In the era of evolution, marketers are never behind in their constant strive to find better ways for promotion.
Introducing a way of marketing that is both affordable and unconventional – “Guerilla Marketing”
As the business industry grows, every brand dreams of being known among the target audience. This want is not a by-product of advancements, earlier brands heavily relied on traditional marketing.
As the times have changed, the focus is more on out-of-the-box ideas capable of gripping the audience and turning them into customers.
Today, marketing is all about unconventional approaches and one name that stands tall in this list is Guerilla Marketing.
Guerilla Marketing proves its worth by being the most influential strategy for brands as it is cost-effective as well as captivating. When used correctly, businesses can improve their sales and boost their brand awareness with this tactic.
Let's get a little deeper into the exciting topic of Guerilla Marketing.
In this blog, we will explore the realm of guerilla marketing and see how different brands have utilized this strategy to promote their product. By the end, you will recognize the scope of this valuable approach and possibly use the same to promote your brand too.
Guerilla Marketing – Strange Yet Useful
Everybody is aware of marketing – it is a process of putting the word out and making it known to people.
The basic idea behind guerilla marketing is exactly the same but the only difference is how a business does it. Guerilla marketing is all about creativity and unusual advertising for promoting the brand.
This technique is based on creating a buzz with a surprise element, something that viewers would not guess or expect. Clever ideas constitute a good guerilla marketing tactic and hold the attention firmly.
Experiencing something so unusual builds a place for discussion among the audience. Once this happens, the business has already achieved its prime motive of brand awareness and visibility.
Another crucial factor here is the affordability of such campaigns.
This is a testament that creating a lasting impression has nothing to do with huge funds and resources.
How to Do Guerilla Marketing Right?
Unusual and unconventional eliminate the boundary of rules giving marketers a plane canvas for creation.
However, it is still important to do it right otherwise it may backfire as well. That is why understanding deeply about such a subject becomes even more significant.
Let us guide you on some major aspects of Guerilla Marketing
Number One: Ensure that your idea is surprising enough to pull all the attention toward your campaign.
Number Two: Your idea must emphasize creating an emotional connection between the audience and the brand. Viewers turn into customers only when they can connect with the brand.
Number Three: Make your campaign such that people discuss it and converse about it with others. All in all, your ideas must be worth sharing.
Number Four: If your campaign is heavily expensive, it is not guerilla marketing. Keep it cost effective.
Number Five: Only original ideas have the ability to reach the desired heights. That is why you invest your time only in original ideas that can become memorable among the audience.
Unique, eye-catching, and out-of-the-ordinary ideas can build much-needed connections and take your brand to higher standards.
One thing that should not be missed is creating a lasting effect where the audience remembers the unusual campaign for a long time.
We can say that the Guerilla Marketing Campaign is successful if it can fulfill the above-mentioned criteria.
Some Famous Guerilla Marketing Examples
Let's look at some of the most successful guerilla marketing campaigns.
Coca Cola’s Happiness Machine Campaign
Coca Cola installed special vending machines called Happiness Machine that dispensed gifts along with a bottle of Coke.
Such machines were installed on college campuses, and they instantly impressed the students. People could get anything from flowers and pizza to giant sandwiches.
Hence, it turned out to be a success as it created an eventful experience for the customers.
Deadpool’s Tinder Profile Campaign
Deadpool took their marketing campaign a little too far when they made a Tinder profile of their hero–Deadpool. However, it turned out to be a hit as viewers loved the anti-hero in this avatar.
This established a feeling of surprise among Tinder users when they discovered the legendary comic star on their Tinder profile.
Before the movie’s release, this was marked as an impactful strategy to engage and build among the audience.
Colgate’s Cavity Campaign
With the campaign name, ‘Don’t Forget Colgate’, ice cream and popsicles were handed out to children and adults. But the catch was the ice cream/popsicle stick.
The sticks were shaped like a toothbrush with “Don’t Forget Colgate” imprinted on them.
This was an effort to spread the importance of brushing and avoiding cavity build-up.
Even though the campaign focused on oral health, Colgate as a brand got heavily promoted.
UNICEF’s Vending Machine Campaign
Targeting a greater cause, UNICEF installed a “Dirty Water Vending Machine” in New York’s Union Square. The agenda was to make people aware that around 4000 people die every year from dirty water.
The vending machine dispensed dirty water for malaria, typhoid, and cholera. The whole campaign was focused on the need for clean drinking water.
Selling the dirty water bottle for just $1, UNICEF aimed to collect enough donations to provide clean drinking water for a child for about 40 days.
Now that we have seen some of the examples, it's time to know the things that you must not avoid.
Here are Some Dos and Don’ts of Guerilla Marketing
Dos
Originality and Creativity
Guerrilla Marketing is all about original and creative ideas. Only uniqueness can draw attention and hold it for a longer time.
If you are struggling to come up with new and exceptional ideas, then you can get help from digital marketing experts.
Professionals can certainly help you with thinking outside the box.
Knowledge About Audience
Know your target audience because your idea must align with their likes.
Your idea may lay flat with zero impact if you present the wrong ideas to your audience.
Knowledge about their preferences can help you connect authentically.
Engagement Must be the Priority
Engagement means that the viewers interact with the campaign, and it is something you must always keep a priority.
If the viewers interact with your campaign that means your idea is successful.
Wide Reach with Social Media
Don't leave social media, it is one of the major factors for a wider reach.
Make guerrilla marketing a part of your social media strategies and go viral on all platforms.
Social media is a perfect medium for spreading brand awareness and making brands visible.
Monitor The Impact
Designing a marketing campaign is not enough, it is only the beginning.
Tracking the performance of your campaign gives a clear insight into its effectiveness among the viewers.
Don’ts
Take Care of Legal Limitations
Watch out because your ideas can be illegal and if they are not, they can still trigger the audience.
As a result, you may suffer legal action as a violation of regulations. So, make sure that your ideas are not against the law.
Prevent the Campaign from being Offensive
It is essential to understand that there is a fine line between engaging and offensive.
You must never step on the line to promote your brand. The thing that you must consider is culture awareness and societal norms.
Protect your Brand identity
Stick with your brand identity and design your campaigns while staying within that identity.
This is essential to create trust among the viewers and get well-deserved recognition. A switch from your identity can be confusing for the audience and can negatively impact the response.
Keep the Campaigns Appropriate
Keep yourself and your campaigns updated and aligned with the current events around you.
This is vital for the timing of the campaign, and it needs to be circumstantially appropriate.
Guerrilla Marketing a Boon for Businesses
There is no doubt that Guerrilla marketing is fruitful, and brands do benefit from it in terms of sales and financial growth.
However, the results are satisfactory only when you take care of the dos and avoid the don’ts.
If you want to influence your audience in an unusual way, then Guerrilla Marketing is the way for you.
Deciding the best course of action is still a task and you can leverage professional help for unique and creative ideas.
If you are searching for creative and out-of-the-box ideas, a digital marketing agency can help you with it. Partnering with an expert marketing agency can take your brand to heights of recognition and visibility.
In this digital era, Digital Marketing is your ladder to brand promotion.
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We indulge in experimental marketing and provide complete assistance in your business journey.
Make the best out of your digital opportunity, turn your marketing dreams into reality!