Guerrilla marketing is one of the most effective ways to get the attention of your audience. Just ask them! 57% of consumers agree that guerrilla marketing tactics are great promotional tools that get them to remember a brand.
To successfully pull off one of these campaigns, it’s important to be informed about how they work. Read on to learn the ins and outs of guerrilla marketing, some examples, and how you can pull off the perfect campaign.
What Are Guerrilla Marketing Tactics?
“Guerrilla warfare” is a military term for fast-moving surprise attacks against conventional armies. While guerrilla marketing isn’t nearly as dangerous or controversial, it derives its name from the quick and surprising elements of this military strategy.
Brands engaging in guerrilla marketing aim to suddenly wow their clients with unconventional surprises. The aim is to grab people’s attention because of the unexpected marketing tactic. When people feel surprised and astonished, they remember the encounter better because it breaks from the routine advertising methods they see every day.
For example, since a lot of small business marketing relies on Google Ads or social media posts, people expect to see this. They’re likely to ignore it because they see dozens (or even hundreds) of these ads a day. However, those same people are unlikely to receive a lot of promotional products on their doorstep, so this is a “guerrilla tactic” that catches them by surprise.
Some brands have also gone the extra mile with guerrilla marketing by amping up the creativity. Using sidewalk chalk to create roadside advertisements is memorable, especially when you suddenly draw intricate pictures that were not there the previous day at all. Graffiti and oddly placed stickers also work wonders.
Some people even orchestrate flash mobs and choreographed dances in public. This immediately packs a punch and generates a lot of long-term, memorable awareness about a brand.
Benefits
Guerrilla marketing tactics save money. Brands that engage in it say that it cuts costs by 90%. This is because you don’t need to pay a lot of money to surprise people – you just need to be creative.
The unexpected also creates a strong neurological alert that tells people to pay attention. Surprise is exciting because it takes over our entire minds and generates extreme curiosity.
Guerrilla marketing shifts perspectives and makes you memorable. Curiosity means better attitudes toward your brand.
Real-Life Guerrilla Marketing Examples
One great example of Guerilla marketing is Twentieth Century Fox Canada’s 2018 stunt on the streets of Toronto. They wanted to get people talking about Jennifer Lawrence’s Red Sparrow, so they teamed up with a couple of different media companies and had models dress up as Lawrence’s character
The end result? A flash mob of twenty women wandering around dressed up as identical Russian spies. It worked wonders in generating attention, and the movie made $151 million after the successful guerrilla marketing campaign.
IHOb
Not all guerrilla marketing relies on (metaphorically) hitting people over the head with movement and art. Sometimes, all you need is a name change.
IHOP wanted to promote their burgers, which they’re not well-known for. One day, they randomly changed their name to IHOb for a few months. All they did was flip the P into a b, which made it memorable since it was close while still being a change.
It was a funny gimmick that generated a lot of buzz, and IHOb switched back to IHOP within just a few months.
Domino’s Paving for Pizza
People like it when everyday problems gain solutions, and they’re unlikely to forget an unexpected saviour. Domino’s realised that pizza got jostled around in the box because of potholes and bumps on the road, so they began to pay for some new road pavement across the US.
This was a huge surprise, and people obviously enjoyed having smoother commutes. They also loved it when their pizza came perfect without cheese falling off and dinged-up crusts. It’s a funny story that people in these areas can tell before they remember how much they love Domino’s and order a pizza.
How to Use Promotional Mugs in Guerrilla Marketing
Recent studies show that Brits drink over four cups of coffee each day at work. Throughout a coffee mug’s lifespan, it will get about 2000 uses. This is especially impactful when people are drinking coffee in public professional settings – you’ll make multiple impressions on both your recipient and their colleagues.
Luckily, you can get these mugs to people with interesting guerrilla marketing tactics.
If your target audience is wide, you can immediately surprise people by handing out promo products on the street. Have a couple of brand representatives run up to people in a certain area and hand them a mug. They’ll remember the experience and appreciate the gift, which can drive foot traffic.
You also can set up tables with branded mugs in random places. Encourage people to pick one up. They’ll go home with a gift they didn’t expect before looking at your brand name frequently.
You can execute guerrilla marketing even more effectively when you directly deliver mugs to people’s doorsteps. Whether you send them to lead’s homes or to workplaces where your target audience likely works, people love getting unexpected mail.
You could also make the box look like something serious by adding OPEN IMMEDIATELY labels. People will be super relieved to see a mug inside rather than a bill or similarly undesirable item, and they’ll likely find the experience funny. This relief will make them feel thankful for your brand so they’re more likely to buy things.
Buy Branded Products Today
Now that you know some high-quality guerrilla marketing tactics (and how you can take your brand identity to the next level), it’s time to get started. Ordering surprise promotional products is one of the best ways to implement professional marketing advice and use the element of surprise to your advantage.
Our team is committed to offering a wide range of memorable, high-quality branded mugs to UK businesses. Contact Prince William Pottery to learn how our mugs can take your marketing campaign to the next level.
Related Article: Increase Business Growth: Inbound Marketing Tactics for SMEs
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