Essentially, guerrilla marketing techniques are unconventional marketing activities that are designed for maximum impact with the use of scare resources.
Jay Conrad Levinson is considered to be one of the originators of the concept having written Guerrilla Marketing (1984). He states that the need for guerrilla marketing can b seen in the light of three facts.
1.Because ofbig business downsizing, decentralization, relaxation of government regulations, affordable technology, and revolution in consciousness, people around the world are gravitating to small bsinesses in record numbers.
2. Small business failures are also establishing record numbers and one of the main reasns for the filures is a failure to understand marketing.
3. Guerilla marketing has been proven in action to work for small businesses around the world. It works because it’s simple to understand, easy to implement and outrageously inexpensive.
An ideal example of guerilla marketing was carried out by BestOffer.com who received excellent free media coverage as a result of their unconventional marketing activities. When they launched in San Francisco, tey promoteda ‘Pain Free Parking Day’ and gave away free parking, and when they launched in Los Angeles, they had ‘Painfree Commutind Day’ and gave away 20,000 gallons of petrol (gas). As a result of their activities they were able to generate over forty-five minutes of free television news coverage.
Levinson’s site is www.gmarketing.com
Levinson, J.C., Guerrilla Marketing, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 198.
