A key objective of guerrilla marketing or experiential marketing, as it is sometimes called, is to provide potential customers with an immersive and unforgettable experience. The term is used for the first time in Levinson’s book ‘Guerrilla Advertising’, which derives from guerrilla warfare, a form of warfare in which surprise and sabotage are used to defeat small groups of enemies. In much the same way, guerrilla advertising engages members of the public in a way that encourages engagement with the product or service being advertised, often by using shock value or creative and imaginative ideas.

  After creating a memorable and immersive advertisement, the consumer is more likely to share their experience with word of mouth, which spreads the word about the campaign and reaches a greater number of people than it would otherwise have. By targeting city centers or public areas with high traffic, a campaign can reach a wider audience as social media and the ways it is used in modern times allow its effects to spread. If someone sees something cool, new, and unoriginal, they are naturally inclined to take a picture, film it, and share it on social media.

Example:

  A sumo wrestler, a rugby player, a judoka, and a wrestler were made into life-sized stickers by Meiji. They were affixed to revolving doors of buildings in order to interact with their consumers. Once they pushed against the door, it seemed as though these sportsmen pushed back and then the door opened up. It was, however, the usual way for the door to open. In the copy, it simply says, “Meiji Milk makes you stronger”.

How are you planning to implement these types of ideas in your business?