What Is Guerrilla Marketing? [Definition and Meaning]

Max 3min read
Guerrilla Marketing

What is Guerrilla Marketing? 

Definition of Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing is a marketing practice in which a brand promotes a product or service by surprising customers and engaging in unique interactions. Guerrilla marketing differs from traditional marketing in that it frequently relies on human engagement. Traditional marketing only has a limited budget and depends on smaller groups of marketers who are accountable for spreading the word in a specific place. Guerilla marketing involves large-scale media initiatives.

Guerrilla Marketing is a popular marketing strategy that involves using unconventional and unexpected techniques to make an impact. 

In a world full of marketing messages, it is essential to stand out from the crowd wherever you see. Guerrilla Marketing serves your way to stand out by doing things that are novel but impactful at the same time. 

Moreover, Guerrilla marketing campaigns are known to be much more cost-effective as compared to their traditional alternatives. 

Though Guerrilla marketing tactics are impactful, they are not always appreciated by the public. For instance, Smirnoff was fined by the UK government a hefty price due to its spray-painted pop-up marketing message being considered vandalism. 

Before initiating your promotion, make sure everything is in order and authorized. Using product management tools, you can even track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. 

What is the History of Guerrilla Marketing?

An author named Jay Conrad Levinson coined the term ‘Guerrilla Marketing,’ derived from the history of military warfare. 

The guerrilla tactic, also known as guerrilla warfare, is employed by smaller militaries with less workforce or equipment than their opponents. The ones who used the guerrilla tactics had to get creative and think out of the box to win over the larger army. Thus, they usually employed irregular techniques such as hit-and-run and sabotage to throw the opponent army off guard. 

Similarly, for businesses that have low budgets and are looking for cost-effective ways of marketing, guerrilla marketing is a good solution because it is creative, out of the box, and helps to capture attention. 

What are the best examples of Guerrilla Marketing?

We learned what guerilla marketing is. Here are some of the best examples of guerrilla marketing that are all creative and surprising: 

  • Colgate is a company that manufactures toothpaste and toothbrushes. As a part of a guerrilla tactic, they once used popsicle sticks. The sticks resembled a toothbrush inside chocolate icecreams and cakes. It served as a reminder to brush teeth after eating sweets to prevent cavities.
  • Wherever we go, we see staircases. IKEA made the perfect use to promote their product, illustrating how staircases could be alternatively used as furniture drawers to save space.
  • Another good example is Tyskie Beer shops which customized their door handles. They put a sticker on glasses full of beer where the door handle acted as the glass handle. It was a call out to the beer lovers. It was a simple yet creative way to target their perfect customers and give them a feel. 

What are Guerilla Marketing tactics?

Choose a demographic or niche to address

Hone down and get more detailed on who you want to target. It’s one of the simplest and cheapest strategies to improve your results.

Make a blog with different content

Blogs are an excellent tool to disseminate information. They’re free and can be revised as regularly or as rarely. People acknowledge the term “blog” when they see it on a search engine results webpage. 

Connect with prospects through social media

Although social media is not new, it remains one of the finest free ways to develop a large-scale interest in your company.

Stickers for Product Promotion

A well-designed promotional custom sticker can enable the company to generate revenue and boost client awareness. Many businesses worldwide place their company logo on the windscreen of a car to draw attention to business.

Reverse Graffiti strategy

Reverse Graffiti is one of many innovative marketing methods marketers use to promote their products. Reverse Graffiti is a prevalent marketing technique. This technique involves cleaning the surface of a wall to create a temporary artwork or animation.

FAQs

Who invented Guerrilla Marketing?

An author named Jay Conrad Levinson had coined the term ‘Guerrilla Marketing,’ which is derived from the history of military warfare. For businesses with low budgets and looking for cost-effective marketing, guerrilla marketing is a good solution. Because it is creative, out of the box, and helps capture attention.

What is the best example of Guerrilla Marketing?

One of the best guerilla marketing examples is Tyskie Beer shops. They customized their door handles by putting a sticker on a glass full of beer. It was a simple way to target their perfect customers.

What brands use guerilla marketing?

Coca-Cola, Burger King, and Red Bull, for example, conduct excellent guerilla marketing efforts to persuade customers of the credibility of their advertising. Guerrilla marketing has been used by brands like MacDonald’s and KitKat to advertise their business.

Can guerilla marketing be done online?

Yes, online guerilla marketing has recently received much attention. Because of its low-cost and clever online strategies, ensure that your buyers remember your company. Guerrilla marketing on the internet is the only type of marketing that relies on creativity and innovation rather than a fixed budget.

Crafting great product requires great tools. Try Chisel today, it's free forever.