Go Guerilla!

To me, guerrilla marketing is about spotting an opportunity others have not seen. You do not have to do the same as all your competitors. Sometimes an unconventional idea or a single sign can make you interesting in a way a large advertising budget does not automatically achieve.

I was reminded of that on St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March 2010, here in Boca Raton. Our local Irish pub is right below the office, and it has been lively all day. People are jumping, dancing and shouting. But the person who gave me today’s idea for the video was sitting in the toilet.

Guerrilla marketing in the most unexpected place

We are in a Regus serviced office centre and use a toilet just outside the office. When I went out there, a man was sitting on a chair with lots of hair products and other small items laid out.

After people had used the toilet and washed their hands, he handed them paper towels. He also had eau de cologne, hair mousse, combs and brushes. It looked like the service you sometimes get from a toilet attendant in Las Vegas, earning a little from tips.

He had simply come up with the idea of turning it into a little business on St. Patrick’s Day. There were lots of people in the area, and he sat where they passed by and could use some of what he offered.

At first, I laughed at the strange situation. But afterwards I thought: Bloody hell, that is actually cool. That is bloody initiative. He had spotted a way to earn something in a situation where most of us would simply have seen an ordinary toilet.

The little grocer between two giants

It made me think of a story I had heard from a man described as the father of guerrilla marketing. I cannot remember his name in the video. The story is fictional, but I think it illustrates the mindset really well.

There is a small grocery shop in a town. Then a gigantic supermarket opens on one side, something like Walmart. As if that were not enough, another huge supermarket opens on the other side. The little grocer is now squeezed between the two.

On opening day, one puts up a huge sign: "Grand opening" and 50 per cent off the goods. The other goes even further with "Even grander opening" and 70 per cent off.

The little grocer cannot simply beat them with an even bigger offer. He thinks it over and puts his own sign above the shop. It says: "Main entrance".

It is a bloody funny story. He uses his neighbours’ big openings and the attention to his own advantage. Instead of competing on their terms, he chooses a completely different angle. You can find my own experiences of developing businesses in Iværksætter til jeg dør.

What are your competitors doing, and what could you do differently?

Those are the kinds of unconventional ideas I associate with guerrilla marketing. Look at your competitors. Do they use TV advertising, Google AdWords or search engine optimisation? How do they normally try to get attention?

Then try turning the idea around. What would the opposite be? Is there something they are not doing that could make you visible or interesting? Can you use what they have already set in motion to your own advantage?

That does not mean all conventional forms of marketing are wrong. My appeal is to spot where there is room for something different. The toilet attendant saw an opportunity on a busy day of celebrations. The grocer in the fictional story saw an opportunity in his large neighbours’ openings.

So think about what your own "Main entrance" sign could look like. Where can you find an angle that makes people stop, smile or notice you? Usually there are good opportunities when you start looking for them.

Best wishes, Martin

Location:Jasmine Ct,Delray Beach,USA