By Althea Storm

The word “guerrilla,” in its written form, looks pretty intense. It conjures images of rebellion and conflict. Put it next to the term “marketing,” which makes many people ask, “Huh?”

But guerrilla marketing isn‘t some sort of combative form of communication. In fact, it’s actually a very unconventional form of marketing in that it raises brand awareness among large audiences without interrupting them.

What is guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla Marketing Examples to Inspire Your Brand

Guerrilla Marketing Tips From Experts

What is guerrilla marketing?

The term itself was created in the early 1980s by the late business writer Jay Conrad Levinson, who wrote several books about guerrilla tactics in several professional areas.

Of course, marketing at that time looked very different. While guerrilla marketing is still used today, the ever-growing digital landscape is changing what it looks like.

Roots of Combat

When we hear the term “guerrilla marketing,” it’s hard not to think of guerrilla warfare — which makes sense since that’s where this marketing style got its name.

In the context of battle, guerrilla tactics depend mainly on the element of surprise. Think: “Ambushes, sabotage, raids,” according to Creative Guerrilla Marketing.

But how does that translate into the work we do every day? In marketing, guerrilla techniques mostly play on the element of surprise.

It sets out to create highly unconventional campaigns that catch people unexpectedly during their day-to-day routines.

Budget-Friendly

What marketers enjoy about guerrilla marketing is its relatively low-cost nature. The actual investment here is a creative, intellectual one. Its implementation, however, doesn’t have to be expensive.

Michael Brenner summarizes it nicely in his article on “guerrilla content,” he frames this marketing style in the same context as repurposing your existing content, like taking specific report segments and expanding each into a blog post.

It’s an investment of time but not money, per se.

In a way, guerrilla marketing works by repurposing your audience’s current environment. Evaluate it and determine which segments can be repurposed to include your brand.

Types of Guerrilla Marketing

As niche as it might seem, there are a few sub-categories of guerrilla marketing, as outlined by the firm ALT TERRAIN:

• Outdoor guerrilla marketing adds something to preexisting urban environments, like putting something removable onto a statue or putting temporary artwork on sidewalks and streets.
• Indoor guerilla marketing. Like outdoor guerrilla marketing, it occurs in indoor locations like train stations, shops, and university campus buildings.
• Event ambush guerilla marketing. This tactic engages the audience of an in-person event — like a concert or a sporting game — to promote a product or service noticeably, usually without permission from the event sponsors.
• Experiential guerilla marketing. This includes all of the above but is executed in a way that requires the public to interact with the brand.

Without context, guerrilla marketing can be a little confusing, so let’s see how it’s been executed by a few other brands.

Guerrilla Marketing Examples …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog