Why Guerrilla Marketing?
With stiff competition and tougher hiring requirements, companies are looking for the most effective way to meet their bottom lines. Marketing brains that can deliver something different from conventional marketing techniques are always welcome — not only in small, but in medium to large businesses. Off-shoring by U.S. companies is on the rise. Only employees with ability to play innovatively are sure to survive the rat race. Today a number of MBA programs incorporate guerrilla marketing in their study material.
Eric P. Strauss, founder of Crazy Carrot Juice Bar Inc. (which was later sold to industry giant Jamba Juice) used a life-size carrot costume for popularizing the brand. He used the costume to promote the company at large Halloween parties and special events. The "Carrot" became very popular. People stopped to be photographed with the Carrot. It generated a lot of attention to the juice-bar concept. The Saint Paul, MN-based company, which started with two employees in 1998 soon reached five locations, 65 employees strong.
Some companies have resorted to marketing their products on road. They create images or writing on the floor, which is noticed by almost every passerby. It is something people don't expect — this will remain imprinted on their minds much longer than television commercials do. Advertising right above the urinals in the mens room of restaurants is a marketing stunt tried by many.
One of the most brilliantly used Guerrilla Marketing tactics was used by eBay Belgium. The company placed stickers saying "Moved to eBay" on empty shop windows around Brussels. Though the company may have had to reimburse the landlords for using their space, it was a great move.
Not Always a Rosy Picture
Most companies succeed by going the bold way, but some find themselves in a soup. In 2001, IBM was fined $120,000 by the City of San Francisco when the company spray-painted its streets with "Peace, Love, and Linux." Microsoft was almost sued by New York City in 2002 when the company covered Manhattan with thousands of butterfly stickers that were difficult to remove. Later the company apologized, helped clean up the city, and was fined $50 for littering, which was an embarrassment for the software giant.
A career in guerrilla marketing is very exciting and challenging. If you have the penchant to deliver marketing gimmicks which stand above the noise, this is the place to be in.
