Anyone have some original guerrilla marketing ideas?
I'm the founder of a film production that produces short films and music videos. I'm bored with the every day social media posts to gain attraction. I like the idea of guerrilla marketing because it's more unconventional. Any ideas that can help kick off our brainstorm for promotion that are imaginative and full of energy would be great.
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Mar 4, 2015
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Nov 28, 2014
Hi Zack,
Make a short funny cartoon about your company and convert it to frame by frame banner. Hang banner on the wall of subway tunnel. Each frame on the banner should be the same size as window in subway car.
Calculate how many passengers could see your cartoon per day, estimate how many from them are your potential prospects.
It's not bad to estimate quantity of prospects from the very beginning before banner is ready.
Nov 23, 2014
Hosting a video contest is a fast way to gain attention while also bolstering your company's appearance by being philanthropic. Microsoft and Toyota have both done this, among others.. You get some free marketing promos, can gain media attention from your philanthropic efforts to support the average Joe (press release about contest launch, press release about winner, etc. gives you free marketing), and there's always the added benefit of people sharing it with others because of the hope of winning.
Nov 21, 2014
Back to basics Zack. What problem do people recruit you to solve? Based on that what problem are you trying to solve? There are no short cuts. What works is liquid content - Content that people are compelled to share. No formula exists. But your best way to get there is - 1. Define the Target Profile Sharply (people who read Video blogs, spent 25 mins on You-tube daily, have downloaded your last videos and have commented on Own label sites...is an actionable definition). Find such a target profile for your short films and music videos. 2. Test market quickly if your 'solution for their problems resonates with them'. They too may be bored with your videos / films as you are with everyday social posts route! Find out what works and what doesn't. Always remember to fade the losers and follow the winners quickly 3. Create a content calendar for your Target profile - Break down the segment into Consumers, Customers, Influencers, decision makers and have a separately content calendar for them 4. Look at Marketing Automation (Eloqua, Responsys, Marketo etc), Social CRM and Content Publishing layers (Lookbook). Demand generation and lead nurturing are extremely important - Segments don't buy individuals within segments do. the number of times I have missed this trick in my own life is not funny. 5. Finally measure the output. you can only measure output and efficacy if you set goals.
Sorry, if you specific query was only about kicking the brainstorming session itself...then my submission is use Anti Brainstorming method. It works life a fly. Ask people - how to make the video unsuccessful. You will get 100 idea Vs if you ask how it will fly
Hope this helps
Nov 21, 2014
Well .. as far as Guerrilla Marketing a lot have been said with the other great responses below, however I noticed something in your question that caught my attention. You mentioned "social media posts to gain attraction" - you are a film production company, you make short videos - you have at least 30% of the battle won. Video is widely use to engage people in social media and lots of people are engaging and using it to leverage their business, it all depends of how, when and to whom you target those videos to gain the coveted attraction in social media.
To give you a little context on the matter, I think you should start by thinking to whom you want your product to be exposed, make a list of target markets your possible clients, once you have done that you will have a clear picture of where you want to go.
Then, take a look at what your competitors are doing, are they posting memes? are they posting funny videos? here is where the Guerrilla tactics start, by finding out what they use, you can create a plan to offer something with more creativity and pinpoint accuracy. - to give you specific ideas you can do the following:
1 - Take a look at the app vine, open an account and have someone in your staff create something related with your services, show your offices, the cool people you work with, your space .. sell your BRAND .. mind you you have to to it in a very short period of time, but a compelling video goes way better than compelling text, with video you show emotions, it will convert better than text does.
2 - Showcase services, past clients and products in youtube, vimeo and other video sharing platforms, always use your Brand, upload clips of your short productions and always close your videos with a subscribe mention or your website with contact information.
3 - Use the different trends in video marketing to sell your services, you can use "sadvertising, prankvertising by doing that you can create a tone for your services and hopefully viralize your content quickly and get more exposure.
4 - Remember, you dont have to crack your head open to innovate, find something that your brand may want to push that your competitors may be doing, and make it better , twist it and put some flavor to it.
Certainly, these tips are not directly related to new Guerrilla Marketing ideas, but you can apply some of this ideas to broad your strategy on Social Media and mix them up.
Good luck with your company.
PD. one idea that will help you boost your promotion - look for trendy, innovative products that may need video promotion, places like kickstarter, indiegogo, have plenty of ideas that need a lof of promotion, specifically, Video promotion ...
Nov 19, 2014
It would be difficult to come up with actual ideas without knowing your target audience and therefore how you would be able to reach that audience. Also, whether it is the social media memes and trends that you are bored with, or if you don't want to use those online channels at all?
I think try and start with writing down who your audience are and how you would best reach them, which can at least inform you about which channels to use and let the creative ideas flow from there.
Nov 19, 2014
Marketing is not just about creating an awareness of your product.. it is also about creating an enthusiasm or need of that product. Try to identify your specialty and which audience your are targeting and then create enthusiasm in them.. becoz entertainment vary from generation to group...
Nov 19, 2014
There are some (obvious) misinterpretations of Guerrilla Marketing. The practice is its purest and most valuable form is a marketing tactic that takes advantage of your competitors’ promotional efforts and uses their exposure (budget and audience) to promote your own aims through ambush, sabotage or surprise raids.
Whilst I have used it effectively in the famed ‘Cola Wars’, adopting guerrilla marketing tactics remain a risky endeavour for a big business, as their guerrilla stunts can backfire and potentially become a PR nightmare. Les substantial brands do not generally run the same risk, although you have to recognise that your efforts (when effective) could really anger a large well resource competitor (and their unforgiving legal department).
Guerrilla marketing is more often adopted by small businesses (even individuals), that need to reach a large audience without breaking the bank. So when developing a Guerrilla Marketing campaign (with a clear objective in mind), find another more substantial enterprise that is targeting the same customer base as you, then identify (and understand) what they are planning plus determine how you can creatively leverage their marketing budget for your own commercial ends.
Avoid the common mistake that so many fall foul of; never predetermine your guerrilla media. The guerrilla tactics you employ are always and only determined by the host/subject’s activity that you intend to ambush.
Nov 19, 2014
Here are a few useful Methods from this site:
http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/09/22/guerrilla-marketing-examples#.
If you need any help with strategy or segmentation let me know.
Stickers: Creative use of stickers is another great guerrilla marketing tactic that can be very successful when implemented well.
Undercover Marketing: Also known as “stealth marketing,” marketers disguise themselves as peers amongst their target audience. One example is Sony’s campaign in 2002, in which actors were hired to wander about cities, asking strangers to take a photo of them. During the interaction, actors would rave of their cool new phone, boasting of its features and capabilities.
Flash Mobs: Flash mobs involve organizing a group of individuals to perform a specific action or task at a pre-determined location and time. In some cases participants are hired actors, other times they are simply members of the community who enjoy the randomness of flash mobs!
Nov 19, 2014
Add this ppc strategy to your campaign,...Using twitter cards to grow your presence and lists.
Nov 19, 2014
Marketing is about getting your business name out in the public, keeping it there and being memorable in the minds of your public. I think that getting out in the public and doing 'shoots' will give you the visibility. Maybe a campaign whereas once a month you let the public (and press) know where you will be shooting at, and being consistent throughout the year in these efforts can build you name recognition. Sort of like a 'flash-mob' for video/digital storytelling. Have handouts, flyers, biz cards ready for on-lookers and passer-by's...Just a thought...!
Nov 19, 2014
You may be confusing Guerrilla Marketing with only advertising or Promotion. I am going to give you some brainstorming ideas. Here to help. You may want to look at the Nine (9) P's of Marketing. Advertising is just one of the eight components or parts under Promotion, which is one of the 9P’s of Marketing.
The communication element under Promotion in the Nine P's of Marketing includes personal and non-personal communication activities. Activities that communicate the merits of the overall product, which include:
o Should we promote? (looks like that is a given, so move on)
o What should we promote?
o To whom should we promote?
o What economic and discount levels should we offer?
o What form of promotion should we offer?
o What features?
o How frequent?
o Look at consistency of message and messaging, especially with and within the different targets/elements/components/parts.
o Personal Selling/ Sales Force
o Advertising--Mass or nonpersonal selling: TV, radio, magazines, newspaper, outdoor/out-of-home (OOH), online, mobile.
o Sales Promotion—Promotional tools, both a tool to speed up sales or value for the company; or an extra incentive to buy, a value to the customer. Includes trade deals, trade incentives, rebates, money-back offers, frequency programs, slotting allowances for in store promotion, samples, loyalty programs, coupons, premiums, tie-ins, p-o-p, displays, sweepstakes, allowances, trade shows, sales rep/trade contests, events/experiences and more.
o Collateral Materials--Booklets, catalogs, brochures, films, sales kits, promotional products and annual reports.
o Direct Marketing (also referred to as Action or Direct Response Advertising)--online, direct mail, mobile, database management, catalogs, telemarketing, and direct-response ads, including TV.
o Interactive/Internet/Web, Digital Media, Social Media – Interactive/online is a form that uses the Internet and Web to deliver promotional messages to attract customers. Social media is an interactive platform in which individuals and communities create and share user-generated content. Social media is ubiquitously accessible as you already have stated.
o What about Events and Experiences--Interacting with the brand. An experience can be much more impactful than an exposure or an impression. Events, promotions, one on one, and/or face-to-face engagements are delivering consumers to encounter, “experience,” and interact with the product or the service, usually prior to buying.
Samsung has used pop-up stores and customers can leave with a device, smartphones, tablets and wrist devices, free of charge. An “event and experience” initiative to convince smartphone and tablet owners to switch to Samsung. They also cover the wireless data costs.
o Public Relations--press releases, publicity. Securing editorial space, as opposed to paid space--usually in print, electronic or Internet media. Promote or “hype” a product, service, idea, place, person or organization, internal communication, lobbying. PR involves a variety of programs designed to promote or protect a company’s image/reputation or individual products.
Go to http:// ninps.com or http://www.londremarketing.com/documents/LondreMarketingConsulting-NinePs.pdf
By the way it's free or the documents are free. I use this document in my Marketing and Advertising classes and Marketing Presentations. All the best.