In this issue, we will explore the topic of guerrilla marketing. How to use unconventional and low-cost tactics to create a buzz and awareness around your brand, product, or campaign.
Marketing term of the day: Guerrilla Marketing
Guerrilla marketing is a marketing tactic. Where a company uses surprise and/or unconventional interactions in order to promote a product or service. Guerrilla marketing is different from traditional marketing in that it often relies on personal interaction, has a smaller budget, emanates from an original idea to engage the target audience, and focuses on smaller groups of promoters that are responsible for getting the word out in a particular location or locations rather than through widespread uniform marketing campaigns.
The term was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing. In his book he described guerrilla marketing as:
“achieving conventional goals, such as profits and joy, with unconventional methods, such as investing energy instead of money.”
Jay Conrad Levinson – Guerrilla Marketing
Levinson was inspired by the concept of guerrilla warfare. The use of irregular and surprise tactics to overcome a more powerful enemy.
Guerrilla marketing can be very effective for creating a memorable impression on the consumers and generating word-of-mouth and viral marketing.
Some of the benefits of guerrilla marketing are:
- It can be done on a low budget, making it suitable for small businesses and start-ups.
- It can create a strong emotional connection with the consumers. As it often appeals to their curiosity, humour, or social conscience.
- It can generate free publicity and media coverage, as it can attract the attention of journalists, bloggers, and influencers.
- It can enhance the brand image and reputation. As it can demonstrate the creativity, innovation, and social responsibility of the company.
However, guerrilla marketing also has some challenges and risks, such as:
- It can be difficult to measure the effectiveness and return on investment (ROI) of guerrilla marketing campaigns. They often rely on qualitative rather than quantitative indicators.
- It can be unpredictable and uncontrollable. It depends on the reactions and responses of the consumers and the public, which can be positive or negative.
- It can be illegal or unethical. It may violate the laws or regulations of the public space.
- It can backfire or damage the brand image and reputation. It may offend, annoy, or alienate the consumers or the public, or cause negative associations or backlash.
Therefore, guerrilla marketing requires careful planning, execution, and evaluation. As well as a clear understanding of the target audience, the market, and the legal and ethical implications.
Case studies: Guerrilla Marketing in the MENA region
Here are three examples of how guerrilla marketing was executed by brands in the MENA region:
Coca-Cola: Happiness Machine
In 2013, Coca-Cola launched a campaign called “Hello Happiness” in the UAE. The campaign aimed to connect the foreign workers with their families back home. As part of this campaign, Coca-Cola installed special phone booths in labour camps. Allowing workers to make a free three-minute international call by inserting a Coke bottle cap instead of a coin. The phone booths were secretly filmed and the reactions of the workers were captured and shared online. The video went viral and received over 6 million views on YouTube.
The objective of this guerrilla campaign was to create a positive and meaningful experience for the consumers. And reinforce the brand message of “Hello Happiness”. The campaign was successful because it used an unexpected and generous method to surprise and touch the consumers. It leveraged the power of social media and word-of-mouth to amplify the impact and reach of the campaign.
IKEA: Ali knows all about it
In 2017, IKEA launched a campaign called “Ali knows all about it” in Dubai. The campaign aimed to showcase its catalogue and its solutions for everyday problems. As part of the campaign, IKEA hired an actor named Ali, who pretended to be a handyman and a problem solver. Ali would approach people who had various issues, such as a broken car, a flat tire or a noisy neighbour and offer them a solution from the IKEA catalogue.
The objective of this guerrilla campaign was to create a humorous and memorable experience for the consumers and to demonstrate the relevance of IKEA products. The campaign was successful because it used a creative and unexpected way to introduce IKEA products to the consumers. It leveraged the power of storytelling and social media to spread the word and create a buzz around the campaign.
UN Women: The Autocomplete Truth
In 2013, UN Women launched a global campaign called “The Autocomplete Truth”, which aimed to raise awareness and challenge the stereotypes and discrimination faced by women around the world. The campaign used the Google autocomplete feature, which suggests the most popular search terms based on the user’s input, to show the shocking and disturbing results that appear when typing phrases such as “women should”, “women cannot”, or “women need to”. The campaign used real screenshots of the autocomplete results and placed them over the mouths of women’s faces, implying that their voices were silenced by the prevailing attitudes and beliefs. It was displayed on billboards, posters, and online platforms, and it generated a lot of media attention and social media engagement.
The objective of this guerrilla campaign was to create a powerful and provocative message that would expose and challenge the sexism and inequality that women face in society and online. The campaign was successful because it used a simple and effective way to reveal the harsh reality and the hidden truth behind the seemingly innocent and neutral tool of Google autocomplete, and it leveraged the power of visual communication and social media to spark a debate and a movement around the campaign.
Finally,
Guerrilla marketing is a marketing tactic that uses surprise and/or unconventional interactions in order to promote a product or service. It can be a very effective way to create a buzz and awareness around your brand, product, or campaign in the public space, as it can generate a strong emotional connection with the consumers and a high level of word-of-mouth and viral marketing. However, it also requires careful planning, execution, and evaluation, as it can be unpredictable and uncontrollable, and it may have legal or ethical implications or negative consequences.
We hope you enjoyed this issue of MENA Review and learned something new and useful about guerrilla marketing. If you want to receive more insights and tips on marketing in the MENA region, please subscribe to our newsletter by visiting our website www.mena-review.com and sharing your email address. You can also contact us at info@mena-review.com if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next issue!