or compellingly transmit its message to the public. It makes an attempt to startle consumers and capture their attention openly.

 

Use Cases of Guerilla Marketing

 

Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly climbed a flagpole and remained atop for half a day over 100 years ago, ostensibly to draw attention to a Philadelphia department store.  It's hardly the first instance of guerrilla marketing, but it's certainly the strangest. 

 

Guerilla marketing campaigns (not to be confused with gorilla marketing campaigns) are an excellent technique to raise brand awareness, particularly when guerilla marketing events are used. 

 

Investing in guerilla marketing indicates that your company is prepared to attract the public's attention in novel methods. Your brand becomes the distinct entity you want to be in the marketplace as a result of their attention. Your company gets more recognisable, increasing the likelihood that it will be the first choice that comes to mind for a consumer.

 

Furthermore, you can easily incorporate these guerrilla marketing do's and don'ts into your b2b event marketing strategies. Some of the use cases have been discussed below- 

 

1. Cosmic Playlists on Spotify

 

Throughout the year, Spotify has leveraged its music streaming platform to generate interest in its brand. Some, including its year-end wrap-up for each user, have become yearly staples, such as Discover Weekly, which identifies personalized tunes based on users' listening habits.

 

In January 2019, the firm released their most recent guerrilla content: horoscope-based playlists. Spotify collaborated with astrologer Chani Nicholas to develop Cosmic Playlists for US listeners. Nicholas' astrological readings influence the playlists, which mirror the theme of each sign at the time.

 

2. Domino's Paving the Way for Pizza

 

Nobody wants their pizza delivered with the components strewn about and the cheese sticking to the box's dome. All too often, however, this is the case. Domino's identified the source of the problem in 2018 - and it wasn't terrible driving.

 

Instead, the pizza company blamed America's infrastructure and its abundance of potholes on the road. As a result, the Paving for Pizza campaign was born. The main takeaway is that nothing wins the public's admiration like solving a common problem.

 

3. Tinder Profile of Deadpool

 

Some Tinder users were astonished to see comic anti-hero and legend Deadpool appear on their app. Deadpool shattered the fourth wall and met potential moviegoers with "cheeky" photos and amusing profile copy ahead of the film's Valentine's Day release.

 

If the Tinder user "swiped right" and matched with the character, they were directed to a page where they could purchase tickets. While Tinder isn't the best technique to generate buzz (it's limited to a tiny group of people and you're technically not permitted to use the platform for promotion), screenshots of this prank immediately went viral on social media.

 

4. Frontline's Interactive Floor Ad

 

I'll admit that I was taken with this photo when I first saw it. "Someone, get that dog out of there with those flies!" I thought quickly. Then I realized that neither the dog nor the flies were genuine. The former was a photograph, whereas the later were real people.

 

This is because Frontline, a manufacturer of flea and tick preventive medications for dogs, was able to cover the whole floor of this enormous public space with this image. The brand recognised that many people would stroll by that area every day, and that many more would view it from the building's upper floors, creating the dog-and-insect illusion. It's difficult to overlook – or to look twice.

 

5. IHOb replaces IHOP.

 

Pancake business IHOP teased and briefly became the International House of Burgers, or IHOb, to promote its burgers. The restaurant received a lot of attention as a result of the transfer.
 

Much of it, however, came in the form of endless social media memes and public headlines. IHOP, or IHOb's, social media crew appeared to be prepared for the barrage of criticism. They had all of the answers prepared, including where the Bs and Ps should be. By July, the company had reverted to its former name.

 

6. Burrito Baby Shower at Chipotle

 

Chipotle evolved from being an up and coming fast casual eating brand to a restaurant that had lost the public's trust owing to a significant health crisis a few years ago. The brand desperately needed whatever positive press it could get.

 

Adrianna Alvarez pulled over with her husband in a Chipotle parking lot in the spring of 2018 to give birth, and an opportunity was (literally) born. Chipotle welcomed the happy parents, 911 dispatchers, and their families to celebrate the occasion. They gave Jaden a wrap that resembled a tortilla.  

 

7. Giant Briefs by GoldToe

 

Are you a knickers manufacturer seeking for a novel approach to market your product? Try putting a massive pair of underwear on a famous charging bull statue.
 

We couldn't make this stuff up. In principle, it's so simple that it sounds like fiction. However, when the GoldToe brand wanted a strategy to tease and promote the release of its new undergarments, it did precisely that: it casually placed these new items of clothing on statues throughout New York. And, while we can't be certain, we hope that those bull-sized briefs were manufactured from surplus manufacturing fabric, helping to make this campaign even more cost-effective.

 

8. Payless Upgrades to Palessi

 

Last year, the low-cost shoe store caught Los Angeles buyers off guard by hosting the launch party for a new luxury shoe brand, Palessi, established by a fake Italian designer Bruno Palessi. Angel statues, slick shoe displays, and even a mini-runway adorned the upscale establishment. Needless to say, many customers were eager to spend hundreds of dollars on the phony shoe queue.

 

Wrapping up

 

Guerrilla marketing, as opposed to traditional marketing methods, comprises employing unconventional methods to generate interest in a company, product, or brand. Using low-cost or no-cost marketing approaches, the organization takes a more straightforward approach to marketing in order to entice clients with more intriguing strategies. 

 

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