Methods and tools of guerrilla marketing. Guerrilla Marketing: Simple Ways to Get Big Profits at Low Cost

"Partisanship" in the modern world

To promote in this way, they use the surrounding space, cars, small handouts (business cards, flyers), posts on social networks and forums, and much more. Today, guerrilla marketing is multifaceted, but always characterized by a creative approach, original execution and a low budget.

Examples of Effective and Inexpensive Marketing

For clarity, here are 15 examples of guerrilla marketing companies that took the risk to use interesting ideas and did not lose.

  • At one time, when Apple was having a hard time, it made a clever move to promote its computers. Each school in California, the manufacturer of "apple" products gave one Macintosh. It was the mid 80s. Schoolchildren simply fell in love with the computer, and vied with each other to tell their parents about the novelty. Thus, Apple did a good deed and spread the word about its computer product. As a result, a generation has grown up in America that has chosen Mac for itself.
  • The well-known Mister Proper also distinguished himself. The drawn hero, as it turned out, can cope with pollution outside the apartments. Advertising agency Gray Worldwide chose a pedestrian crossing as its target. One of the stripes was painted in bright white, so that it contrasts with the rest of the gray ones. And in the corner they drew a recognizable smiling Genie of purity. I wonder how many crossed the clean lane so as not to stain it?


  • Popular channel National Geographic used public transport. To advertise a new series of programs about predatory animals with the telling title "Designed to Kill", advertisers placed a shark on the side of the bus. Sinister jaws fit on the sliding doors, which, when closed, seemed to “swallow” the passenger. Such advertising, of course, could not fail to attract attention. True, some especially sensitive people could wait for another, more “safe” transport.

  • If you give examples of guerrilla marketing in Russia, you can not help but recall the Euroset. A network of mobile communication stores staged a truly scandalous action. In 2002, the company opened almost a hundred stores. And it was necessary to attract customers. Then they carried out an advertising campaign on the verge of a foul right on April 1st. The first 20 people (10 men and 10 women) to strip naked will receive a mobile phone as a gift. Of course, there were two dozen not too scrupulous people. But what a resonance the action itself received. Compared to the costs, the company gained a much larger number of real customers. The media savored the event for a long time, and photos of naked lucky people roamed the net for even longer.


  • Spiderman. It would seem, who does not know about the popular comic book hero? But before the premiere of the second film, PR people decided to add fuel to the interest of the audience. And they did it in a very unusual way. A "special" urinal for a superhero was taken in the men's room. Of course, almost under the ceiling. Whether you like it or not, it was hard not to pay attention to this original move. And don't think about the guy in the red and blue suit.


  • In 2004, a rather spectacular disaster film "The Day After Tomorrow" was released, once again raising the problem of global warming and its consequences. In order, in turn, to raise a wave of interest in him among their compatriots, Indian advertisers went to extreme measures - they threw the poster into the sea. More precisely, not quite so. Advertising agency Contact placed a billboard with a poster in the sea, near the city of Mumbai. The water almost half hid the poster, hinting at what was happening in the film.


  • The Gavana Club brand has decided to advertise their new Cuba Libra cocktail. But they approached the matter with a twist. An Arab sheikh and his retinue came to the opening of the yacht club "Hals" among the well-known beau monde. The appearance of such a guest did not cause a stir, but it could not fail to attract attention. From the VIP seat where the sheikh and his entourage were seated, it was perfectly clear what he was being treated to. And, of course, the sheikh drank exclusively Cuba Libra. To maintain attention, dummy guests asked others about the sheikh, paying attention to his drinking. Toward the end, a guest from the Emirates treated everyone to a cocktail.
  • Another example of an advertising campaign that should be noted. Despite the fact that it happened at the beginning of the last century. None other than the then Russian businessman Nikolai Shustov, who produced cognac of the same name, hired about a dozen students. Young people went to taverns and demanded this drink. And if "Shustov" was not available, they made a brawl. Of course, newspapers wrote about it. So Moscow learned about the new product.
  • Sitronics decided to act as the blacksmith of its own popularity. And I used the life placement technique. The bottom line is that front people walked in busy places with the appropriate technology. Periodically, they met "friends" and talked about the merits of new clothes. In addition, before sending their sales agents to the store where the company would like to see its product, front people called this place and asked if Sitronics was available. Thus, even before the start of sales, brand awareness has increased significantly.
  • From 2004 to 2014, the detective series ASPE was broadcast on English-language TV. One of the new seasons required only a box of chalk for its advertising. PR people painted on the pavement the silhouettes of people that the police usually do at the scene of an accident with victims. And in the center of each silhouette, they announced the return of the detective and added the time of the premiere of the series. Not expensive, but attracts attention.

  • Another series also decided to add a touch of drama. This time - on a criminal theme. The American TV project "The Sopranos", as the name implies, tells about the ups and downs of life of the mafia clan. So the advertising campaign of the new season was approached in a gangster way. A taxi drove around the city, from the trunk of which a man's hand hung drearily. And next to it is a sticker with the name of the series. Is the taxi driver really who he claims to be?

Advertisement for The Sopranos

  • Originally approached the advertising of a new car in Switzerland. There, the agency Jung von Matt received an order to promote the Smart car, known for its modest dimensions. The PR people simply placed a small city car billboard between two standard-sized billboards with premium cars. Thus, advertisers hinted at the ability of a small car to fit in any space, which is so valuable in a big city.

  • Known for his creative approach and the Coca-Cola brand. This time they decided to combine classical and guerrilla approaches. Advertising boards at bus stops today are more often ignored. Whereas good advertising should cling. Literally. And the soda shield, with the help of Velcro, really clung to the clothes of passers-by. It's hard not to pay attention in such a situation.


  • Advertising watches is also unusual. The Swiss company IWC gave public transport passengers the opportunity to try on a new Big Pilot`s watch model, created for pilots. How? Just by releasing seat belts for vehicles with watch prints. Grasping the loop while moving, everyone could evaluate how the novelty would look on them.


  • English men love pubs, beer and billiards. And especially when it all comes together in one place. To increase their sales, Guinness played on men's passions. The tips of the cues had stickers advertising this beer. Men played billiards, wanted to drink - and ordered Guinness. In a short period of time, sales increased by almost 50%.

Every year, the cost of conventional advertising increases, while its effectiveness, on the contrary, is rapidly falling. The tension of advertising informational noise is growing like a snowball, and will soon reach a critical point, when advertising will not be paid attention at all.

An average resident of a big city sees and hears 1.5-2 thousand advertising messages per day on average. In such an environment, the use guerrilla marketing become a very strong argument. Especially for small companies that have a strictly limited advertising budget or none at all.

The main task of guerrilla marketing- to be remembered by a potential buyer, to encourage him to take a certain action. Moreover, this must be done, preferably with minimal monetary costs, in an unusual and positive context. The main investment here is time and out-of-the-box thinking.

In this article, I have collected for you the best examples of guerrilla marketing. There were 35 such examples in total.

Naturally, you must understand that each business is unique, so copying these ideas in most cases will be problematic. However, despite this, we hope that many of these examples will help you use your imagination and generate your own, no less GENIUS and EFFECTIVE partisan techniques.

So go ahead!

1. Advertising agency entered into a partnership agreement with a network of household appliances stores. After that, on the screens of all televisions of the trading network, commercials began to be regularly shown. An advertising agency promotes such advertising services and develops videos. The profit is divided between the chain of stores and the agency according to the agreement.

2. The bookstore wanted to gain an edge over the competition. by delivering books to the buyer's home. But calculations showed that such an idea would cost too much. After that, the bookstore came up with a way out - they established cooperation with a nearby pizzeria. When the courier goes to the desired area, he also takes with him a parcel from the bookstore.

3. Owner of shops selling men's suits, wanted to increase sales. He ordered a thousand different coins, which resembled the coins of a certain state. These coins were plated in platinum, gold and silver and distributed to each store. The seller, while packing the suit, discreetly put one of these coins into his jacket pocket.

It was assumed that the buyer would later discover this expensive-looking coin, show it to his relatives, acquaintances, colleagues and, of course, mention the store where he made the purchase. However, sales for the 1st month did not noticeably change. However, in the next month, sales increased by 3.5 times!

4. Firm for the manufacture of armored doors, used side-by-side advertising. When her masters finished installing a door for another client, one of them goes up to the top floor and leaves a small card with a message on each doorknob. It says that the tenant of such and such an apartment has already installed a new door manufactured by this company.

The cost of this card is a penny, taking into account full-color printing. After analyzing the results, the company's management concluded that the effectiveness of such promotion is noticeably higher than with the help of other advertising media.

5. Pet shop to promote his products, he invited students from nearby schools on an educational tour of the store as part of a lesson in natural history. At the end of the tour, each student was given a GIFT - a live fish in a bag of water. As well as a detailed brochure on how to care for this fish. As a result, many parents of these children purchased an aquarium for the fish, as well as specific food, algae, an aerator, and other related products. The total profit from this action was dozens of times higher than the cost of donated fish.

6. When Apple was having a rough time, she donated one computer to each California school. This achieved 2 goals:
- First, the children told their parents about the new computer.
- Secondly, a whole generation of users has formed who have become fans of Apple products.

7. Owner of a popular US restaurant chain spent very little money on marketing. Despite this, his restaurants always had a lot of customers. How did he do it? Every time he opened a new restaurant, he organized a grand reception in it, to which he invited all the hairdressers of the city. They had fun and ate delicious food at the expense of the owner, and the next day they went to work in a great mood.

How do hairdressers work? Exactly! They interact with clients every day. And for several weeks they are happy to spread the word about a wonderful restaurant where you can have a good evening.

8. One lawyer, specializes in obtaining monetary compensation for road accidents and work-related injuries. He negotiated personal recommendations with a traumatologist or radiologist. And when the victim, just in bandages, is brought to the X-ray room on a gurney, the doctor kindly holds out the lawyer’s business card and says: “Do you want this bastard who ran you over to pay you 10 thousand USD? This lawyer will drink all the blood out of her, but he will get money for you.

9. An interesting promotion was held for the Gavana Club brand, popularizing Cuba Libra cocktails. At the opening ceremony of the Gals Yacht Club, where many famous guests were invited, a sheikh appeared with his retinue. Naturally, his arrival aroused interest, but it was taken quite naturally. No one noticed that it was a theatrical performance - another creative of advertisers.

The sheikh, along with his retinue, was placed in prestigious places where security was organized. It was impossible to get close to the exotic guest, but it was not difficult to see what he was eating and drinking. And he drank exclusively Cuba Libra. Interest in the sheikh was additionally increased by special people, asking the guests about the sheikh and, as if by chance, drawing their attention to what he eats and drinks.

At the end of the party, when the audience got excited, the sheikh's girlfriend announced that she wanted to treat everyone present with a drink (of course, Cuba Libra). The guests again did not notice the catch, since the status of the event allowed such gestures to be made. But they appreciated the drink, especially since they were treated to a real sheikh.

10. Back in the early 20th century Russian businessman Nikolai Shustov hired a dozen students who were supposed to bypass Moscow taverns and demand Shustov cognac. Not finding this, the students made scandals and got into a fight. Local newspapers began to write about this, and Moscow learned about a new brand of alcohol.

11. An example of successful use of guerrilla marketing in Direct mail we can name the experience of Evans Industries. She was faced with the task of developing an effective and inexpensive way to stimulate distributor sales. Evans Industries president Salvador Aliotta said they didn't have the funds to launch a large-scale advertising campaign, so he had no other option but to use guerrilla marketing methods.

At that time, the jackpot in one popular lottery was $20 million. They bought and sent out a lottery ticket to each of their distributors. Along with the lottery ticket, they included a letter saying they could become millionaires by either winning the lottery or selling Evans Industries products.

“For just $300, we ran a successful promotional campaign that increased loyalty and awareness of our products”- shared Salvador Aliotta.

12. Probably one of the earliest examples of guerrilla marketing in direct mail mentioned the almanac "World Traveler" for 1900 (!!!) year. “A New York theater director sent out posters to the residents of the city, enclosing a check for 4 cents on each of them.

The text of the pamphlet was as follows: "Your Majesty! I'm assuming your annual income is $15,000. Since you probably recognize the fact that time is money, we're enclosing a check for 4 cents to pay for the two minutes of your time you use to do this. to read a short and truthful listing of some of the original and new scenes that feature the new three-act musical joke “Damn Grandma”; she will go next Monday for the first time.”

This was followed by a listing of these scenes. The calculation of the action was based on the fact that many people would read the ad, accompanied by a check, but it is unlikely that many of the wealthy people would want to cash such a meager check. Indeed, the advertising campaign made an impression - the hall was full, and only a few cashed their checks.

13. The financial crisis negatively affected the real estate market in the US and, as a result, forced real estate sellers to use their brains to attract clients. Owners of one new building in Los Angeles found a very original way to attract the attention of buyers (and at the same time the media) to their asset.

In the windows of unsold and unrented apartments, homeowners placed human silhouettes of shadows dancing a striptease. The dancers, of course, amuse the audience not in real time - the video is broadcast by a projector. Surprisingly, the clients are coming. The attraction of sex helps even in real estate.

14. Reception, which can be used by companies delivering goods. On the packaging, depending on the product itself, an original sticker is developed with the inscription: “They didn’t throw, didn’t wet, treated with care. Company …

15. In order to make sure that many media outlets discuss some action, you need to create a fairly daring pretext. Euroset has been especially successful in this direction. For example, on April 1, 2002, the company held a campaign in which everyone could get a mobile phone for free, but with one condition: he must come to one of the Euroset stores without clothes (AT ALL).

There were many lovers of freebies, but there are much more people who want to look at this spectacle. The facts were documented on photos and videos, and, of course, Euroset logos were present in all frames. Information about this action was published in a number of media, and after a while, photos of naked but happy owners of Motorola C350 phones were posted on the Internet.

And for several years after that, the photos roamed the net: on forums, news and entertainment sites, etc. The action "Undress and get a mobile phone" cost the company only $ 1,300, but the popularity of the Euroset has grown significantly.

16. Sitronics Company, used the so-called “life placement” technique (creating an artificial popularity of the product), using fake “happy” buyers for this. The essence of the action is that people who carried boxes with Sitronics equipment appeared at many busy metro stations in large cities.

Promoters sometimes "accidentally" met their "friends" and loudly discussed the "purchase". In addition, before sending a sales representative to a store where the company planned to sell its little-known equipment, shell buyers called there and asked if Sitronics equipment was on sale. Before the start of the campaign, brand awareness was 26.5%, after - 44%.

The network of stores did something similar "Just". Here's what it looked like:

17. France. Guerrilla action to promote LEE jeans:

18. Promotion of car service services in the capital of Austria, Vienna. Quite creative SUVs were used for the action:

The plastic legs of the dummies sticking out from under the bottom created the illusion that the car was being repaired on the go.

Such a fast service!

The inscription on the plate: Are you in need of a change? Call me... Hairdresser.

20. Network of sportswear stores "Sportmaster" conducted extreme tests of Columbia clothing with the help of RA "Marketing Communications":

11 SUVs(6 in Moscow and 5 in St. Petersburg) traveled through the streets of the city for 3 days. There were no problems, although many traffic police officers stopped unusual cars out of sheer curiosity. They did not try to fine – the action took place within the framework of the law.

21. An example of a partisan action to promote the new season of ASPE detective series(ASPE is the name of the detective). As you know, the police circle the found bodies of murdered people with chalk in order to preserve their shape at the crime scene. Which is what was used in this example:

The inscription in the center - Aspe is back, Monday 21-40 on VTM.

22. Quite a popular technique using stickers that are attached to the door - a little below the peephole. Promotion of the pizzeria "Papa Johns"

23. A similar technique of guerrilla marketing, only now the well-known model Eva Padberg looks through the peephole to thousands of German residents and offers them the Otto catalog. Moreover, she is not dressed quite conservatively:

24. 100% hit in the target audience was made by the EURO RSCG agency by placing anti-caries mouthwash advertisement on the ceiling of dental clinics:

Ceiling inscription: "Do you want to stare at that dreary ceiling again?"

“Are you going to think more about your mouthwash now?”

25. Agency Arriba Media Group conducted an advertising campaign to promote the penthouses of one of the developers of luxury real estate. A penthouse is a specific product for a certain category of consumers, so it is quite difficult to advertise them using standard methods.

Therefore, the idea of ​​a direct mailing was chosen, as a result of which the target audience (owners of large businesses) received a package with unusual content. Each prospective client, on a certain day, the courier personally gave a box of thick black cardboard into his hands. Upon opening it, it was hard not to be surprised:

Only by removing the fluff and feathers, a person directly discovers an advertising booklet:

On the following pages- a story about what a penthouse is and the advantages of this type of luxury real estate.

26. An interesting idea was used for promotion cottage settlements "Nikolina polyana" and "Mikhailovskoe". According to statistics, informational advertising on billboards near the construction site brings the largest number of calls to developers.

The task was to draw attention to these information boards:

27. Pretty funny business card of one of the employees of the collection agency in the form of an x-ray of a hand with a broken thumb. Customers are said to have a sharp increase in their desire to get their money back:

28. A real Mini Cooper suspended from a multistory building+ 2500 watt spotlights reaching to the stratosphere = the original advertisement, which was written about for free by many media outlets and many sites on the Internet:

32. Advertising agency Rethink from Canada launched a guerrilla campaign for advertising security film for Scotchshield glass. 3 transparent "safes" were installed in the city, using "anti-vandal" film Scotchshield. Each showcase contained 1 million dollars and the inscription: "Heavy-duty glass ad! The money is real!" Who will break - he will take:

The non-standard approach impressed both professional advertisers - many recognized the idea as ingenious - and ordinary people who vigorously discussed how to get such a lot of money from under the glass.

You could only hit the safe with your hands and feet. And the use of any specialized tools, weapons or equipment was not allowed. Vigilant guards who were on the other side of the street monitored compliance with the rules.

Many tried to get this money ...

... but the glass remained intact.

Eventually, The publicity stunt cost the customer only 6,000 USD, and was recognized as very successful: it was covered in many media, and photos of this stand can now be found on many Internet resources that are related to marketing and advertising.

33. Magnifying glass. Swedish bank SKANDIABANKEN found an amazing way to get the consumer interested and read all the advertising information from beginning to end. In the center of a stark white poster with an attached magnifying glass is text printed in tiny letters:

"Hi. You obviously read the fine print. That's good. Unfortunately, not everyone does it. Most banks make a lot of dollars from this every day. They hide the real value with the help of asterisks and small print. With us no one has to decipher the hidden messages. Put an end to huge profits! How about our 3.25% from your savings account? Go to skandiabanken.se today."

34. Advertising newspaper. Half of the page is occupied by a full-color advertisement with a list of services provided. And next to it, a black-and-white ad the size of a matchbox dipped in - the arrow points to a full-color ad, and it says "We offer the same thing, only cheap and professional." And the phone is in big print. And that's it.

35. One ski equipment dealer in Moscow in the early 90s, had a container in the courtyard of a residential building, where he traded at extremely low prices - even without a cash register. When his clients asked where else they could look, they were willingly given the address of competitors, namely those who traded at the most atomic prices. Having gone to them, almost everyone returned for cheap. And they were happy.

A special joke was that the closest competitor, "the one around the corner here," belonged to him! Where the assortment was 5 times smaller, and prices were 2 times higher. But this store also paid for itself, and did not serve as a lure. Moreover, some of those who came to the “elite” store initially (not on a tip from the container) were sent to the container, returned back, and bought the same thing, only at a bomb price.

Well, just from a joke: “Did you take 100 dollars? What a fool! Around the corner, exactly the same ties for three hundred! Joking aside, this rusty container made $2 million a year. Except for abnormally low prices as advertising, not a cent was spent on advertising. They didn’t even spend money on the inscription in chalk on the container.

P.S. What successful examples of guerrilla marketing do you know?


In fact, this is a low budget ad, a kind of alternative to traditional sources of promotion of the company (newspapers, TV, outdoor advertising). Instead of huge investments in expensive printing or billboards in the city center, this method also offers out-of-the-box thinking. Often, investments in such promotion are minimal or non-existent. This also usually includes covert marketing, when the consumer does not know that he has encountered promotion.

The term was coined by Jay Levinson in the 1980s.. Why "partisan"? This is a direct reference to military stratagems, thanks to which it is possible to win a victory with small forces and covert actions. There is also an association with small businesses that do not have large funds for effective promotion.

Features of the approach

The main principles of the strategy that make this method so attractive and effective:

  • Limited budget. Low investment and high conversion. Promotion channels are often chosen, allowing you to calculate the return on literally every dollar spent. If this is promotion on the Internet, then you can find out how many people went to your site and made an order for the money spent on contextual advertising.
  • Non-standard approach. Unexpected ideas work with amazing efficiency. People are so accustomed to the usual advertising on TV or on banners, typical Internet ads, that any unusual move attracts attention.
  • Deviation from moral and ethical standards. Shocking, provocation, playing on sexuality, in general, actions on the verge of a foul. The main thing is a subtle approach, and the action will not go unnoticed. A classic example is a smartphone as a gift from Euroset to those who strip naked on the street on the opening day of the salon. It seems to be an indecent action, but there were hundreds of people who wanted to.
  • . It is necessary to offer what the consumer needs right now, and in such a way that he is “hooked”. In order for the strategy to have an effect, a thorough analysis of the needs of the buyer is carried out. For example, if a person in an unfamiliar city gets into a taxi, he needs to know where to stop and eat. Relevant establishments can play on this by agreeing with taxi drivers on print or oral advertising. This also includes emotions. If the client experienced strong emotions from the action, he will definitely remember you.
  • Fast effect. A small company cannot afford to wait months for a response, spending money on promotion. The result is here and now.
  • One time use. Repeating the same move several times will not work and does not make sense. Therefore, the maximum is squeezed out of the promotion.

Types of guerrilla marketing

Conventionally, there are many types of such promotion associated with different channels and ways of influencing the audience.

Viral promotion. Viral strategy, creating content and messages distributed by consumers themselves. You need to attract attention and impress a person so that he himself tells others about you.

Outdoor media. The main tools are stickers, stickers, catchy packaging, unusual banners, etc.

Point, directed influence on consumers. Contacting the client directly. This includes direct mailing of your materials. For example, with mail, invoices of wholesale depots (Sberbank experience), etc.

Local impact. The attention of buyers in a certain territory is attracted with the help of bright advertising, announcement of their prices, unusual offers and gifts. This is useful for a business that is limited geographically (for example, a grocery store in one area of ​​the city). It makes sense for such a firm to collect as many customers as possible living and working nearby, rather than throwing large amounts of money on promotions throughout the city.

Innovative channels and promotion methods that are fundamentally different from the usual strategy for this company.

Sample- the manufacturer of toothpaste increased the diameter of the hole in the tube, which increased sales several times.

Other low-budget channels. Methods that are possible or for little money. Distribution of leaflets, contextual advertising, shop windows, etc.

Who is guerrilla marketing for?

This is a real lifesaver for small and medium enterprises. Small businesses can be promoted this way for years, until the budget allows more expensive and large-scale promotions.

The middle segment, by successfully combining "guerrilla" and traditional channels, increases the impact of their promotions and saves money.

For a large enterprise, this is an opportunity to reach out to those who do not respond to conventional advertising methods.. So the company will win a few more percent of the market, and in terms of the number of buyers, we are talking about millions.


How to organize a partisan advance

The most guerrilla marketing turns out to be subtle promotional moves:

  1. "Offer yourself" on time. For example, if you are doing a sale of skates, then do it for the opening of a new city ice rink.
  2. Find your small audience, for which major competitors will not even fight. In a small segment, profit increases not due to the number of buyers, but due to an increase in the average check. If a person buys certain products only from you, offer him useful related products, thereby increasing the profit of the enterprise. Do you sell sewing threads? Offer to immediately buy cute jewelry boxes and storage boxes!
  3. Item with a legend. An example is Moleskine notebooks, allegedly identical to those used by the famous Picasso and Hemingway.
  4. Use of any surfaces that the buyer is looking at. This is information on the packaging that many potential customers will see, original price tags, sorting goods into categories (the target message is “books for schoolchildren”, “gadgets for designers”, etc.)
  5. Playing on current news and high-profile topics. Any world or regional event can be used by the company in its promotion to attract awareness of the information occasion.
  6. Mass distribution of materials. Examples are signs with house numbers from mobile operators, subway signs from the Ax brand.
  7. Hidden promotion.
  8. Cooperation with other companies working for the same target audience. For example, you sell flowers and place your information on gift wrappings of souvenirs or cakes, as a hint that not everything has been bought for the holiday.

Guerrilla Marketing Methods

All techniques can be divided into two large groups: Applicable online and offline. Some methods work equally well in both cases. In particular, hidden advertising. These are branded cutlery in restaurants from food and beverage manufacturers. Actors demonstrating goods on the street or in public places.

An example is the experience of a firm, which paid actors to happily walk the busy streets with their products packaged in brightly colored boxes with a large manufacturer's name. On the Web, in this way, a casual conversation is conducted on forums, discussions are created supposedly on behalf of an ordinary consumer, comments and reviews are left.

Offline

Common and effective options:

  • Direct mailing of a commercial offer with original design and message;
  • External media - city lights at stops, shop windows, building facades, uniforms of workers, etc. The main thing is extravagance to attract looks, and preferably an unusual place for your information;
  • Offer related services ;
  • Distribution of branded souvenirs (folders, pens, etc.);
  • Conducting thematic events, forums, trainings;
  • Bonuses and promotions that make a person bring new customers.

Internet Methods

The best options that any small business can implement are:

1. Active work and web pages visited by potential customers. Regular interesting content is sure to attract readers. It is important to create a dialogue with consumers. This is done through surveys, contests, gifts;

2. Creating and distributing viral content. This includes pictures, infographics, slides, videos, music, podcasts, mobile apps, or special browser extensions.

Guerrilla Marketing Examples

Sony Ericsson was incredibly effective in telling the audience about the new phone model, sending 60 actors with their products to the central streets. They simply asked passers-by to take a photo on this phone and in a casual conversation talked about the benefits of the gadget. No one suspected a dirty trick and perceived the actor as an ordinary person.

An action held at the beginning of the 20th century to distribute Shustov cognac. Nikolai Shustov paid students to visit drinking establishments, where they demanded Shustov's cognac. When there was no cognac, the students raised a fuss and scandal. In just a few days, all of Moscow learned about the new product.

implemented by Apple to distribute your new computer. Every California school got one Macintosh. Naturally, the rest of the PCs did not stand up to comparison, and enthusiastic schoolchildren buzzed their parents all ears about the new supercomputer. Subsequently, a whole generation of Apple fans grew up.

Mr. Proper used normal pedestrian crossings. Over time, the paint on them becomes dull and off-white. But one strip was dyed bright white, and the detergent logo was applied on top. Like, this tool can do everything. This is a brilliant example of how to keep people from forgetting about your products in everyday life.

Such promotion is a “chance for survival” for small firms and for large businesses. Non-standard approach and originality work almost one hundred percent!

Our world is ruled by marketers. They are the ones who set trends and create excitement. For the most part, the composition of our shopping cart depends on them. And although many people try to resist advertising imposition, defending their right to choose, marketers do not give up.

Today we will talk about one of the most effective advertising tools - about guerrilla marketing.

What is guerrilla marketing

Briefly, then guerrilla marketing It is a low-budget way to promote a product or service. It is based on a non-standard solution to advertising issues and is suitable mainly for small and medium-sized businesses.

The term was coined in 1984 by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing". Why partisan? Because the author describes effective, but practical, inconspicuous and inexpensive ways of advertising.

Features of guerrilla marketing

Guerrilla marketing has the following distinguishing features:

  • Limited budget. Guerrilla Marketing does not require large investments, but at the same time it is quite effective due to creativity and narrow focus.

The pet store invites students from a nearby school on a tour, and then gives each child a fish in a jar with detailed instructions on how to care for and care for it. The goal has been achieved - parents of schoolchildren buy everything they need in this store.

  • non-standard methods. The more unexpected the idea of ​​advertising, the higher the result can be.

The owner of the restaurant invites people who work with clients every day (hairdressers, manicurists, cosmetologists) to the opening and arranges a first-class banquet for them. The expectation that masters will share their impressions in communication with clients works. In the newly opened restaurant in a few days full house.

  • Freedom of expression without respect for morality and ethics. We are talking about shocking and provocation as advertising tools.
  • Psychological impact. A detailed analysis of the target audience, identifying its “pains”, playing on feelings and emotions at the right time in the right place is the key to the success of any advertising campaign.

Advertising brochures or even gift coupons for specialized stores of goods for expectant mothers and babies are freely available in antenatal clinics. Future parents will certainly come in handy, especially since these stores, as a rule, are located near the antenatal clinic.

  • Fast result. Guerrilla Marketing refers to promotional tools for small and medium-sized businesses. Novice entrepreneurs are not ready to wait for the results of an advertising campaign for a long time, and the effect of marketing activities should be almost instantaneous.

Distribution of service station business cards in auto parts stores. Parts buyers are immediately informed where they can get help.

  • Disposability. Guerrilla actions are bright and memorable, but they are only suitable for a one-time use. Using the same ad a second time would be a waste of money.

Apple, in order to kill two birds with one stone - to tell about itself and increase sales - gave each California school a brand new computer. Only one. The marketing service managed to capture the imagination of students and teachers, who enthusiastically talked about miracle computers to their parents. The company's expectations were met with a vengeance.

Types of guerrilla marketing

There are more than a dozen of them, we will tell only about the most popular:

  • "Word of mouth". This type is also called "viral advertising". The dissemination of the necessary information occurs with the help of the consumers of the products themselves and, as a rule, not on purpose.
  • Outdoor advertising. Billboards, banners, flyers that appear in the right place at the right time. For example, on the outskirts of the city, a billboard with an advertisement for a large hypermarket, or near a store, a billboard of competitors with an attractive promotion.
  • Dot advertising. This is a narrowly targeted advertisement, for example, for pensioners, youth, young parents, accountants, etc.

  • Local advertising. It is broadcast in a specific area. A grocery store in a big city should only be advertised in the area where it is located. Covering the entire city with advertising does not make sense.
  • Hiden advertisment. It masquerades as a sincere and interesting discussion, an exchange of opinions or a recommendation "from the heart". Today, this type of guerrilla marketing is most often used by popular social media bloggers.

Guerrilla Marketing Methods

All methods can be safely divided into two groups - online and offline.

1. Offline methods

These include methods that have been popular since the last century:

  • souvenir products with the company logo;
  • thematic events, trainings, marathons, forums;
  • promotions and gift bonuses;
  • additional free services.

2. Online methods

  • active development and maintenance of social networks;
  • creation of mobile applications;
  • creation of memes and viral pictures;
  • reworking of popular songs;
  • e-mail distribution.

These methods are actively used by startups and owners of small companies, because. do not require large sums of money.

Methods guerrilla marketing most effective in tandem.

The accelerator of online schools Accel is an Internet project, but its creators gather residents twice a year at an online conference in Alushta and once every few months at forums in Moscow.

Guerrilla Marketing Examples

The most striking examples guerrilla marketing we have listed above. Here are some interesting examples from the history of Russian marketing:

  1. An unknown entrepreneur, Nikolai Shustov, hired several students to go to drinking establishments and demand Shustov cognac. When they were refused, the students began to swear, rowdy, fight. The next day, Shustov brandy was known throughout Moscow.
  2. Marketers advertising the legendary cleaner Mr. Proper decided to paint one of the lanes of the pedestrian crossing in bright white paint. Compared to the rest of the bands, it looked the cleanest. And, of course, it was emblazoned with the emblem of the cleaning agent.
  3. The appearance of children's rooms in cafes and restaurants is also a good example. guerrilla marketing. The owners needed to increase the amount of time diners could spend in the restaurant. And they succeeded: children play, and parents increase the average bill.

Conclusion

Did you know what is guerrilla marketing, and got acquainted with interesting examples. Now you can safely apply this knowledge in business. However, we advise you to be careful. Not every creative and ambiguous notion is accepted with a bang. But if everything works out, your brand will become recognizable and you will make a profit.

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Promotion of goods or services of the company according to a peculiar algorithm of actions with a limited budget was called guerrilla marketing back in 1984. The concept was introduced by the American Jay Levinson, an employee of a large advertising agency.

Guerrilla marketing is based on a number of basic and rather categorical principles:

  • Go to your customer only in the most direct and low-cost way.
  • Think through the originality of the idea to the smallest detail.
  • Communicate with the buyer personally, relying on reliable psychological facts, and not the guesswork of marketers.
  • The main goal of any ongoing campaign is to increase not so much the number of sales as the profit from each sale.
  • Always maintain an emphasis on the quality of an existing product or service instead of constantly expanding the range.
  • By all available means to strengthen and maintain a loyal attitude towards the company of existing customers instead of an endless search for new ones.
  • Apply a variety of combinations of relevant marketing tools.
  • Instead of an open manifestation of hostility or sarcasm towards the main competitors, look for ways of mutually beneficial cooperation with them.
  • Actively use the Internet as a limitless resource for guerrilla marketing.
  • Be very clear about your target audience and their needs.
  • To root in the mind the understanding that an impressive investment in the advertising budget will always successfully replace a thoughtful and verified, but cheaper move.
  • Never aim for a customer to make a purchase on initial contact. The priority is to leave only the establishment of trust, which will push for purchases in the short term.
  • Be careful with provocative and outrageous actions. It is easy to "go too far" and earn a stable negative reputation out of the blue.

World-famous marketers pay attention to one important nuance. Even the perfect adherence to each of these principles can be completely useless without a deep knowledge of human psychology. And, of course, we must not forget that we are not selling a service or a specific product, but only its benefit.

Types of guerrilla marketing

Viral

Most of the promotion is done through social media. The task of viral videos, photos or text materials is to make people talk about themselves along the chain. As a result, there is a large-scale coverage of the target audience, thanks to which each user becomes an advertising medium on his page or blog and an active distributor of information through available channels. Forums, communities on social networks, top blogs, as well as photo and video hosting sites for YouTube subscribers are recognized as the best platforms for "sowing" the virus.

outrageous

A complex of scandalous and even shocking actions of a veiled advertising nature. A clear violation of morality and law with the sole purpose of attracting the attention of the maximum number of people. At the same time, there is an emphasis on achieving an effect at any cost - even if the reaction of the direct participants is purely negative. Contrary to one of the principles of guerrilla marketing, the costs of outrageous actions can be quite significant.

Hidden

Promotion technology with an indirect impact on the target audience. Most often, personal “useful recommendations”, reviews, comments, reviews of public and popular personalities, brand advertising in feature and documentary films in the background and secondary are used. A well-planned campaign triggers the word-of-mouth effect.

Life Placement

A guerrilla marketing tool that creates an artificial life situation that directly involves a representative of the target audience. A casual passer-by or event participant, at the request of a BTL agent, must perform certain actions with a secretly advertised object.

For example, BTL agents walk around the city as tourists and ask random passers-by to take a picture of them on a mobile phone against the background of a particular attraction. By fulfilling this request, the participant of the action manages to evaluate the advantages of the gadget. However, he should not in any way guess that this is a hidden promotion. In Russia, LP is still rarely used.

Methods

Guerrilla marketing is actively used both offline and online. And the direct methods of these two categories include a wide variety of actions:

  • interactive survey, game, lottery;
  • funny pictures or demotivators;
  • viral text on the forum, in social networks or blogs;
  • interviews, webinars and videos;
  • mutually beneficial cooperation with a company whose target audience is also yours;
  • provocative events that will arouse the interest of the media;
  • advertising posters with information about a competitor that will play in favor of the company;
  • ordinary things in an unusual perspective;
  • advertising in public;
  • viral flash games;
  • car or street performance;
  • advertising on animals;
  • optical illusions;
  • creative souvenir products that are difficult to throw away;
  • targeted e-mail distribution.

Pros and cons of guerrilla marketing

It is difficult to name a method of promotion without its drawbacks. Each specific situation is based on its own priorities. This gives reason to talk about the effectiveness of guerrilla strategies, even with obvious risks and potentially questionable results.

pros

  • Significantly lower budget costs compared to traditional advertising campaigns.
  • Promotes the development of innovative thinking and imagination.
  • Easily spread through word of mouth.
  • Thanks to a well-thought-out strategy, the company earns a reputation for being creative and stylish.
  • There is every chance of gaining sudden popularity with a positive reputation.

Minuses

  • Any message always runs the risk of being misinterpreted. Especially if somewhere they missed the target audience.
  • There is always a risk of causing dissatisfaction with the local administration and city authorities.
  • Frequent unforeseen difficulties. For example, dramatically changing weather conditions.
  • It is extremely difficult to plan ahead and measure potential efficiency.

What kind of business is guerrilla marketing suitable for?

A rather stereotypical opinion has taken root that guerrilla marketing is relevant for small and medium-sized businesses. But why not use in large? There is no single reason for such a subjective gradation. The only difference is that in each case there will be variations.

If, for example, a small business uses guerrilla marketing as its main advertising campaigns, then the average one uses optimal combinations with traditional advertising media. As for the big one, PM tools help to reach those categories of the target audience that remain indifferent to traditional advertising. On the scale of a particular market, this can be several million people.

Guerrilla Marketing Examples

In tourism

In promoting the tourism business by guerrilla methods, it is extremely important to constantly rely on surveys and the identified needs of the target audience. Based on this information, you can track viral messages on personal blogs with an emphasis on your own experience. Increasingly popular are personal travel notes of a representative of the tourist industry. A large number of viral texts and photo collections with detailed descriptions of the author's personal preferences form the maximum trust among the audience.

Similarly, partner programs are gaining momentum, under the terms of which a travel agency or tour operator with a partner company discreetly advertise each other. With each subsequent month, the number of such programs can grow rapidly.

Quite good results are shown by the veiled participation of the tour operator in various competitions and competitions with the provision of vouchers as a prize. Public speaking and sponsorship in the process of mass events always attracts the media, which is an additional big plus.

In the Internet

When working on guerrilla marketing schemes on the Internet, it is important to adhere to the basic rules:

  • Actively engage with current news and trends. Linking content to current events often produces great results.
  • When creating content, it is paramount to focus on the true interests of the target audience, its usefulness and information content.
  • In the process of active communication in social networks or on forums, promote the company's offer with the utmost care. Prevent users from "exposing" your hidden advertising.

Among the most successful examples in this category are:

  • Promotion with the help of popular bloggers. Girls on Instagram with numerous followers are perfect. By attracting a large number of such users to cooperate, amazing results can be achieved.
  • Posting a viral video with an imitation of filming with a hidden camera.
  • Photo promotion. There is a huge variability here, the most important thing is to create really popular visual content and distribute it as much as possible.
  • Communication on thematic forums of interest.
  • Posting reviews on behalf of real people.
  • Communication through comments in communities and groups of social networks.

Guerrilla Marketing in Russia

The Euroset company on April 1, 2002 distinguished itself with the most outrageous marketing campaign. Under the terms of the promotion, the first 10 women and 10 men who enter the store completely naked will receive a mobile phone as a gift. Of course, the group of people who wished was fully staffed, everyone received the promised gift, the action gained a huge response, and Euroset's sales increased significantly.

Top 5 Guerrilla Marketing Books

Alexander Levitas "More money from your business." An outside view of your business. The author urges to pay close attention to the seemingly insignificant small details of the business. A set of techniques and methods, set out in the simplest possible language, which in the literal sense can become the main keys to progressive profit growth. The book is especially relevant for small business owners, as well as employees and managers of advertising and marketing departments.

Jay Levinson and Paul Hanley Guerrilla Marketing. Two popular marketers share how to tap into your buyer's mind to make their own decision. The authors provide an overview of over 500 different strategies with complex verbal patterns, clever use of assumptions and ambiguity, and some hypnotic constructs. Working technicians that brought a tangible increase in profits with a reduced budget. A book for sellers of any level, marketers and top managers.

Pavel Korotin "The Magic of Word of Mouth". The book destroys the established stereotypes about the word-of-mouth concept. The author clearly tells how to see the deep essence of social processes, which, in fact, is the so-called word of mouth. After all, spreading rumors is a social process. The book is intended for business owners who are disillusioned with traditional marketing and are persistently looking for new ways.

Igor Mann "Marketing without a budget". How to build a business with a minimum investment? What to study and who to contact? The author answers these pressing questions, based on personal experience, and teaches how to confidently move from simple to complex. 50 proven ideas for small and medium business owners, salespeople and marketers.

Sergey Shcherbakov Guerrilla marketing in social networks. Rules of affairs SMM - box according to the scheme What? - How? - Why? Schemes for working offline, analysis of problematic aspects of contextual advertising, a package of documents for reporting, planning and self-motivation. The book is extremely useful for anyone who is just planning or is already developing their online business.

Guerrilla Marketing Courses

Courses by Alexander Levitas

International consultant and business coach, author of Express Marketing and More Money from Your Business. http://psy-course.ru/platnyie/finansyi-i-biznes/marketing/partizanskij-marketing

18 videos, after watching which you will:

  • iron to convince the buyer;
  • unmistakably recognize the most solvent customers;
  • easily turn a buyer into a friend and even an advertiser;
  • make a profit at no cost and many other extremely useful features.

The cost of the course is from 5800 rubles.

Seminar on order from Vadim Matyushkin

The seminar program includes a detailed partisan strategy, all kinds of partisan actions and creativity. https://www.src-master.ru/seminar/kursy_po_marketingu/partizanskij_marketing/

The actual cost must be obtained from the organizer additionally.

20 video courses with e-mail programs for guerrilla marketing

https://partizanam.ru The programs of some courses include the basics of copywriting, win-win schemes for writing sales letters and secrets to bypass SPAM filters.




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