Lori Turner

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 soldiers.

In the marketing world, guerrilla marketing has come to mean unconventional, less-structured marketing techniques, oftentimes more easily deployed by small firms than larger ones. It allows small companies to compete with the big dogs because small businesses often are 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.

The term was actually coined years ago by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book, “Guerrilla Marketing.” Given the current economic realities, the topic has perhaps never been more relevant.

Guerrilla tactics cut through all the messaging clutter competing for prospective customers’ attention. 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. And perhaps most important, guerrilla marketing is effective because it can spawn organic, word-of-mouth buzz that outlasts your campaign.

In 2007, Nissan unleashed a relatively quiet but effective guerrilla campaign that just as easily could have 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 Web site to learn more about this new technology.

The message was simple but effective and the campaign had a very modest cost for a company Nissan’s size. 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?

Lori Turner is managing partner of RedRover Sales & Marketing. Visit www.redrovercompany.com.