Is guerrilla marketing worth trying in your retail strategy?
In a volatile economic climate, where up to 80% of small businesses fail each year according to Moneyweb, companies need a lot more than just a fantastic product, service and online presence to compete with bigger brands and stay alive. They need to think outside of the box, and this is where guerrilla marketing hits the ball right out of the park.
When conventional strategies don’t deliver, you send in the guerrillas
Conjuring up images of guerrilla warfare, the word “guerrilla” seems quite ominous and threatening. But, put it next to the word “marketing”, and you’ve got yourself an unusual form of marketing that implements killer strategies to defeat the enemy and get your brand noticed and remembered. In short, guerrilla marketing is all about implementing unique, interesting and creative marketing strategies that rely on time, energy and imagination, rather than a big marketing budget.
How to go, guerrilla
Because the primary goal behind guerrilla marketing is to take people by surprise, make a great impression, create social buzz and boost revenue, to go, guerrilla you need to be bold, be assertive and not be afraid to take risks. That’s right. If you want to move up the food chain and get your name out on the streets, you have to be fearless.
Thriving on original thinking and creativity, where imagination and ingenuity beat out big budgets, guerrilla marketing is all about taking a traditional marketing form that people are accustomed to and turning it on its head, and out-store and in-store poster stands are an excellent example of this.
Working best in urban spaces with prevalent foot traffic, or dense, slow-moving automobile traffic, by creating an unexpected, whimsical or beautiful change to an area with a captivating bespoke displays stands; you can effectively gain the attention and “own” the eyes of passers-by’s. But remember, for your guerrilla marketing campaign to be effective, it has to be humorous, shocking or mysterious. The more creative and unorthodox, the more compelling and memorable it will be!
The benefits
Crucial to the success of any business, especially new and smaller brands that can’t compete with bigger budgets, guerrilla marketing is a niche, risky, disruptive and mesmerising marketing strategy that has gained traction with organisations of all shapes and sizes.
A fun, innovative and exciting form of marketing for those who want to bootstrap their business without breaking the bank, not only is guerrilla marketing often inexpensive, but it can be far more memorable than traditional marketing. Last but not least, guerrilla marketing works. If you do your research, plan your campaign and stick with it, you will end up gaining the attention your brand deserves? – not sure great marketing = with a better and more profitable business.
So, where do you start?
If you’re a small business ready to go wild on your on your competition and grow your sales, then the team at Scan Retail can assist you. We bring brands to life. Allow us to help you stretch your imagination and save your business with our bespoke in-store and out-store retail displays and shopping kiosks stands.
Here’s a showcase of some amazing examples of guerilla marketing
2012 Movie Advertisement
Image Credits: creativeguerrillamarketing