What is Guerrilla Marketing?
Let's start with the term itself. The term Guerrilla is based on the Spanish word for war, guerra, with the added suffix indicating "small war." The origins date back to tactics used by local resistance to the occupation of Spain by Napoleon's army in the early 17th century and subsequently has become the ubiquitous term for irregular warfare. Guerrilla warfare has proven successful as a means to engage traditional armies with more resources through multi-level, unexpected attacks by smaller more mobile groups.
What does this have to do with marketing? The term "guerrilla marketing" is credited to Jay Conrad Levinson, author of his 1984 book "Guerrilla Marketing", describing unconventional marketing tools that can be used with limited resources as an alternative to standard high priced ad placements. But it is a common misconception that guerrilla marketing is only about low or no-cost marketing. Just like real warfare, the effectiveness of guerrilla marketing is innovation and mobility versus formality and rigidity.
The key is that anything is possible. When it comes to marketing, guerrilla means breaking down the barriers of over-saturated common marketing techniques that are typically ignored by your consumer in the modern age. The mute button, pop-up ad blockers, and spam filter have been invented for a reason: Stale Ads have little relevancy and are usually just plain annoying. People are looking for content and get tired of being bombarded with any and every message. Set yourself apart. The Guerrilla starts with branding and moves outward to find ways that tie your consumer directly to your product instead of being locked in to old media templates that get lost in the mix. There are low budget and high budget ways to do this.
Branding is everything. Okay, it's Marketing 101, but you MUST know your market. You'd love it if everybody bought your product but of course that's not realistic. Really stop to consider: Are there customers you are trying to cater to that really don't fit your model? And have you really taken the time to understand the lifestyle and mentality of your market niche? Hype is probably going to turn them off. So what can you offer to tune them in? Guerrilla marketing is about creating a connection. Often business owners have been "conditioned by tradition" to think that the only option is a direct ad but it's not. You can offer something useful, something relevant, and allow your potential customer to get to know you. Nobody wants someone knocking on their door, cold calling and invading their lives. Instead, offer a path to your company.
The Guerrilla is about strategy and ROI (Return On Investments). Ever play Where's Waldo? Why? Why do you want to find something that has been purposely hidden. Ever been intrigued by the idea of finding buried treasure? Often, the value of what's in the chest is just a rumor at first (and that is the exciting part). It's when the map becomes available that we now have the opportunity to go on a quest that is personally important. Think of your product as Waldo or buried treasure. It's out there waiting and YOU must provide the map and a compelling reason to use it. Form the question and let your customer answer. Use a scalpel, not a meat cleaver.
The Bottom Line: There is no single answer. Step outside the box, be subtle, be surprising, be useful and don't offend your customer's intelligence by trying to jam things down their throats. Instead, involve your customer and they will thank you for it, building a lasting relationship. Guerrilla Marketing represents a new world of thinking because just as public perception evolves you must evolve your business and marketing strategy as well.
Embrace The Lemon
