What is Guerrilla Marketing?
Even though it has been years since guerrilla marketing was first coined it continues its journey with those companies that aim to stand out from the competitors and establish a connection with their target audience in a meaningful way. The connection created by them among the other competitors is tremendous.
Guerrilla marketing can be adopted by any company that wants to build their business based on the relationship between the customers in the most innovative way. It involves using creative and innovative tactics to promote a product or service, such as street art, flash mobs, or viral videos.
There are different strategies adopted by different firms. All these strategies are different from one another in terms of viability, objective, and even the lasting impression of the outcome. Before adopting the strategies stated in guerrilla marketing the company has to make sure that they have studied the pros and cons of the strategy. The outcome predicted should be attained without affecting the sustainability of the business in the current market.
As we go through the different strategies of guerrilla marketing let us discuss the pros and cons of guerrilla marketing
Advantages and Disadvantages of guerrilla marketing
The most commonly stated advantages of guerrilla marketing are as follows:
- Low cost
This is the most commonly stated benefit of guerrilla marketing. They offer strategies irrespective of the cost which is entitled to use in different strategies. Mostly all the strategies are cost-effective so that it is adaptable to both small and large companies in the market.
- Emotional connection
The foremost aim of the company is to create an impact and emotional connection with the consumers and that is the way through which brand recognition is achieved by the firm. The strategies adopted are to make sure that the consumers are emotionally connected with the firm and will remain loyal customers throughout the life of the firm.
- Flexibility and memorable
The strategies are flexible and campaigns can be tailored to the specific needs of a business or target audience, making it a customizable marketing strategy. As the strategies are customized according to the needs of the customers they will be always memorized by them creating a huge impact on the sales revenue of the firm.
- Generates buzz
Guerrilla marketing campaigns are often designed to be shared on social media or through word of mouth, which can help to generate buzz and increase brand awareness. They are usually the integration of technological advancements into traditional marketing. They adapt the strategies to create a buzz and increase the rush to the product.
- Innovative and unconventional
All the strategies adopted are using new ideas. They are brought into practice because they are developed by the marketing team when they think outside of the usual course of action. They are different from the conventional strategies and this difference is what makes them stand out in the line of the market.
- No cost investment
Guerrilla is sometimes stated as the no-cost marketing strategy. Often marketing is done through mouth publicity. Publicity is one of the main sources of guerrilla marketing
Even though there are numerous advantages to guerrilla marketing there are certain disadvantages for the same.
The following are the cons of guerrilla marketing:
- Risky and uncertain:
As innovative ideas are adopted the outcome is unpredictable. The people may or may not accept the idea we are trying to communicate. In certain cases, campaigns can be too controversial or offensive and can backfire and damage a brand’s reputation.
- Legal actions:
Sometimes strategies can attract legal attention from authorities if the right message is not conveyed. This might lead to complexity in the brand image of the organization.
- Takes Time and effort:
The development of an innovative idea takes time and effort. Sometimes unpredictable obstacles like weather, pollution, etc., may disrupt the course of the implementation of the plan. This might ask for a situation where the whole plan has to be rebuilt and executed from the start.
- Not Appropriate for All Businesses:
Businesses with short-term sales requirements may not benefit from the guerrilla marketing strategy as the outcome may require time to be noted. They also have a limited target so reaping abnormal profits is not possible in the case of businesses with short-term goals.
In short, we can say that guerrilla marketing has both its pros and cons. The correct usage can lead to success. Unlike traditional strategies, guerrilla marketing is a strategy with 100% variable output due to its dynamic nature.
Any firm to takes risks and has versatile ideas to stand out from the flow of marketing will adopt guerrilla marketing strategies. They will always give priority to customer retention by which their long-term objective of establishing brand image will be attained.