Companies have pulled of the craziest stunts to attract the attention of potential customers. Shocking posters, provocative commercials or surprising interview questions belong to such extraordinary advertising campaigns. The principle of guerrilla marketing: The more extravagant and creative a promotion, the more attention it gets.
The term "guerilla marketing", which has been coined by Jay Conrad Levinson, has been known since the 1980s. Unusual actions in the street or provocative photo and video material have been associated with this kind of marketing ever since.
But how can this strategy be implemented online?
Guerilla marketing is an alternative marketing concept with the goal of breaking through consumers' stimulus filter.
Various advertising campaigns beg for our attention every day. Due to the sensual overkill, humans developed a kind of stimulus filter over time. We simply cannot react to every advertisement we see. Advertising that is able to grab our attention usually appeals to our personal interests. In order to circumvent this individual filtration, advertisers have to aim for our curiosity. Creative, surprising, offensive and provocative advertising measures can circumvent potential customers' stimulus filter to generate attention for the advertised product or the advertising brand.
If a guerrilla campaign gains traction in public discourse, social media, among other things, can be used to take control of the conversation. However, this can backfire: a company's desire for attention can become problematic once legal boundaries are crossed or if people think it is offensive and tasteless. If this is actually taken into account beforehand, brands should thoroughly consider the advantages and disadvantages. Every marketing campaign can influence the brand image – guerilla campaigns more so than others.
It takes courage and creativity to launch a guerrilla marketing campaign. However, the effort can be worthwhile and provide for a lot of publicity. But beware – not all publicity is good publicity.
