Guerrilla Marketing is an advertising strategy that focuses on low-cost unconventional marketing tactics that yield maximum results.
The original term was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book ‘Guerrilla Advertising’. The term guerrilla marketing was inspired by guerrilla warfare which is a form of irregular warfare and relates to the small tactic strategies used by armed civilians. Many of these tactics includes ambushes, sabotage, raids and elements of surprise. Much like guerrilla warfare, guerrilla marketing uses the same sort of tactics in the marketing industry.
This alternative advertising style relies heavily on unconventional marketing strategy, high energy and imagination. Guerrilla marketing is about taking the consumer by surprise, make an indelible impression and create copious amounts of social buzz. Guerrilla marketing is said to make a far more valuable impression with consumers in comparison to more traditional forms of advertising and marketing. This is due to the fact that most guerrilla marketing campaigns aim to strike the consumer at a more personal and memorable level.
The need for guerrilla marketing can be seen in the light of three facts:
Because of big business downsizing, decentralization, relaxation of government regulations, affordable technology, and a revolution in consciousness, people around the world are gravitating to small business in record numbers.
Small business failures are also establishing record numbers and one of the main reasons for the failures is a failure to understand marketing.
Guerrilla marketing has been proven in action to work for small businesses around the world. It works because it’s simple to understand, easy to implement and outrageously inexpensive.
Guerrilla marketing is needed because it gives small businesses a delightfully unfair advantage: certainty in an uncertain world, economy in a high-priced world, simplicity in a complicated world, marketing awareness in a clueless world.
The need for guerrilla marketing can be seen in the light of three facts:
Because of big business downsizing, decentralization, relaxation of government regulations, affordable technology, and a revolution in consciousness, people around the world are gravitating to small business in record numbers.
Small business failures are also establishing record numbers and one of the main reasons for the failures is a failure to understand marketing.
Guerrilla marketing has been proven in action to work for small businesses around the world. It works because it’s simple to understand, easy to implement and outrageously inexpensive.
Guerrilla marketing is needed because it gives small businesses a delightfully unfair advantage: certainty in an uncertain world, economy in a high-priced world, simplicity in a complicated world, marketing awareness in a clueless world.
How Can a Startup Get, Well, Started?
Successful startup marketing needs to be clever. It’s all well and good to pass out flyers and get a quick spot on the local radio, but try to be innovative about the way you use these resources.
Think about the product or service you are offering to people, and consider what the most important part of that is. Is it beer? Is it the chance for a great meal? Is it a way to keep your favorite music downloads despite computer failure? If so, then tell people. And better yet, show them.
The point of guerrilla marketing is to take that one special thing you can offer customers and present it in a fun, in-your-face way that will be remembered. For startups, marketers can be disheartened by the lack of a million dollar budget; but really, this is just the chance to come up with an unforgettable campaign.
For example, let’s say you are selling a new line of bottled drinks, and your key marketing point is the fact that the plastic bottles are completely biodegradable. A clever guerrilla marketing tactic would be to design the label to reflect that characteristic.
Courtesy :
Md. Nur-Al-Ahad
MBA (UPM, Malaysia), Visiting Scholar (UoM, Japan), BBA (University of Dhaka, Bangladesh).
Lecturer
Department of Entrepreneurship
Daffodil International University
Daffodil Business Incubator Building
105 Shukrabad
Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
