Studying the Weapons of Guerilla Marketing
May 31, 2009 by Victorino Q. Abrugar
Filed under Uncategorized
These last few weeks, I have been attracted and fascinated with the marketing world. From the four Ps of marketing, to internet marketing and to viral marketing, the marketing continuum promises an exciting and rewarding experience. Marketing is vital to business and to the art and sciences of entrepreneurship. That’s why it is what usually what we have in mind when we think about attracting more customers and generating more sales and profits.
This time, I have stumbled further in the marketing world and have encountered “guerilla marketing”. So what is guerilla marketing? And what in the world are weapons of mass destruction? I mean weapons of guerilla marketing? Guerilla marketing is an unconventional system of promotions that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget. Guerilla marketing tactics are unexpected and unconventional; consumers are targeted in unexpected places, which can make the idea that’s being marketed memorable, generate buzz and even spread virally. The Guerilla Marketing term was coined and defined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1983 book Guerilla Marketing. This term has since entered the popular vocabulary and marketing textbooks. Jay Conrad Levinson is popularly known as the father of Guerilla Marketing.
Levinson identifies the following principles as the foundation of guerrilla marketing:
1. Guerrilla Marketing is specifically geared for the small business and entrepreneur.
2. It should be based on human psychology instead of experience, judgment, and guesswork.
3. Instead of money, the primary investments of marketing should be time, energy, and imagination.
4. The primary statistic to measure your business is the amount of profits, not sales.
5. The marketer should also concentrate on how many new relationships are made each month.
6. Create a standard of excellence with an acute focus instead of trying to diversify by offering too many diverse products and services.
7. Instead of concentrating on getting new customers, aim for more referrals, more transactions with existing customers, and larger transactions.
8. Forget about the competition and concentrate more on cooperating with other businesses.
9. Guerrilla Marketers should always use a combination of marketing methods for a campaign.
10. Use current technology as a tool to empower your business.
Levinson’s books include hundreds of “guerrilla marketing weapons,” (which you can read and download by signing up for free at GMarketing.com). These 100 weapons are very effective marketing weapons but they also encourage guerilla marketers to be creative and devise their own unconventional methods of promotion. Remember, that Guerilla Marketing is all about imagination and strictly not conventional. It also involves a little or zero cost of marketing tactics.
Levinson says that when implementing guerrilla marketing tactics, small business size is actually an advantage instead of a disadvantage. Small organizations and entrepreneurs are able to obtain publicity more easily than large companies as they are closer to their customers and considerably more agile. In The Guerrilla Marketing Handbook, Levinson states: “In order to sell a product or a service, a company must establish a relationship with the customer. It must build trust and support. It must understand the customer’s needs, and it must provide a product that delivers the promised benefits.”
I recommend visiting at GMarketing.com and joining to access the 100 Guerilla Marketing weapons. Most of the weapons listed there are achievable for free – and they are my favorites. The following are my 10 handpicked marketing guerilla weapons from the 100 list:
1. Flexibility
2. Public relations
3. Guarantee
4. Quality
5. Speed
6. Reputation
7. Enthusiasm and passion
8. Credibility
9. Competitiveness
10. Satisfied customers
As you can see they are priceless yet powerful marketing weapons that I believe will last for all marketing seasons. Have you already visited Levinson’s site and have read the 100 Guerilla Marketing weapons? So what are your favorite weapons? Feel free to comment and share them below.
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