Types of guerrilla marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

Here are some types of guerrilla marketing tactics that you might want to try should you decide that this type of marketing is for you.<\/p>

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Viral marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>

This type of guerrilla marketing encourages individuals to spread information about a product or service via the internet. Marketers deliberately use existing customers through various social media platforms to perform the marketing for them. Viral marketing can effectively create an image for your company, all through your existing customers, and through word-of-mouth.<\/p>

Viral marketing can be implemented using many different avenues, such as a viral email campaign, videos, applications for mobile devices, and web pages.<\/p>

One example of a successful creative marketing campaign in the past is Burger King’s subservient chicken, which required a person to dress up in a chicken outfit and perform any act that he\/she was requested to perform.<\/p>

After only one day, the subservient chicken resulted in one million people ordering the chicken to perform ridiculous and unheard-of acts, while simultaneously driving more business to Burger King in the process. <\/p>

Indoor guerrilla marketing<\/strong><\/h3>

Indoor guerrilla marketing takes advantage of enclosed public spaces to generate hype. This could include university campuses, train stations, or museums. In 2009, T-Mobile sponsored a flash mob at Liverpool Street Station that has over 40 million views on YouTube, won TV commercial of the year at the British Television Advertising Awards, and translated to a 52 percent increase in sales.<\/p>

An example of this was when Frontline Fleas bought out floor space in a shopping mall and placed an image of an itchy golden retriever dog on it. Shoppers on upper floors who looked down saw a dog covered in \u201cfleas\u201d that were actually humans walking on top of the photo, oblivious that they were now part of Frontline\u2019s advertising.<\/p>

This ambient campaign worked because it made customers look twice, shocking them when they spotted the moving fleas and then delighting them when they realized those \u201cfleas\u201d were people.<\/p>

Outdoor guerrilla marketing<\/strong><\/h3>

Outdoor guerrilla marketing is the act of placing something unusual in an outdoor environment. This tends to be done in urban areas with plenty of foot traffic. Examples of outdoor guerrilla marketing include adding something to a statue, placing an oversized replica of a typically small object (like a cupcake) in a park, or putting objects in the streets (like IKEA\u2019s sofas at bus stations in Australia).\u00a0<\/p>

When the brand GOLDTOE launched a new line of boxers and briefs in 2010, they dressed the New York City Stock Exchange bull in a giant pair of GOLDTOE underwear. This tactic worked because it was simple, silly, and memorable. While it was risky to take over an iconic public statue, the company did not damage the property and received media coverage for its cheekiness (pun intended), without spending a lot of money.<\/p>

Ambient marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>

Ambient marketing is an extremely creative marketing strategy that works by placing ads in unusual places where you typically would not expect to see advertisements.<\/p>

The sole purpose is to catch people off guard and encourage them to not only familiarize themselves with your brand but to also seek more information about obtaining your product or services.<\/p>

Ambient marketing can be fun for the expert who creates it, as well as the people who see these ads because they’re made to grab a person’s attention, which is exactly what the right campaign can do. Ambient marketing is often done so strategically that even if an ad is in an unusual and unexpected environment, it’s done so tastefully that it appears as if it somehow fits.<\/p>

One example of ambient marketing is an ad that Folgers, a popular United States-based company, implemented. Since New York City is referred to as the city that never sleeps, Folger’s placed an ad over a manhole that stated, “Hey city that never sleeps. Wake up.” This statement included a colored picture of a mug of black coffee that appeared to have steam coming from it, although, of course, the steam came from the manhole itself. <\/p>

After the statement, there was a Folgers logo.<\/p>

Event ambush guerrilla marketing<\/strong><\/h3>

Event ambush guerrilla marketing promotes a product or service at a pre-existing event, such as a concert, sporting event, or festival, sometimes without permission. This type of marketing catches event attendees by surprise when something unusual occurs.<\/p>

At the 2019 Golden Globes awards show, paparazzi took photos of celebrities posing on the red carpet, as is custom. Behind the unsuspecting movie stars, a model dressed in a dark blue dress holding a tray of Fiji Water photobombed nearly every shot. She stared directly into the camera for an unsettling effect.<\/strong>\u00a0On the internet, the photos went viral, even generating a spoof Twitter account.\u00a0<\/p>

Experiential marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>

If your goal is to\u00a0grow your audience, which is the goal of many business owners, you might want to try\u00a0experiential marketing. Also known as “engagement” marketing, this form of marketing intends to entice prospective customers to engage in a business in lifelike circumstances.<\/p>

Experiential marketing requires that audiences become so involved with the business’s ad campaign that participation and even hands-on involvement is encouraged. The goal of this type of marketing is to prove to their target audience what they represent, and not merely what they have to offer.<\/p>

One company that has implemented many successful experiential marketing ads is M&M. From tasting rooms to the “Great Color Quest,” and much more in-between, M&M has had some of the most unique experiential marketing campaigns that target audiences found quite memorable since it required them to participate in and actually taste up and coming flavors of these popular candies. <\/p>

M&M remains one of the most popular brands since making its debut more than eighty years ago in 1941.<\/p>

For experiential marketing campaigns to be successful, they must be strategically planned by creative and experienced marketers. These campaigns must be fun and attractive so that a target audience won’t be able to resist participating in these affairs. If implemented properly, experiential marketing can effectively reinforce a long-term connection between the target audience and a particular brand.<\/p>

Astroturfing marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>

Astroturfing is sort of a deceiving type of guerrilla marketing, and it’s also known as grassroots marketing. In this type of guerrilla marketing, the marketing experts go to great lengths to appear as if they’re from natural sources, while strategically concealing the name of the brand.<\/p>

Astroturfing can be implemented in several ways, one of which is to create phony social media profiles. These phony profiles are then used to bash the competition while raving about the brand at hand. Another way to implement an astroturfing campaign is to make it appear as if customers prefer a certain brand, yet these “customers” have been paid in advance to carefully play their part in the facade.<\/p>

Due to how astroturfing is implemented, it is often considered to be one of the most unscrupulous guerrilla marketing strategies out there. It certainly has the potential to be successful, but if the public discovers the truth, then the consequences may not be so pleasant.<\/p>

For instance, many companies have been sued and fined for deceiving their target audience. If you search the web for court cases regarding popular brands experiencing their astroturfing marketing backfiring on them, you will likely find plenty of information.<\/p>

Major brands have had negative experiences with this type of marketing. Parents have even sued schools for using astroturfing as a means to promote their schools of choice.<\/p>

Street marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>

This is a type of guerrilla marketing that focuses on using unconventional manners in which to market a brand.<\/p>

Instead of using traditional marketing like television and radio ads as many brands do, those with street marketing campaigns often opt for the use of fliers, posters, art displays, and coupons as affordable ways to market themselves. Street marketing received its name because its marketing campaigns are literally implemented on busy streets and\/or in or near shopping centers.<\/p>

However, these alternative forms of advertising aren’t always the types of ads that people expect. In fact, companies have been accused of being unethical with their street marketing ads, because they often contain some extreme and outrageous material. Some of it is even insulting or scary. Even though it’s been touted as being unethical, street marketing is effective in many cases, which is why it’s still a popular guerrilla advertising strategy.<\/p>

Some street guerrilla marketing examples are as follows:<\/p>

• Flashmob<\/strong>: This entails a group of individuals who gather on a busy street and perform some type of entertaining dance or simply stand “still,” before quickly scattering away.<\/li>\n\n
• Impromptu concerts<\/strong>: This entails a group involved in the ad campaign performing a spontaneous concert on a busy street or inside or near a well-populated mall.<\/li>\n\n
• Street art<\/strong>: Urban paintings and sculptures have been a popular way to advertise for years, and they continue to attract the attention of new prospective customers.<\/li>\n\n
• Games, contests and tests<\/strong>: These types of activities are intended to involve the public, as it is an\u00a0integrated marketing strategy. The more outrageous the topic or theme is, the more of a rise the brand will receive, which they hope is positive.<\/li><\/ul>

  Pros and cons of guerrilla marketing<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

  Guerrilla marketing is unique in how it interacts with customers in surprising and participatory ways, but the tactic can come with some potential risks. If you choose to employ guerrilla marketing for your brand, keep these pros and cons in mind:<\/p>

  Guerrilla marketing pros<\/th>	Guerrilla marketing cons<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
  Spend less<\/strong>: Guerrilla marketing can be effective even on a low budget.<\/td>	Risk failure<\/strong>: The brand is put on public display, which can backfire if a poorly executed campaign flops.<\/td><\/tr>
  Have fun<\/strong>: You get to be creative and generate unusual ideas to build a brand.<\/td>	Risk loss<\/strong>: You could lose money or profits if unforeseen circumstances arise, such as bad weather or political tensions.<\/td><\/tr>
  Gain insights<\/strong>: Based on people’s reactions, you can better understand how they feel about the brand.<\/td>	Embarrass or frighten an audience<\/strong>: Some forms of guerrilla marketing employ ambushing, filming, or scare tactics that might embarrass or frighten people.<\/td><\/tr>
  Go viral<\/strong>: Your campaign could get shared on social media (either by the brand or by participants) for maximum exposure. Media outlets may also generate attention.<\/td>	Risk controversy:<\/strong> You might run into legal issues or negative publicity, depending on the outcome of the campaign.<\/td><\/tr>
  Build partnerships<\/strong>: You may be able to develop a mutually beneficial partnership with a venue, organization, park, festival, or another brand.<\/td>	Lose stakeholder approval<\/strong>: If a campaign is too risky or unconventional, it may not get approved by executives who would rather spend marketing dollars on more reliable strategies.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure> Guerrilla marketing examples<\/strong><\/span><\/h2> Samsung\u2019s Capture The Night Campaign<\/strong><\/h3> \n