Guerrilla Marketing and the Internet

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Guerrilla marketing is a strategy that uses creativity and the use of few resources in order to surprise the public, impacting them in unconventional ways.

Moving away from traditional marketing channels, such as TV, radio, newspapers and magazines, guerrilla marketing uses various tools to attract attention, with the aim of making a big impact and having viral effects.

In this article, we will understand a little more about the concept of guerrilla marketing. Let's see its origins, as well as understanding its importance within the internet world.

And, of course, see some cool examples of its use.

What is guerrilla marketing and where did it come from?

The name guerrilla marketing was created by the American writer and publicist Jay Conrad Levinson. The term was created in his book Guerrilla Marketing, originally released in 1983.

The author's concept was inspired by the Vietnam War, which saw North Vietnam using strategies with few resources, but with great impact and results on its adversaries, South Vietnam and the United States.

Guerrilla marketing is a creative, low-cost marketing strategy that seeks to make a big impact on the public, often through unexpected, unusual or even provocative actions. The idea is to “break out of the ordinary” to quickly attract attention, generate buzz (word of mouth), engagement and, often, go viral on social media.

The name comes from “guerrilla warfare,” where small groups use unconventional tactics to take on larger forces. In marketing, it’s the same principle: smaller companies with more limited budgets use creativity to compete with larger brands.

Guerrilla marketing is generally a strategy focused on public, high-traffic locations. Big cases are usually associated with external media, but in recent years, other strategies such as flashmob gained prominence.

To identify a guerrilla action, we generally observe a few points, such as:

• high impact, surprise and creativity;
• use of unconventional channels or use of conventional channels in an original way;
• use of different formats and low-cost actions.

Common examples of guerrilla marketing:

• Urban interventions: use public spaces to create memorable experiences (such as graffiti, stairs transformed into pianos, etc.).

• Flash mobs: flash presentations in public places that surprise those nearby.

• Ambush actions: when a brand takes advantage of a high-visibility event (such as a show or game) to promote itself, without being an official sponsor.

• Interactive advertising: panels that react to people's movement, speech or touch.

Advantages:

• Relatively low cost

• High potential for viralization

• Strong emotional appeal and engagement

• It can generate spontaneous media (people and media outlets publicize it on their own)

Disadvantages:

• Risk of negative interpretations

• May not reach the right audience

• Difficult to measure direct results

• May be blocked by authorities if not authorized

Guerrilla marketing and the web

In his book, Jay Conrad argues that guerrilla marketing's main characteristic is dialogue with the public. Interactivity and relationship building, as well as Internet, are the basis of this strategy. This concept, as he points out in the book, goes in contrast to traditional marketing, which is a monologue.

Currently, an important feature is the convergence with the web. With the use of creativity, both can be low-cost strategies and can be used by small entrepreneurs. Therefore, it is not just a universe of big brands.

But where the web and guerrilla marketing really meet is in the high power of viralization. The web even serves as a complement to disseminate great and successful guerrilla marketing campaigns.

This goes against the most current marketing concepts, where the tripod “inform, convince and motivate” is no longer enough to attract the consumer. Surprising, engaging and sharing are part of everyday life on the web and guerrilla marketing allows us to strengthen this relationship with the public.

Therefore, it is possible to combine the two strategies, taking the guerrilla marketing audience to the internet. As both allow interaction with users, it is possible to create a database to be used later on the web.

Furthermore, the social media can be used to boost the results of guerrilla marketing campaigns. These, in turn, can be used to boost social media results.

Why invest in guerrilla marketing?

The first point is the low-cost impact. The strategy can be used by brands of all sizes and budgets and gives the opportunity to bring the public closer to your product/service.

This is an important step to think about. In today's marketing, the public wants much more from brands. Being present in the consumer's mind today requires authenticity and creativity.

Creating an immediate impact and taking this consumer to social media is a way of not needing to “borrow” your audience from Facebook or the Instagram. In times of decreasing reach on networks, guerrilla marketing can be a great way to surprise and generate engagement on social media.

Some examples of guerrilla marketing

The actions of flashmob have already become famous on the web. We have separated two actions that went viral on the web a few years ago and were very successful. The first, from 2011, is on the Stockholm metro. The second is Tic Tac tablets, from 2012.

A very cool action, carried out in 2006 by the recruitment and selection website Jobsintown.de, used external media to impact the public (high impact, by the way).

And how about this really cool action from a German dental implant insurance company?

 

One action that I think is really cool was the KitKat Banks, using public spaces.

These few examples we have shown show the power of a good guerrilla marketing campaign.

Tips for doing cool guerrilla marketing

If you want to create truly memorable guerrilla marketing, you need to go beyond the creative idea — you need to plan well, think about the audience’s experience, and ensure that the action is aligned with your brand’s values. Here are some valuable tips to help you:

1. Know your audience deeply

Before thinking about any action, understand who you want to impact. In this way, understand what your audience’s habits, fears, desires and routines are. After all, a good guerrilla action surprises in a relevant way — and this only happens when you speak your audience’s language.

2. Be creative, but with purpose

The goal is not just to “shock” or “make noise”. Your idea needs to be creative, but it also needs to have a reason behind it: to generate curiosity, highlight a benefit of the product, reinforce a positioning, provoke reflection, etc. Otherwise, it just becomes empty entertainment.

3. Integrate with other channels

The action can happen in the physical world, but it must generate echoes in the digital world. Think about how it will be photographed, filmed and shared. So, use hashtags, encourage the public to post and integrate it with your social media strategy, email marketing or larger campaign.

4. Use the element of surprise

Guerrilla marketing works best when it catches people off guard. In other words, unexpected locations, unusual times, unusual interactions… all of these help to create a memorable experience. But be careful: surprising is not the same as invading or being invasive.

5. Have common sense and empathy

Avoid any ideas that could offend, scare, or generate negative interpretations. After all, guerrilla marketing needs to be bold, but never irresponsible. Think about safety, legal permissions, and the emotional impact of the action.

6. Create replicable or scalable actions

It’s not always possible to do a huge campaign, but you can create smaller or replicable versions in other cities, points of sale or social networks. This helps to prolong the impact and reinforce the message.

7. Set goals and measure results

Even if it is something outside the norm, it is important to have a clear objective: do you want to generate leads? Visits? Followers? Notoriety? Define this and monitor indicators such as mentions, website traffic, engagement, media coverage, etc.

Good humor, great ideas and a lot of creativity can make a small effort a big success. But don't forget to take these campaigns to the web, where the reach and sharing will certainly make a good campaign take off.

Receive updates on cool content like this in your email. Sign up and be part of our list!

Article published on 04/15/2020 and updated on that date.