Guerrilla Marketing 101
In this article, we share some of the very best sticker guerrilla marketing campaigns we've come across. They're great for inspiration and entertainment! We hope you enjoy.
Had to look twice here, didn’t you? And probably chuckled when you realized that it is humans, not fleas, walking over the floor graphic?
That is guerrilla marketing; making you look twice, igniting an emotion and, for the people there, interacting with a brand.
In this blog post, we want to introduce you to the power of guerrilla marketing and explain why printed stickers are the perfect means to create an impactful campaign.
What is guerrilla marketing?
Guerrilla, or sometimes spelt guerilla comes from the Spanish word guerra, meaning war. The term denotes a particular type of warfare.
It describes civilians or irregulars fighting the traditional military in unorthodox ways. Smaller groups usually have the advantage of mobility, speed and surprise as opposed to larger military troops (Source).
Marketing is obviously not warfare, but the strategy translates just as well. Guerrilla Marketing centres around the element of surprise, catching customers off-guard and exposing them to your business.
Jay Conrad Levinson first coined the term in 1984. The business writer advertised guerrilla marketing as a strategy for entrepreneurs with a limited budget. Instead of financial investments, these campaigns depend on time, creativity and energy – perfect for startups!
Guinness does that perfectly here. While the brand is already known worldwide, it still needs to pop up in the customer’s mind to ignite a purchase.
Here, customers are already in a pub environment where beer is readily available. They just need a nudge to buy a specific brand. Guinness catches them in the ideal moment, while they are awaiting their turn.
Why should you use stickers?
Custom sticker printing maintains Levinson’s idea of guerrilla marketing as a low-cost way to generate exposure. Marketing can be incredibly competitive with US businesses having spent $21.23 billion on marketing in 2019 (Source).
Instead of being bigger, faster and louder than your competitors, you can be more effective than them with stickers.
Bulking buying custom stickers allows you to start a guerrilla campaign all over your city. If suddenly your entire city is plastered with your logo and a QR code, people will notice!
Stickers are also straightforward to apply and do not require massive installations or a team of technicians. Instead, they can be handed out and applied wherever you are.
What makes guerrilla marketing special?
Guerrilla marketing gets noticed. By catching people in everyday, unexpected places, you do not have to compete with other businesses on the shelf or online. Instead, you create your own stage.
Done right, it includes an element of interaction. Once your customers have actively engaged with your brand, they are more likely to buy from you in the future. Especially when the interaction stirred up happy emotions like laughter or joy.
Using stickers, your guerrilla marketing efforts will primarily happen offline. However, these strategies find themselves posted on social media quickly as a good guerrilla campaign is worth sharing.
Users will not consciously share your product, but centre on their experience, which in turn becomes honest – and free – advertising for you.
What to keep in mind:
- Target audience: Be clear about which demographic your product is directed at.
- Location: This is essential for a good campaign. If you know who your target audience is, make sure to place your stickers where they will be seen by them.
- Message: If you are putting all this energy into your campaign, the last thing you want is for it to be misunderstood. Make sure your message is as clear and concise as possible.
- Execution and longevity: You can have the greatest, extravagant ideas but be sure they are feasible.
And that’s it! We hope you enjoyed this little excursion into the world of guerrilla marketing. It is definitely worth a try. You can find a lot more inspiration on Google or Pinterest. Feel free to share your favorites with us!