You’ve probably seen a form of guerrilla marketing either in person, through word-of-mouth, or a viral YouTube video that garnered thousands of hits. Examples of guerrilla ad promotions include the one for the new Superman movie with Superman being “back in town,” which showcased props of lampposts and street signs that were seemingly knotted up by Superman himself. The new Nissan Armada was debuted in an ad showing the vehicle a giant glass box reading “BREAK GLASS IN CASE OF ADVENTURE,” with an emergency hammer included. These are advertisements that capture and demand attention.

Evolution of the Guerrilla Tactic

Since the rise of guerrilla marketing in the 1980’s, companies have kept this form of advertising and campaigning in their arsenal. Some have been successful, like the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week on the beach campaign of surfboards with large shark bites taken out of them to promote the event and its airtimes. Even non-profit companies have jumped aboard the guerrilla marketing strategy. Many use it to engage the public and raise awareness of their causes. Examples include campaigns to encourage smoking cessation, such as trash cans with lids that look like crystal blue eyes to show that smoking causes blindness, and the placing of nutrition labels on street side trash bins to emotionally engage the public about America’s homeless population.

Survival in the Corporate Jungle

Guerrilla marketing is all about the element of the unconventional surprise. Companies small and large can outsmart their competitors with guerrilla marketing campaigns that are unforgettable. The ultimate goal is to forever be in the back of consumers’ minds when they consider your product or service right now and in the future. But be sure that your efforts won’t cause chaos or anger your potential consumers, and never push a marketing campaign so hard that it fails. Let your viral campaigns build their own momentum organically. Your goal is to make your advertising efforts so irresistible that people will be sharing them willingly.

These guerrilla strategies should be clever and even outrageous at times, funny, unique, creative, shocking, and most of all, memorable. Always remember to back up your product or services and the claim you make in your marketing, so that your efforts will be worth the enormous buzz you’re creating.