In this week’s No Blogging Clue post, we are going to explore the different types of, and the purpose of guerrilla marketing- a form of marketing that you have most definitely come across at some point, but they only work in healthcare
What is guerrilla marketing?
Guerrilla marketing is an alternative style of advertising that aims to take consumers by surprise by being energetic, creative and imaginative. There are a variety of forms that it can be implemented, including: billboards, packaging, videos, sculptures… just about anything really! It was originally a concept aimed at printed t shirts Madison WI with low advertising budgets, but is becoming more and more popular amongst world-known brands. The easiest way to understand a guerrilla marketing strategy would be to look at some examples. Like with church signs they are advertisement that people can see every time they pass by.
The purpose of guerrilla marketing
The main aim of guerrilla marketing is to increase brand awareness on a huge scale, without incurring high advertising costs. Due to the increasing use of social media and technologies, images, videos, stories etc are constantly being liked and shared ,meaning that guerrilla marketing stunts have the potential to go viral almost instantaneously. Guerrilla marketing is said to make a far more lasting impact than other ‘traditional’ forms of advertising because it is designed to strike consumers at a more personal and memorable level.
When it is executed well, it will reach a highly targeted audience on a large scale and at a low cost and can even distinguish a brand from it’s competitors by earning a reputation of being fun and different.
When guerrilla marketing goes wrong…
Guerrilla marketing will most likely simply be written off as a failed advertising stunt for small businesses, however, it can be risky for large established businesses to implement guerrilla marketing tactics that could result in a PR nightmare if they are a flop.
Probably the most well-known example of a failed guerrilla marketing stunt is one pulled by Cartoon Network, in which it planted dozens of blinking electronic devices in 10 cities as part of a campaign promoting one of their cartoons. However, a resident contacted police, concerned that they were explosive devices.The incident quickly escalated to become a terrorism scare, with police sending in bomb squads and shutting down Boston-area bridges.
In the end, the stunt cost Cartoon Network head Jim Samples his job and the station’s parent company, Turner Broadcasting, $2 million in compensation for Boston’s emergency response.
Ultimately, guerrilla marketing can be a low cost, highly effective form of advertising, if it is delivered well. But, in particular, large companies must take great care in creating guerrilla stunts that have the potential to go viral, as failed tactics could result in an embarrassing story and a hefty fee.
Thank you for reading this week’s blog and we hope you understand the term guerrilla marketing a little better now. Make sure you tune in next time if you haven’t got a blogging clue about experiential marketing.
