What do undercover marketing, graffiti art and creative billboards all have in common?
They’re all creative, effective, and scalable ways to reach an audience and build potential interest in a brand in a very limited time. That is when done correctly.
Collectively, it’s known as Guerrilla Marketing, which refers to a type of marketing strategy that uses unconventional approaches to promote a brand. These approaches focus less on spending money and more on investing energy and effort.
Guerilla marketing is fairly cheap to implement, so it’s perfect for small businesses that are often on tight budgets, or simply, don’t have enough funds to spend on traditional means of advertising.
It’s also a powerful tool that reaches niche-based audiences. For example, if your brand is all about the Metaverse, the majority of your target audience is likely to be Gen Z adults and millennials. By using a type of guerilla marketing like street art, you can appeal to this youthful demographic who have been shown to have a greater vested interest in the graffiti subculture.
Why is Guerilla Marketing Important?
In the field of marketing, artificially advertising is simply a bandage solution that only steers your audience away from your business’s purpose. Whether your business is looking to promote a product or increase lead conversions, guerilla marketing will allow you to market genuinely, and that is what every customer wants.
It’s creative – big bold signs and beautiful street graffiti. Just a few examples of guerilla marketing that drive attention and demand we pause for a moment and reflect.
It’s authentic – less sugarcoating, less artificial, and more genuine. Marketing is personalized in a way that your audience’s reaction is likely to be aligned with the reaction that your business is after.
Most importantly, it’s bold – have the spotlight and stand out from competitors by using unique marketing ideas.
Is Guerilla Marketing Legal?
Guerilla marketing is legal. However, it’s important to be aware of any regulations or legal requirements that may apply to this form of marketing. Should you have to use a public venue, ensure you have permission from the respective owner. The same applies to any other intellectual property you plan on using.
Guerilla Marketing for Campaigns
While guerilla marketing is handy for small businesses, we also know that well-known companies can use guerilla marketing tactics to create successful marketing campaigns. Such as the following enterprises:
Combined with other marketing efforts like social networking, these giant companies are driving the future of marketing.
But this isn’t about them – It’s about you. Here we put together 10 killer guerilla marketing tactics to help you stay on top of your guerilla marketing game.
Undercover Marketing
Also known as Stealth Marketing, this form of marketing is used widely to build brand awareness. It uses celebrities and product placement in disguise (hence undercover). It’s an incredible form of marketing because even if you don’t care about the brand, seeing a celebrity or product you’re familiar with can get your attention from the get-go. More attention means greater interest which increases the likelihood of following up on the offer to see more about the brand.
Just like that overrated TikTok trend, we’re all crazy about – marketers are capitalizing on the symbolic nature of undercover marketing because it’s influential. It builds a sense of community and works with just about any audience.
Graffiti
Whether you surf the subway, take the bus, or simply visit various locations – you just can’t avoid the presence of Graffiti. Although you may question the offending use of Graffiti, the reality is that Graffiti that is legal to do with a permit can be used for marketing. It drives successful campaigns and encourages the audience to reflect deeply on the message behind an artwork. Which often is blatantly visible through a picture – a booming graffiti medium that works on any brand or business.
Furthermore, graffiti encourages diversity and captivates the audience with its beauty and image. As a marketing strategy, it’s quite easy to implement and does wonders for small businesses. Graffiti also allows marketers to connect with the youthful audience of mainly Gen Zers and millennials (an audience that spends much of their time on social media). This means greater shares via social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, drawing in potential customers that may be interested in a business, brand or would like to support a campaign.
Flash Mob
Spacious malls, bright lights and shining floors. The stage is all yours, take it away.
A flash mob is a group of people who come together in a public place to perform an act for some time, before dispersing away as if nothing had happened. Whilst a flash mob can seem obnoxious, most of them bring laughter and joy. It’s an outstanding form of guerilla marketing that instantly captures the eyes of the audience and draws them into the performance with irresistible interactions.
Stickers
Take a moment to pause and ask yourself how many times you’ve been stuck in traffic. In these situations, we often find ourselves looking around. Whether you see a small brand logo on a car or a gigantic sticker on a bus, you’ve indirectly engaged in a form of guerilla marketing known as sticker marketing.
Sticker marketing involves using stickable graphical mediums like stickers, labels, etc. to communicate a product or service. It can captivate and attract potential customers.
Because stickers are inexpensive, it’s one of the most cost-effective and convenient ways to market any product or brand logo.
Viral Videos
Who said guerilla marketing doesn’t work online?
That’s right. Virtual forms of marketing like videos are effective in capturing the attention of target audiences. And it doesn’t have to be costly either.
All you need is a working smartphone. But what exactly makes them so viral?
With an engaging storyline and a creative touch (i.e. photoshop, green screen), they’re a perfect way to advertise a brand through the internet. These videos often focus on the element of humour, making them so satisfying to watch. While some play on the emotions of the viewer – making for a powerful marketing campaign.
To implement this form of marketing, you need to be creative and unique. Find an idea that works with your brand or business and keep it relevant without sacrificing the appeal.
Experiential Marketing
If you enjoy getting some engagement out of customers – experiential marketing is your go-to guerilla marketing strategy. It involves inviting customers to “talk, live, breathe” the brand, and actively participate in a marketing campaign. This form of marketing is affordable and can be employed anywhere in practice.
If your business focuses on controversy and is hard to talk about, why not prompt a conversion to bring in a sense of inclusivity?
How about entertaining participants with a game or a competition? Where the goal is for people to compete for something. Whether that’s a new product or a big price; allow your participants to reward themselves for their accomplishments.
Creative Billboards
There’s nothing more grandeur than the sight of a towering billboard with a powerful message. The use of billboards to advertise a brand is becoming incredibly popular because it’s an effective approach to building brand awareness and attracting customers.
Often, they’re used in busy areas, such as a freeway, drawing in a large number of views and impressions. Whilst some types of guerilla marketing discussed can be ignored, a huge eye-catching billboard ad really can’t be ignored. With the right location and an attractive design, billboards are one of the most effective guerilla marketing strategies.
Treasure Hunts
Maybe you’ve heard of treasure hunts. But have you heard of it as an immersive virtual marketing tactic?
If not, you probably should consider it a form of guerilla marketing for your next marketing strategy. Treasure hunts involve hiding clues about a certain product online. It offers an opportunity for participants to indulge in the rewarding, fun and social experience of finding the clues and deciphering them.
Vodafone – a British telecommunications company, is notably known for its clever use of treasure hunts. They do this by sending invites to their audience which direct them to real stores. During this process, they’re involved with a nearby treasure hunt. Incentivizing the need to complete the hunt as quickly as possible whilst engaging customers for hours on end.
If you’re looking to find the right customers – trust me, use a treasure hunt.
Public Stunts
Public stunts are sponsored or partnered stunts that involve amazing accomplishments. They’re usually done with a brand to enforce branded values, build credibility and increase brand exposure.
Red Bull is a classic example of a proficient brand that lives up to this practice. In 2012, they broke the global skydiving record as part of their Stratos project. By sending Austrian Felix Baumgartner above the stratosphere, where he skydived from a whopping 128,000 feet and landed successfully.
The event was live-streamed through YouTube and went viral. It is to this day, one of the most viewed live streams ever.
Creative Landing Pages
If you’re looking to build an awesome landing page, you probably need some guidance. With the right people (our team of digital designers) you’ll be able to design something just as captivating as Wix’s landing page.
Landing pages are a crucial facet of every marketing strategy. It builds business awareness, leads conversion, and directs potential customers into permanent ones.
Landing pages are a must for every business and brand.
Conclusion
Although guerilla marketing is a solid marketing tool, you must find what works for your business. You don’t chop a tree with a shovel, right?
Research and explore. Don’t be afraid to rethink your marketing strategy – there will be times when you’ll need to. And if you ever find yourself in that situation, you know who to call.
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