What Is Guerrilla Marketing? Top 10 Guerrilla Marketing Examples To Inspire Your Brand

What are the Pros of Guerrilla Marketing?

• Affordable – As discussed earlier, the main highlight of Guerrilla marketing is its budget-friendly structure. It is taken much cheaper when compared to classical advertising. guerilla marketing frequently uses unorthodox, imaginative, and low-cost materials and props. Marketers may build compelling campaigns with readily available and affordable things, avoiding the need for costly manufacturing.
  

  On the other hand, traditional advertising, such as television or radio commercials, print advertisements, and internet banner ads, can incur large media buying expenditures. guerilla marketing efforts frequently use non-traditional channels and might rely on earned media, social sharing, and word-of-mouth, dramatically decreasing media investment.

• Creativity –When you are approaching Guerrilla marketing, imagination or creative thinking is always given more importance than budget. guerilla marketing encourages unconventional thinking and disrupts the conventions of regular advertising. It engages and surprises the audience by using unconventional means like as flash mobs, street art, pop-up exhibitions, or innovative stunts.
  

  Furthermore, creative guerrilla marketing efforts frequently utilize technology to improve audience engagement. AR, VR, QR codes, and interactive displays increase engagement and excitement. Guerrilla marketing creativity extends beyond the physical campaign. Marketers may create social media-friendly experiences encouraging users to film and share their experiences, enhancing online exposure and virality.

• Word-of-mouth – Guerrilla marketing largely depends on word-of-mouth, one of the most powerful weapons to strengthen your brand. Non-traditional advertising aims to create one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experiences that surprise and fascinate the audience. People are more inclined to share their experiences with others when they come across these unorthodox and inventive ads, whether in person or on social media platforms. Guerrilla marketing's element of surprise and delight builds buzz, excitement, and interest, leading to organic dialogues and word-of-mouth promotion. There is nothing better than seeing people talking about your campaign and brand.

• Publicity is incredible – With unique Guerrilla marketing campaigns, you can always earn huge popularity and your campaigns are even picked news sources and followed by other marketers too by taking inspiration from your brand.

What are the Cons of Guerrilla Marketing?

• The message could be misunderstood – As marketing campaigns are not direct, so they could be misunderstood sometimes and the final result is not so good as expected.
• Authority Intervention – Sometimes, in special cases of Guerrilla Marketing, the extra intervention of authority may result in unwanted tension.
• Unknown Obstacles – Sometimes, you have to face unpredictable circumstances that you are not sure of earlier. These unknown obstacles are surely threatening for your entire campaign.
• Potential Backlash – in certain cases, savvy audiences could call out businesses who are not approved for running a campaign. It could be actually harmful to potential businesses looking to promote their brands.

From this discussion, this is clear that Guerrilla Marketing always provides the fantastic results when campaigns are hosted with utmost creativity in a most unique way but make sure that all challenges as discussed should be handled carefully.

1). Toothbrush-Shaped Popsicle Sticks By Colgate 

Colgate recently launched Toothbrush-shaped Popsicle sticks and they were added inside ice-creams reminding children how much the brushing is important. Here, the message is given with taste and it is actually inspiring the kids for the right stuff.

2). Bounty – A Paper Towel Company

Take an interesting idea from a popular blog. I spill everything olive oil, coffee, tea and more. So, I need paper towels with me all the times. Obviously, everyone got impressed by this amazing Guerrilla marketing trick installed by famous Paper Towel Company Bounty.

The Company installed giant-sized messes around the streets of New York and it was considered as one of the most unique ideas for promoting their brand. Here, everything was explained in a creative manner without using many words. The message wanted to convey an interesting idea that mess of any size can be handled gracefully with right stuff around and people also liked this message a lot.

Bonus Tip: Identify the major problem that can be solved by your product and find an unconventional technique to convey the message to the public preferably without using words.

3). Drawstring Bags By Company Selling Weight Loss Products 

Let us see one more creative example of Guerrilla Marketing where the use of drawstring bags was beyond our imagination. Instead of making bog talks and promises, this is always good expressing your thoughts through creative ideas or design sets that will attract people automatically without saying anything. So, think of similar ideas for your brand too and implement in a unique manner like never before.

4). IKEA Staircase Marketing Strategy

There is no limit of staircases around the world. Think for a while If they are used for marketing tactics? Yes, you can use them. IKEA, A furniture designing Company did the same where The Company shows how can you save space at your how with interesting furniture ideas.

These pieces can always be installed in small spaces as you actually need. So, you must be sure now how effective Guerrilla marketing tactics can be used for your own benefits without spending much. The only condition is that you should be a creative thinker and quick implementer.

5). Frontline - Flea & Tick Prevention Products Manufacturing Company 

The concept was designed by Frontline company, which is the manufacturer of flea and tick prevention products for dogs as demonstrated by the image below.

The brand wanted to convey the message that people walking around the space every day can see dogs having deadly fleas over them, but they completely ignore it the fact and just passed away.

Thus, the brand urges people to protect dogs and make the right choice with Frontline. Doesn’t it sound interesting? Obviously, the concept is exciting, and everyone wants to look again and again at how dogs are affected by unpleasant fleas. Also, it will give a clear idea of the product and why it is useful for dogs.

Bonus Tip – You should check how people can be involved with your brand involuntarily and how are they interacting with your marketing messages. Here, the campaign is not addressing the issues but it will keep people engaged with your brand somehow.

6). The Grammys – Video Creation Was A Part Of Marketing Strategy Here

This strategy might not be fair here to include because it was not pulled off in the real-life. But you should at least explore how cool was this marketing strategy at all. Here, nominees were promoted under the category “Album of the Year”. Further, Grammys showed the video in the singing award to represent what could happen if posted for nominated starts began singing eventually.

Obviously, this Is not a possible event because how could some posters start singing but imagine how should you create interactive posters for your brand? Also, they are different from poster ads too that are not expected to move. Here, we must add that this tactic of Guerrilla Marketing is not budget-friendly because video creation takes time and efforts both. It needs technical competencies to add some fruitful effects. Even if you could add one or two moving images among hundreds then it would be displayed as a surprise and getting more attention by audiences.

Bonus Tip – As we know that audiences might pass by every day and this is the right time to do something new that is both interactive and unexpected.

7). Burger King – Drama Tale on Instagram

Breaking up is hard for anyone but what will happen when the emotions being played or shared online. The same thing happened with Burger King where one man added a comment on his post by sharing a tale his girl procuring food from the Burger King. The only problem is that man doesn’t have any girlfriend but he must be nearby the Burger King now. So, what he was trying to refer actually here? The drama started with Instagram posts and millions of people got connected with the thought. It was a planned marketing activity or just a coincidence not sure of it but the same technique was tried by many marketers later.

Because of this activity, the followers increased to one million on Instagram for Burger King after Mac Donald whose followers are almost double. We cannot say how many followers were there before this breakup post but surely it helped in drawing more attention by users for the brand. People started observing that brand is doing good on Instagram and at least they started discussing for Burger King and its food items.

Bonus Tip – Today, Guerrilla Marketing has gone digital as well. Now you have to think where your audiences exist digitally and how can you catch them with utmost creativity. And don’t be afraid of adding comments that could attract users to engage in the conversation.

8). GoldToe Guerrilla Marketing Campaign 

If you are an undergarments manufacturing Company looking for some unconventional style to promote your product then you should give a try to GoldToe idea. Here, you have put your enormous belief on a statue of a charged bull.

It is simple in theory that you wanted to show the quality of fabric how it fits even the massive sized people without any damage. This is especially a unique idea of promoting your budget without spending much money and efforts. Don’t think much here because even the silliest idea could be just the best sometimes. The only thing is to make your marketing strategy affordable and a huge success and it was done by this undergarment manufacturing Company too.

9). UNICEF – A Campaign To Prevent Spending Money On Bottled Water 

We all are spending money on bottled water but is it actually worth or needs to think over it again? I have the reusable bottle that I can fill from anywhere like a water cooler, from a machine or more sources. Buying a new bottle every time is a bad habit.

To prevent this wastage, UNICEF started a campaign where they tried to provide clean water at maximum places so that people can just refill their bottles instead of buying new ones. It makes us remind that when water is available in such quantity for free then why to waste money to buy the same.

Bonus Tip – Guerrilla Marketing strategies are actually designed for non-for-profit sectors that could not spend much on marketing activities. They are always in the need of finding innovative ideas that could help them to succeed anyhow. Image creation is the most powerful idea always bit it should be added with substances and clear messages instead of adding a mysterious story inside. Your objective should be creating something highly interactive from the public point of view.

10). Greene King

When you are planning for a get together with family and friends then what are the two things you could always focus? These are Food and Drinks. Greene King initiated a campaign to show how important are these small businesses selling quality food and drinks to people. Anyone who understands the taste of customers and able to deliver quality will conquer the food & drink market.

They need to add interactive ideas too along like music, dance or more based on their budget. Today, food and drinks are served at every occasion from wedding to funeral occasion, receptions, birthday parties etc. Without these places, how would you hang out with friends and family? And most importantly where will you share the happy moments with your loved ones?

Bonus Tip - This is sometimes okay getting little sentimental with Guerrilla Marketing. Add emotions to what you offer but don’t overdo of anything. You can hire creative writer too that can add life to your brand with their ideas and creativity levels.