Folgers Coffee New York Guerrilla Marketing Campaign

   What is Guerrilla Marketing?

   The purpose of guerrilla marketing is to implement marketing tactics that are low-cost but yield maximum results.

In 1984 Jay Conrad Levinson* wrote a book called ‘Guerrilla Advertising’ which coined the term. Guerrilla marketing is based on the idea of guerrilla warfare, a form of irregular warfare in which armed civilians use small tactics to fight. These tactics often include ambushes, sabotage, raids, and elements of surprise. Guerrilla marketing uses the same sorts of tactics as guerrilla warfare in the marketing industry.

   There are several reasons why Guerrilla marketing is effective, including its simplicity, ease of implementation, and low cost. But getting it right and expecting it to go viral requires real skill – and a lot of luck. Check out this example of guerrilla marketing, where even low-cost promotions can have a huge impact on consumers.

   The main objective of a Guerrilla Marketing campaign is to get as many people’s attention as possible. In order to attract the maximum number of people, where should one look? The streets of New York City, of course. They covered manholes throughout the city with steaming coffee cups. With its tagline, the city that never sleeps urged its residents to wake themselves up with a cup of Folger’s coffee.

  Besides the catchy tagline, the campaign was almost impossible to miss. How many of the millions of people who walk the streets of NYC every day almost tripped over a cup of coffee?