7 Steps for Creating Winning Campaigns Using Guerrilla Marketing

 You just can’t say it. You have to get people to say it to each other. In today’s socially engaged and networked marketplace, word of mouth marketing has moved to the top of the marketing campaign elements at your disposal. And guerrilla marketing campaigns are one of the best ways to get potential customers talking about you.

Start by examining this short video on guerrilla marketing examples.

Guerrilla marketing campaigns take consumers by surprise, make an indelible impression, and pop up where and when people least expect it.

They often have a large targeted audience and often can be accomplished at a reduced cost. By being a little more clever and unpredictable, you challenge consumers who appreciate a little fun in their products.

Here is another useful marketing video.

Guerrilla marketing was made for small business owners. It requires creativity, flexibility and a willingness to take a little risk. We use Guerrilla programs usually when a client says to us, we don’t have much budget but we’d really like to get some media attention. They can be an awesome way to get you noticed, set you apart from your competition and earn you a reputation for being fun and different–all tailored to whatever budget you desire.

Here are some useful examples.

A small business should ask themselves, what’s their essence–what’s the core message that can be distilled into a 5-second exchange or in a clever installation?

Have to have a goal in mind and understand who your customer is and what would intrigue and appeal to them.

Using humor is crucial to the success of guerrilla campaigns, especially if they involve online activity. Humor can help break the barriers between the company and the consumer, just as it often does in regular human interaction. Humor also can play a significant role in turning campaigns viral, which means reaching a larger audience. Mixing surprise with humor is also a  key strategic element to a successful guerrilla campaign.

In this article, we are going to focus on how to get customers talking about your messages. So how do you craft messages worth your customers talking about?

Related: Case Studies to Evaluate New World Marketing Concepts

Consider these 7 tips and several examples of each:

Guerrilla marketing … consider customer needs end state

Focus on customer needs end state and not the means. For a very familiar example, customer’s needs are on a hole, not a drill.

In this first example, customer’s needs are for exciting, thrilling park rides, like roller coasters. So Six Flags Amusement Park has built a simple sign to represent a roller coaster thrill ride.

In the second example, people are focused on collecting shells walking on the beach. So a creative restaurant has strategically placed clamshells, that when opened by curious customers, call out the seafood menu at their restaurant.

Clean and simple

Make the message as clean and simple as possible. Simplicity is achieved when nothing more can be removed from the message.

Look at the 3M security class holding all the cash. Simply screams security at you, doesn’t it?

Dual function works well in this example, as the customer uses the watch strap to hold on and gets the simple visual of how good the watch looks on his wrist.

Guerilla marketing ideas … use comparisons

Use comparisons where you can. Even direct with competitors, if you can solidly substantiate the claim.

The simple Scotch tape is better than a nail in many instances.

And the picture of the FedEx delivery truck ahead of the DHL truck, illustrating the FedEx tag line of always first.

Guerrilla marketing … be and do different

Be different and avoid normalcy at all costs. Do things different and unexpected.

In the first example, Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant advertises on a fire hydrant. They also received media publicity because they saved the city the costs of having to paint the hydrants. Two bangs for the buck.

The plumber sitting on the toilet is certainly unexpected, isn’t it? Great way to show that the brand has a humorous personality also.

Be controversial

It’s OK to be controversial. Try and create conversation through the ‘buzz’, things that beg to be talked about.

Here the sign has ‘dropped’ the word drop to emphasize what we hate most in cell calls. That certainly catches your attention.

The bus door represents the shark’s mouth … certainly something you’ll remember?

Picture of value

Paint the picture of value and make the value stand out.  A successful guerrilla marketing campaign will take advantage of common human behaviors. Nothing drives human behavior more than the desire to have the best of the best. A clever campaign will leverage this behavior and leverage its power for customer desire.

Two examples here that certainly paint the picture of value. The first is the suction power of the Miele vacuum cleaner and the second is the strength of the glue holding up to bridge structure.

Guerrilla marketing campaigns … use pictures/visuals to surprise

Use pictures/visuals, they are much better than words. If you convey the message with absolutely no words, all the better. Especially if there are surprise and shock involved.

Related post: Target Market … How to Target for Best Marketing Campaigns

The first example surprises customers through a simulation of a lot of press taking your picture as you pass by.

The second example is an employee handing out coupons to a restaurant sitting in a spilled milkshake … surprise and shock.

The bottom line

Our world is in flux.  There is no part of the consumer experience that is untouched. Digital technology is disrupting the marketplace, while changes in our understanding of the psychology of decision making have overturned centuries of conventional wisdom. Even a brief summary such as this one can make the challenges seem overwhelming.

So what to do?  First, start somewhere.  It can be one place or the other, but at least start. The change will be unfolding for years and everyone else is as confused as you are.

 “You just can’t say it. You have to get people to say it to each other”

• James Farley, CMO Ford

When was the last time you employed word of mouth marketing messaging?

We specialize in ideas to create effective word of mouth marketing … give us a call today for a free consultation.

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Call Mike at 607-725-8240.

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More reading on marketing  strategy from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:

Marketing Branding … 9 Secrets to a Continuous Improvement Strategy

11 Steps to Media Framing Messages for Optimum Engagement

Case Studies to Evaluate New World Marketing Concepts

Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.