Guerrilla Marketing

Guerilla marketing is when a bunch of apes get together and throw suitcases around a cage, proving they can't be broken.

But um, wait, no. That’s “gorilla,” not “guerilla.” So let's start over.

“Guerilla marketing” is a term used to describe new, unconventional, usually low-cost advertising methods. It’s like guerilla warfare, but for advertising. Unlike the ginormous media campaigns launched by big-name brands and wealthy organizations (think: TV ads, magazine pages, celebrity endorsements, etc.), guerilla marketing often involves individuals or small groups of people spreading the word about a good or service on a super-low budget.

Here are just a few examples of guerilla marketing we’re likely to see in our day-to-day lives:

Our friend posts a video on social media about her weight loss journey and encourages others to try the line of products that are bringing her so much success.

The realtor who lives down the street has one of those magnetic signs for his services stuck to the side of his car.

A guy stands on the corner near the local college campus handing out copies of his mix tape.

A car dealership buys jerseys for the local tee-ball team and puts its logo on every sleeve.

Methods like these are far less expensive than, say, paying for television ad time. But they can be just as (or even more) effective than standard marketing techniques, if they’re done right.