Guerrilla marketing

Ads are everywhere, leading many to stop paying attention to them. To have people engage with your message, you may need to use unexpected, attention-grabbing tactics.

Guerrilla marketing does just that. It’s designed to generate buzz and viral attention through unconventional tactics and surprise. It often leverages shock value or intrigue to create maximum exposure at minimal cost.

When done right, guerilla marketing not only captures attention but also makes people curious enough to process the message. The goal is to create a moment that startles people, gets them thinking and ultimately makes the brand unforgettable.

“Shock tactics work because they disrupt expectations—they make people stop, look and think,” says Svetlana Davis, Associate Professor of Marketing at Williams School of Business at Bishop’s University. “But shock doesn’t mean controversy; it means doing something unexpected and creative that makes people curious and directs them to your brand.”

What are some examples of guerilla marketing?

There are several examples of companies that have embarked on creative, attention-grabbing advertising events.

• A company introducing a new underwear line decided to dress iconic statues in New York City, including decking out the famous Wall St. bull in a giant pair of “tighty whities.”
• An international humanitarian group set up fake vending machines with bottles of dirty water and a list of diseases that could spread from drinking it. Their message to consumers: spend your money, not on bottled water, but on clean-water projects.
• A British optician chain set up parked cars in outlandish positions, such as one with its rear jacked up on a three-foot-high bollard. All the badly parked cars had stickers on them declaring that these people should have visited their optician.

“These ideas use the surroundings to create a fun, interactive experience, which is what makes guerrilla advertising so effective,” Davis says.

“Instead of paying for visibility, you create moments that customers will share—whether by word of mouth or on social media.”

What are the different types of guerilla marketing?

Guerilla marketing can generally be divided into five categories, though some of the categories can overlap.

• Viral marketing
  Events and ads that advertisers hope will be widely shared through social media.
  
  
• Grassroots marketing
  A message that focuses on a smaller audience and spreads through word of mouth.
  
  
• Ambient marketing
  Advertisements that pop up in unexpected locations.
  
  
• Sensational marketing
  An event that uses surprise, such as putting something very large in a public space.
  
  
• Ambush marketing
  Showcasing a product at an event that the advertiser was not invited to.

What is the strategy behind guerilla marketing?

Davis says the main strategy with guerilla marketing is to make every dollar count. “Guerrilla marketing is all about getting the biggest impact for the lowest cost.”

Successful guerrilla marketing involves two key factors: the surprise and the share.

• The surprise
  The means by which you capture immediate attention, be it through unexpected ways of placing your ads or the tactics you employ.
  
  
• The share
  The all-important dissemination of your ad, whether that happens as a viral video or simply because people talk about it.
  
  

The goal of guerilla marketing is for the surprise and the share to be cost-effective in terms of the marketing dollars spent and the free media attention garnered.

Why is guerrilla marketing effective?

Davis says guerrilla advertising works because it taps into human psychology. “People remember things that are fun, surprising and emotional.”

She lists several reasons for its effectiveness:

• It grabs attention
  People ignore ordinary ads but notice things that are different.
  
  
• It makes people feel something
  Whether it’s laughter, curiosity or surprise, emotions make ads memorable.
  
  
• It gets people talking
  If something is clever or funny, people will share it with friends and on social media.
  
  
• It’s interactive
  Unlike traditional ads, guerrilla marketing often involves real-world engagement.
  
  
• It makes businesses stand out
  Your business will have a creative edge over your competitors.
  
  
• It spreads naturally
  Customers do the marketing for you by sharing online.

How can SMEs use guerilla marketing?

You don’t need a big budget to use guerrilla marketing. There are, however, a few key things to keep in mind for an effective campaign.

• Do something unexpected. Use humour, surprise or visual illusions to stand out.
• Make people think. Create curiosity so customers want to learn more.
• Keep it simple. The message should be clear and connect to your brand.
• Encourage sharing. If it’s interesting, people will talk about it or post it online. You can also give them incentives to do so.

There are a few categories of guerilla advertisements suitable for a modest budget:

• Street art ads
  Decorate the sidewalk near your entrance in a way that is both unexpected and represents your business—as well as permissible by your municipality.

• Partner marketing
  Collaborate with another business to offer promotional items that encourage your customers and theirs to visit both stores.

• Playing with the environment
  Optical illusions have become a popular way to insert your product into a public space. Consider using a trompe-l’oeil art technique, mirrors or video screens to mesh your product with people’s images.

“These tactics work because they get people talking and sharing on social media—all within a small budget,” Davis says.

How is guerrilla marketing used in social media?

Social media is the lifeblood of most guerrilla marketing. Effective social media strategies can include different techniques:

• User-generated content: Customer-created content related to the campaign.
• Surprise giveaways: Offering gifts to generate brand recognition.
• Meme and trend hijacking: Setting a trend with new expressions.
• Hashtag campaigns: Promoting unique promotional hashtags.

“What these all have in common is shareability,” says Davis. “To achieve viral success, guerrilla content must be entertaining, shocking or highly relatable.”

Is some guerrilla marketing illegal?

Davis notes that guerrilla marketing has to be the right kind of bold. “If a campaign is too shocking, misleading or offensive, it can hurt your reputation instead of helping it.” She also points out that some guerilla marketing could feel deceptive or create a public safety hazard.

Davis offers some tips on how to stay on the right side of guerrilla marketing:

• Make sure it fits your brand. A daycare centre shouldn’t use humour that’s too edgy. A luxury brand shouldn’t use a campaign that feels too cheap.
• Think about your audience. What’s fun for one group might be offensive to another.
• Stay legal. Some guerrilla tactics (like unauthorized sidewalk ads) might violate local public property laws.

“Something you can ask yourself is ‘If my most loyal customer saw this, would they laugh and enjoy it or be confused and upset?’”

Next step

Discover what it takes to build a successful brand online by downloading the free digital marketing guide, Attracting and selling online.