Successful guerrilla marketing examples

Achieving a marketing goal without spending a lot of money is not impossible. You just need to learn the tactics behind guerrilla marketing. The goal is to gain awareness through unconventional methods.

Why is it called guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is an advertising technique. Guerrilla refers to a small agile military unit that operates behind enemy lines. It also means to cause trouble.

It is successful because it uses inexpensive methods to spread the word about a product or brand. It is also effective because it targets people who are mostly affected by the product or service, yet are not reached by regular advertising campaigns. Unlike other marketing techniques, it is also flexible in terms of time and place.

Key elements:

1. Simplicity - make connections with target audience using simple yet effective messages.
2. Creativity & Innovation - original idea, conveying the message clearly.
3. Passion - creativity combined with hard work, passionate effort brings real results.
4. Growth Mindset - readiness to impact lives and to take risks, be open-minded about new ideas and concepts.

Successful guerrilla marketing cases

UNICEF Finland: "Be a mom for a moment"

In 2009 UNICEF Finland launched the "Be A Mom For a Moment" campaign to raise awareness for children's rights. They distributed 14 baby strollers through out Helsinki.

The strollers made noise of a crying baby and inside the strollers they placed the message: “Thank you for caring, we hope there is more people like you. UNICEF Be a mom for a moment.”

Metro Trains Melbourne: "The Dumb Ways to Die" safety campaign

This marketing campaign was launched in 2012 by an Australian train company called Metro Trains Melbourne. It had more than 80 million views on YouTube and more than 58% of its target audience talked about it with others. People loved it because it was extremely catchy and illustrated the safety rules in a fun way.

Nike: "Make Yourself"

This 2010 campaign meant to inspire and motivate women globally to make the most of their skills and abilities. Nike assembled a team of elite women athletes to tell inspirational stories, fitness routines and goals to motivate other women.

McDonald’s fries crosswalk

During the Zurichfest in Switzerland one particular food-chain converted the pedestrian crossing near their restaurant into a visual French fries. A simple idea got people's attention and made them smile.

On the other hand, McDonald's also had a totally failed marketing campaign in 2013, called #McDstories. They wanted people to share positive stories about the company on Twitter, but instead got hundreds of angry tweets about food and service quality.

Ice bucket challenge

This viral campaign wanted to raise awareness of ALS disease and to find a cure for it. People had to pour ice cold water over their heads and post the video on the social media, nominate three other people who also had to do it within 24 hours or donate money for ALS research. It went crazily viral on social media and raised millions of dollars for research and awareness raising.

Red Bull: "Stratos"

In 2012 Red Bull tried to break the world record for highest skydive. They also wanted to be the first brand in space because their product is about speed and adrenaline. This ambitious goal required a lot of resources, technology and money. And they managed to achieve something that no-one has done before, break the world record.

Aphex Twin: Logo in the London Underground

In 2018 musician Aphex Twin logo mysteriously appeared in the London Underground. This wasn't the first time the artist had employed guerrilla marketing. The artwork sparked speculations of his upcoming album release.

It created a lot of buzz in the media, people shared it on social media and news outlets were quick to cover this story.

Benefits

1. Cost-effective

Such type of marketing tends to be cheaper than other types. Since the brands only focus on a few advertisements using unconventional methods, it would not require huge budget allocation.

1. Flexible

Companies do not have to follow fixed ad campaign schedules. This type of flexibility is not usually available to mainstream companies, which may have a difficult time adjusting their plans on short notice or on the fly.

1. Targeted

Since guerrilla marketing usually focuses on a particular geographic location, the ads would only reach people who are mostly affected by the product or service. 

Takeaways

1. Motivate people and help them achieve their goals.
2. Use a simple and creative idea.
3. Make sure your product is being seen by as many people as possible, even if it means breaking the world record.
4. Participate in social media trends, ask people to upload your content elsewhere for you.
5. Make people laugh and they will share it with their family and friends, creating hype around your campaign.