# Guerrilla Marketing: What It Is and How It's Used

![Guerrilla Marketing](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/P5Zk7KYinL5ZfF3j0N_79MtQMfw=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Guerrilla-marketing_final-236633d2dec74dbaac410f8c2b706003.png)

*— Michela Buttignol / Investopedia*

> **Definition**
>
> Guerrilla marketing involves unconventional and creative strategies to reach a target audience and generate excitement for a brand, product, or service.

## What Is Guerrilla Marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is a product promotion campaign in which a company uses unconventional methods, often involving one-on-one interactions, to create a buzz for a new product or service.

Guerrilla marketing typically relies on a small team of individuals devoted to spreading the word about a product through one-on-one interactions and social media sharing. Social media influencers often are recruited to recommend the product or service.

### Key Takeaways

*   Guerrilla marketing uses unconventional methods to attract interest in a brand or business.
*   These methods are often low- or no-cost and involve the use of personal interactions and targeted social media posts.
*   The goal is to take the campaign viral to reach a widening circle of consumers.

## Types of Guerrilla Marketing

Companies using guerrilla marketing rely on in-your-face [promotions](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/promotion.asp#toc-product-promotions-and-sales) to be spread through [viral marketing](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/viral-marketing.asp) or [word of mouth](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/word-of-mouth-marketing.asp), thus reaching a broad audience at a fraction of the cost of traditional national advertising.

It is often used for “edgy” products and targets younger consumers who may be more likely to respond positively.

Some guerilla marketing strategies include:

*   **Buzz Marketing:** Focuses on word-of-mouth distribution. Often deployed in social media, this strategy relies on users to share promotional content with their social networks, friends, or family.
*   **Stealth Marketing:** Places products in the background of TV shows and videos to subtly introduce them to viewers.
*   **Ambient Marketing:** Displays the product logo where it will be casually noted, such as an advertisement on a bus bench.
*   **Ambush Marketing:** Coattail marketing without the investment in an official sponsorship. This is commonly seen at major sports events and concerts.
*   **Grassroots Marketing:** A simple, old-fashioned campaign such as distributing paper flyers.

> **Important**
>
> Guerrilla marketing is meant to be experiential, getting the public to interact with a brand.

## History

Guerrilla marketing emerged as an alternative to traditional print, radio, and television marketing. The term was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book _Guerrilla Marketing_.

The goal is to create buzz about a product or brand to increase the likelihood that a consumer will purchase the product or service, or talk about it with other potential buyers.

Guerrilla marketing can be very cost-effective for [small businesses](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/financial-theory/11/small-business-marketing-techniques.asp) and startups intent on creating a viral marketing phenomenon. This technique can be centered around the business’s core mission, such as education, giving, growth, technology, climate, or productivity. The company can design initiatives that promote those values in their campaigns and raise awareness.

UNICEF launched a campaign featuring vending machines that dispensed contaminated water, a reminder that people in much of the world lack safe drinking water.

## Advantages and Disadvantages

Guerrilla marketing is a budget-friendly option. Startups, local businesses, and companies with few corporate restrictions often deploy guerrilla marketing techniques.

Guerrilla marketing relies on informal means of marketing information. Marketing professionals can be creative and may find guerrilla marketing campaigns more desirable and fun to deploy.

Guerrilla marketing strategies can fall flat. They depend on the creative skills of the team involved.

Marketing professionals may find it difficult to measure the success of a campaign.

Pros

*   Faster and cheaper than conventional advertising and public relations
    
*   Allows for greater creativity
    
*   May engage a broad audience
    

Cons

*   Less structure often leads to less success
    
*   Creative efforts can lead to hit-or-miss results
    
*   Data may be difficult to track or collect
    

## Examples of Guerilla Marketing

Leading up to the release of the movie “Deadpool,” the Marvel character was issued a Tinder profile. As a data app is not a typical avenue for promoting a movie, this absurd approach to advertising the film and character is a strong example of guerrilla marketing.

In another guerilla marketing campaign, college students in Queens, New York, received unsolicited "doses of happiness" from Coca-Cola. A vending machine armed with human helpers, dubbed the Happiness Machine, also offered pizzas, flowers, and a six-foot-long sandwich. This guerrilla marketing campaign went on to win awards.

Red Bull used empty cans for its guerrilla campaign. By filling bins in clubs with empty Red Bull cans, the company created the impression that the drink was highly popular with the patrons of the club.

## Is Guerrilla Marketing Illegal?

Guerrilla marketing is legal but may employ questionable techniques. In 2007, the Cartoon Network promoted a show by placing LED signs depicting an alien creature in public places around Boston. The signs caused a bomb scare, and cost Turner Broadcasting $2 million in fines.

  

## Why Is It Called Guerrilla Marketing?

Guerrilla marketing gets its name from guerrilla warfare, a tactic that relies on small unpredictable acts of disruption to distract an enemy.

## What Makes Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns Successful?

Guerrilla marketing can work if it is memorable as well as unconventional. Using humor helps. The goal of a guerrilla marketing campaign is to make a good impression on a few people and let it spread from there.

## The Bottom Line

Guerrilla marketing embraces unusual and, hopefully, entertaining or intriguing strategies to spread the word about a new product. It can work if it's done with finesse.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  Jay Conrad Levinson et al., via Google Books. “[Guerrilla Marketing Volume 1: Advertising and Marketing Definitions, Ideas, Tactics, Examples, and Campaigns to Inspire Your Business Success](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Guerrilla_Marketing_Volume_1/8olGEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0).” Morgan James Publishing, 2021.
>     
> 2.  Adilo. "[The 9 Best Guerilla Marketing Examples & Lessons To Inspire Your Brand](https://adilo.com/blog/guerrilla-marketing-examples/)."
>     
> 3.  ComicBook. “[Deadpool Has a Tinder Profile](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/deadpool-has-a-tinder-profile/).”
>     
> 4.  Coca-Cola. “[Coca-Cola ‘Happiness Machine’ Wins Top Honors at the 2010 CLIO Awards](https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/28/coca-cola-happiness-machine-wins-top-honors-at-the-2010).”
>     
> 5.  Smith Brothers Media. “[Case Study: How Red Bull Used Rubbish Bins to Achieve Marketing Success](https://smithbrothersmedia.com.au/get-smarter/case-study-how-red-bull-used-rubbish-bins-to-achieve-marketing-success/).”
>     
> 6.  Boston.com. "[Looking Back at the Boston Mooninite Panic, 10 Years Later](https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2017/01/31/looking-back-at-the-boston-mooninite-panic-10-years-later/)."