Guerrilla Marketing is built on the principle of stretching dollars to make the largest possible impact for the lowest cost. In order to accomplish this seemingly counter intuitive task, creative thinking applied with a deft touch is required. If all of the cards align in your favor, the result will be a unique and impactfull campaign at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising methods.
The low cost nature makes guerrilla marketing tactics ideal for many businesses that are struggling with COVID-19.
The question then becomes how can businesses be expected to implement these risky tactics in such a volatile environment? Well the answer lies in the other aspects of guerrilla marketing. If done properly, the main benefits of a guerrilla marketing campaign are found in the positive public relations and word of mouth side effects.Creative ideas like the student made fake Netflix campaign where popular shows were spoiled on transit ads are great examples of using creativity to show consumers that companies care about their well-being while making a large social media impact.
By creating buzz around your marketing plan, guerrilla tactics rely on free forms of advertising like word of mouth and PR to extend the reach of the message way beyond what would be possible by just the physical event or ad. Creative tactics like street art with a positive message supporting essential workers will be widely appealing not just to the people who see it walking by but also online.
The coronavirus pandemic has created an environment where digital content is prioritized. As a result of this the social media impact of guerrilla marketing campaigns will be heightened during these trying times. The publicity effects of guerrilla tactics are designed to snowball making now a very good time for businesses to wet their feet with guerrilla strategies.
There are some pitfalls that businesses should watch out for when attempting guerrilla style tactics.
It is easy to have your message misunderstood when trying to disguise advertising in publicity stunts or other kinds of stealth marketing
Due to COVID-19 outdoor gatherings should be limited and social distancing practiced to prioritize safety.
Foot traffic in many areas may also be greatly reduced.
Just because an event is successful does not guarantee that it will garner widespread discussion and word of mouth benefits.
When it comes down to it, guerrilla marketing tactics can help your business gain positive word of mouth promotion by making creative, buzz worthy campaigns at an affordable cost. With many businesses' bottom lines hurting from COVID-19, the low cost nature of guerrilla marketing provides a golden opportunity for businesses to make a splash.
My name is Dan Bruwer and I am a rising senior at Boston University in the Questrom School of Business studying Marketing and Management Information Systems. I am currently serving as the Head of Inbound here at the Guerrilla Marketing Society. If you have any other questions about how guerrilla marketing can work for your business or want to be involved with GMS please reach out to myself (dbruwer@bu.edu) or any of the other talent GMS leaders.
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