Advertising doesn’t have to be conventional and repetitive! This often leads to the customer disregarding the product or brand before even really knowing anything about it. Campaigns using ‘guerrilla marketing’, on the other hand, are a low cost yet effective way of creating interest and awareness of your product prior to a conventional launch.
In many cases shock tactics can generate more interest than a regular ad campaign but use minimal resources. It involves advertising your product in unconventional ways such as fly posters, T-shirts, badges, viral emails, (as in the pass it on kind not the virus kind!), and even stunts such as crop circles and spray painting your message onto a field or using graffiti – just remember to get permission from the relevant authorities!
Look for ways to be original, break the conventional rules and be different. These all create impact and get you noticed, as they don’t fall into the same type of advertising that most companies use. It has to be said that the more radical tactics need to be stamped with not only the need to keep within the law but also ensure that the brand does not suffer from a negative image. In such cases all the marketing effort could be negated by a clever stunt that offended public taste!
Some of these methods, like fly poster advertising, may automatically make you think that they are just used by bands and political activists but this isn’t true. Many large companies such as Nike, Virgin and Levis Jeans (remember Flat Eric?), use this method to build awareness before a launch. Film companies also use this method in the run up to the release of a film and even television channels such as E4 use this between conventional adverts to stir-up interest in a new programme.
By using guerrilla marketing in its visual format you are not disclosing the product or brand prior to the launch but at the same time you are getting people interested in it. It works by entering people’s subconscious and displaying an icon that is memorable. Potential customers are likely to discuss your icon with friends, family and work colleagues creating widespread interest. For example, using the icon in say, a sticker campaign makes people wonder what it may be associated with and so when the final advertising campaign is released it therefore has a bigger impact.
Marketing is key to increasing your business and driving it forward. ‘Guerrilla marketing’ therefore, is ideal for small businesses wanting to get maximum results with limited resources