What is guerrilla marketing?
Guerrilla marketing refers to marketing campaigns that are effective because they carry a surprise factor. The term was popularised by Jay Conrad Levinson's 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing.
It could be risky, so why take the risk?
Guerilla marketing can feel riskier than traditional approaches like running ads because its success hinges on how your audience reacts. Yet, when done right, the element of surprise can deliver strong returns, boosting your brand’s visibility, strengthening its image, and generating traction without blowing your budget. Here are some key benefits guerilla marketing can offer:
1. Cost-Effective
The beauty of guerilla marketing lies in its creativity, not the size of your budget. Unlike expensive advertisements or influencer deals, guerilla tactics often rely on clever, low-cost strategies that capture attention. Think of roadshows, flash mobs, or quirky pop-up events. These are memorable, engaging, and far cheaper than celebrity endorsements or large-scale brand activations, offering higher returns.
2. Improves Brand Image
A well-executed guerilla campaign can leave a lasting impression, helping you reach new audiences while deepening loyalty among existing customers. By creating interactive, memorable moments, your brand becomes more than just a product — it's an experience. This level of engagement builds a stronger emotional connection with customers, turning them into advocates who are excited to share their experience with your brand to others.
Different Types of Guerrilla Marketing (with real life examples)
Now that we’ve established why you might consider a guerrilla marketing campaign, it is time to learn more about the different types of guerrilla marketing. We have also included some examples for you to reference.
1. Outdoor – Placing an advertisement/ exhibit outside
IKEA’s recent sun billboard featured an innovative attempt to showcase the Nissedal mirror and reiterate Ikea’s core mission – to ‘create smart solutions for the many people’.
Source: IKEA Sun Billboard, AdAge
Source: Deliveroo, The Smart Local
Deliveroo Singapore, a food delivery platform, sent mascots dressed in Kangaroo outfits onto the streets during lunchtime. Beyond improving brand recognition through affiliating the brand with Kangaroos, the eye-catching campaign provided timely reminders to pedestrians – it was time to order in lunch!
2. Indoor – Indoor exhibits
Made X TFL furniture exhibition: madedotcom (TikTok)
Anyone who has had the opportunity to experience the London Underground (or have the followed the news) would share some understanding of its dirty, bug-infested seats. This is perhaps why the Made’s furniture revamp in some of London’s oldest underground station came as much of a surprise to commuters that day.
3. Experiential
Experiential campaigns can take place anywhere, and focus on an interactive element which allows the public to engage with your product.
Heinz Pickle Switch Vending Machine: Little Black Book
Planting Pickle Switch machines in public spaces, pickle haters in the Netherlands could swap their pickle slices on a burger for a free bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Pickle flavour, converting them into loyal customers.
4. Event Ambush
An ambush event is a sudden promotional activity at a pre-decided event, such as flash mob performances.
Fenty Beauty Feature at the Super Bowl: Entertainment Today
For example, Rihanna applied her Fenty Beauty highlighter in the middle of her Super Bowl performance. The event was a surprising mash-up between Rihanna’s two personalities as a contemporary pop-star and beauty label owner. It was incredibly brilliant – Fenty Beauty garnered a stadium worth of attention.
5. Digital
Digital guerrilla marketing focuses on producing viral and creative content on digital platforms, using influencers and interactive digital displays to capture the attention of viewers. While executed online, digital guerrilla marketing retains the ‘surprise factor’ of traditional guerrilla marketing campaigns.
GoPro’s ‘fireman saves kitten’ video in 2013: GoPro
You would have never suspected that GoPro's 2013 ‘fireman saves kitten’ was an advertisement. It was filmed from a first-person perspective using a GoPro camera, recording a fireman performing his duty at work. Yet it was precisely this authenticity that made the footage compelling and captivating, showcasing both a heartwarming scenario and the quality of GoPro cameras in extreme conditions.
Tips for building your own guerrilla marketing campaign
The same marketing rules apply.
It is always important to set clear goals. Are you trying to boost brand awareness, drive more sales, or maybe a mix of both? Regardless of what your aim may be, make sure it is measurable through setting KPIs for the campaign.
Moving on, really get to know your audience. Understanding who you're targeting will help you choose the right location and craft creative ideas that will resonate with them.
It may also be a good idea to test your campaign before launching. Ask people around you for advice and always return to this: does this campaign align with your brand's positioning? If the answer is yes, you are on the right track!
Don’t let the buzz fizzle out.
You’ve already invested so much time and effort into your campaign, so make the most out of it. Consider filming a vlog or creating a social media post to document the campaign.
Assess the risks and complete necessary protocol to prevent campaign from going wrong
It is crucial that you learn and respect local culture whilst implementing the campaign. Avoid anything that is controversial or worse, illegal, as this could antagonise your audience and destroy your brand reputation. For example, avoiding displays of explicit content in a conservative society should be intuitive.
Most importantly, your campaign should be one-of-a-kind.
The key to a strong guerilla marketing campaign is that it must be original and engaging – something seamlessly planted into an everyday situation, but people would be captivated by, and stop to take a deeper look. Consider how passers-by can participate in your campaign, and what would be a stand out to grab their attention.
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