The Fundamentals of Guerilla Marketing
Guerrilla Marketing is essentially the use of unconventional promotional tactics which are expected by the target audience. By utilising several “below the line marketing” techniques and low cost mean of promotion to maximise the desired effect and influence on a targeted audience.
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For modern entrepreneurs, guerilla marketing has become an essential tool for promoting products and services.
One of the main principles of Guerilla Marketing is to get a message through to the target audience when the audience would least expect be expecting to selling a message. Instead of perceptually filtering our what might be seen as a sales message, the target may be more amenable to persuasion – p394 Adrian Palmer The Principles of Service Marketing 4th ed.
Combining a mixture of conventional and traditional forms of promotion with a mixture of imaginative ideals and strategic timing, guerrilla marketing much like guerrilla warfare employs a range of tactics to turn what would be considered negatives and weaknesses into positives and strong points. Redesigning and reshaping techniques to match and out beat more traditional forms of marketing and promotion.
It is essential for the successful
implementation of guerrilla marketing to have the following three
attributes: imagination, persistence and time.
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Imagination:
To provide a unique point of selling. A catch to hook a target audience and separate from the competition and stand out from the crowd. More importantly a method of developing a customer base without the conventional tools and “above the line marketing” or mass media.
Persistence:
Like most well calculated strategies, actions and ideals don't come just over night. To successfully implement viral marketing strategies and to create a customer base without mass media takes energy, dedication and perspective. From the initial conception to the implementation of the product or service needs continual review and evaluation.
A useful tip that my colleague Boualem Bouderba once told me was that "persistence beats toughness." To compete in the world of marketing one has to remain adamant in their approach and regularly engage in projects in order to see them succeed in the end.
Timing:
This is essential for guerilla marketing techniques for instance if the product or service is affected by season patterns and fluctuations in demand, then timing to the release and distribution correctly is imperative to the overall success of the marketing tactic. A great example of timing a guerilla marketing technique is to wait for the competition to build up initial interest interest in the market and create customer awareness. Then when the time is right distribute and implement the product or service and pick up the additional customers created by the competition.
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The most important concepts behind guerilla marketing is to make the customer promote the product or service. To establish viral marketing initiatives and create a “buzz” around the company in question.
Essential tips to always think about is that with every negative there can be a positive outcome. That there is no place that you cant advertise and no end to imagination. To combine innovation, imagination, persistence and good timing will make the difference between a good guerilla marketing campaign and a wasted effort.
Top tips to remember when implementing a Guerilla Marketing Campaign
Be Relevant: Establish a target audience and marketing
Conduct research into the demographics location and customer patterns of your target audience
Be proactive in asserting Guerilla marketing techniques for instance create a presence and stand out from the rest.
Work in a team rather than just independently: This will greatly increase the chances of developing viral marketing strategies and will provide more coordination to your targeted market.
Diversify the marketing campaign to cover as many possible avenues available
Timing persistence and imagination
Innovation: Create a techniques to “twist the norm” to make your target audience absorb the message broadcasting and to compel them to generate a buzz around the product or service.