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Guerrilla tactics are powerful weapon in consumer warfare


-- As seen in the Tuesday, April 6, 2010 Memphis Daily News, by Lori Turner, Managing Partner --

 

Guerrilla warfare is by definition unconventional.

 

It’s where a small group of combatants use less structured, mobile tactics, like ambushes and raids, to combat a larger, more formal and less mobile army.

 

Think rag-tag American settlers shooting from trees at spit-polished British militia fighting in formation.

 

Similarly, in the marketing world, guerrilla marketing has come to mean unconventional, less-structured marketing techniques, often times more easily deployed by small firms than larger ones. That’s the beauty of guerrilla marketing. It allows small companies to compete with the big dogs because small businesses can often be more agile and flexible. Even better, guerrilla marketing relies more heavily on ingenuity than financial investment. It’s the great equalizer for small business owners.


In the battle for customers, especially in these financial times, a war analogy is an accurate one. Each of us fights fiercely for our customers. To win, you must be creative and take risks, but without draining your bank account in the process, all of which are at the heart of guerrilla marketing.
The term was actually coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book, “Guerrilla Marketing,” years ago. Given the current economic realities, the topic has perhaps never been more relevant.

 

Guerrilla marketing works because it interrupts and cuts through all the messaging clutter competing for the attention of your prospective customers. And in a sea of “me too advertising,” where true creativity is hard to come by, guerrilla marketing can help your brand stand out.
Some forms of guerrilla marketing tap into many of the five senses – getting people to see, touch, taste, hear or experience a brand – thereby engaging prospects and encouraging consumer interaction.

 

And perhaps most importantly, guerrilla marketing is effective because it can spawn organic, word-of-mouth buzz about your brand that outlasts your campaign, generating a strong return on investment.

 

The most common form of guerrilla marketing is buzz marketing. It happens when people get so excited about what you’ve got to offer that they actively tell other people. In effect, they volunteer to become your spokesperson – a sort of brand evangelist, encouraging other consumers to do business with you.

 

In 2007, Nissan unleashed a relatively quiet but effective guerrilla campaign – a campaign that could have just as easily been launched on a smaller scale by a small business owner.

 

To promote its new keyless entry and ignition system, the company “lost” 20,000 sets of keys in concert halls, sports arenas and a variety of other public places in targeted cities. Attached to each key was a tag that read, “If found, please do not return. My Next Generation Nissan Altima has Intelligent Key with push button ignition, and I no longer need these.”
The tag was of course referencing the technology that allows an Altima owner to start the car by pressing a button on the dash rather than inserting a key. That same tag encouraged the finder to visit the Nissan website to learn more about this new technology.

 

The message was simple but effective and the campaign had a very modest cost for a company the size of Nissan. It created a buzz that has lasted well past the expiration of the promotion.

 

So if your marketing needs a boost, think outside the billboard. What is your version of the “lost keys” campaign? How can you sneak up on prospective customers and pleasantly surprise them?

 

Looking for support in developing your firm’s guerrilla marketing strategy? Email Rover.

 

Click here for other Rover Treats – low cost sales and marketing tips to keep you leader of the pack in an economy that’s gone to the dogs.