With so many forms of media competing for consumers’ attention, marketing can feel like a battlefield. Guerrilla marketing promotes your brand when and where consumers least expect, grabbing their attention and creating lasting top-of-mind awareness. Can your business master the art of surprise? Creating a memorable and lasting impression doesn’t have to break the bank. Read on and get inspired by these guerrilla marketing techniques.

The Benefits of Guerrilla Marketing

Coined in the 1980s by business guru Jay Conrad Levinson, guerrilla marketing is one of several creative and economical surprise tactics used in business. Since then, great strides in technology and design have enabled businesses to launch powerful guerrilla campaigns in both the physical and digital landscapes. True to its military origins, guerrilla marketing adapts to the places, people, and things consumers already interact with on a regular basis, repurposing them in innovative, impactful, and unexpected ways.

Low Cost, High Impact

One of the main draws of guerrilla marketing is its high bang-to-buck ratio. Rather than spend lots of money, businesses leverage innovation. Teams of creative professionals’ brainstorm ways to transform everyday objects and events into unobtrusive opportunities for brand interaction. The budget-friendly nature also makes guerrilla marketing a low-risk strategy to test the waters.

Types of Guerrilla Marketing

Guerrilla marketing can happen in nearly any public setting. What’s important is that it captures attention and clearly displays your brand.

Outdoor Guerrilla Marketing

Buildings, sidewalks, parks, streetlamps, you name it and you can transform it into a canvas for your brand. You can decorate a bus or delivery vehicle, place pull tags onto statues and posts, add artwork to walkways and buildings, etc. Billboards, benches, bus stops, fences, and even natural structures like tree branches can be adapted into something unique and surprising for your audience to enjoy.

Indoor Guerrilla Marketing

The same concept as outdoor guerrilla marketing, indoor guerrilla marketing can occur in shopping malls, cafes, campus buildings, and other indoor venues. Businesses may choose indoor locations to better reach their target audience.

Event Ambush Guerrilla Marketing

Concerts, sporting events, and other high-energy public gatherings are ideal settings for event ambush guerrilla marketing. Businesses can have employees dress up and hand out business cards or free samples, have a performer or announcer give a shout-out, or encourage audience participation. An event ambush often occurs without the knowledge of the event sponsors, so businesses should take caution to avoid disrupting the event.

Experiential Guerrilla Marketing

Experiential guerrilla marketing, like flash mobs, can occur outdoors, indoors, or during an event, the defining factor being that it requires consumers to interact with the brand. They may experience the brand in ways that engage multiple senses rather than sight alone.

Digital Guerrilla Marketing

The online and mobile landscapes offer ample opportunities to surprise, engage, and provide value to consumers. Digital guerrilla marketing examples include hosting events, posting videos, giving away goodies like e-books and free samples, and hosting contests. Post quality content across your website, blog, and social media pages to build trust among your audience. Well-designed websites and apps will help you stand out from the crowd.

When used well, guerrilla marketing will help you stand out from the crowd and create a lasting impression in consumers’ minds. The creative effort involved can also help your business become more innovative down the road.