Great ideas for Alternative Marketing Routes provided by S.C Agency

What is Guerrilla marketing? It is an unconventional way of marketing a product or service, intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. It was first described as guerrilla marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson in his 1982 book guerrilla marketing. Initially this type of marketing was for smaller businesses that had limited budgets and could not afford the traditional techniques.

The benefits of this type of marketing can be huge as the campaigns should be clever, cost effective and direct. Many global and smaller businesses are now starting to see the advantage that it has over other media advertising not just due to results but also the spends. The idea of this type of message is to target potential clients indirectly, without having to force them to buy your product or use your service.

There are no strict guidelines when it comes to creating a successful campaign due to the fact that it is unconventional, however you must be willing to take risks. Think outside the box rather than following the conventional route that you perhaps have done in the past. The main investment is coming up with creative ways of communicating and ensuring the message being delivered is aimed at the right people.

A recent successful campaign was ran by Carlsberg. They have been running the same 'best in the world' campaign for years now, but in April 2007, Londoners suddenly began to see its genius when the company left 5,000 £10 and £20 notes all over the city, bearing the sticker 'Carlsberg doesn't do litter, but if it did, it would probably be the best litter in the world'. Even though it was handing out cold, hard cash, the campaign cost Carlsberg just £50,000 - a snip if you compare it to the average cost of creating a television ad campaign.

If you want to make an impression here are just a few marketing stunts for your business:

Projectors/lights/shadows, body advertising, street art/performance, street advertising (golf boards), moving vans, balloons, word of mouth, viral campaigns,Youtube, social networking and demonstrations.

Plus a few innovative ideas with the idea of targeting customers in unexpected places, and unexpected ways, to get maximum results from minimum resources and create a unique, engaging and memorable brand experience. Here are just 10 innovative marketing ideas to get you started:

1. Stand in a busy street or industrial locations with a golf board and promote a marketing message to entice customers.  (Try Advent Signs in Wellingborough)

2. For B2C businesses run an online competition. Ensure you send details of the competition to websites that promote places to win prizes (e.g. UK Competitions)

3. Leave your business card in unexpected places: for instance place inside every book in an appropriate section of the local library for example the business section.

4. Add your website's URL to the signature of each email account you use, so it appears on every email you send.

5. Blue jacking - send a marketing message to blue tooth contacts from your phone. Do this by standing in a busy location.

6. Run free seminars that would help other businesses, with the aim to promote your product or service whilst having a captive audience.

7. Target your ideal customers and send a cake to them, inviting them to meet to have coffee so that you can present your services.  (Try out the new Arabica Coffee shop in Rushden, or contact Bewiched in Wellingborough for the best home made cakes, and tea and coffee.)

8. Run a fake publicity stunt - for example, get a group of people to hold a demo outside your premises with placards reading "This business (your name) is the best!" or any funky message you choose.

9. Hire a street artist to create drawings in busy areas, this could either be shopping or business locations.

10. Carry a pad of brightly coloured post-it type notes advertising your business wherever you go. Place them up in unusual and unexpected places - inside the doors of lavatory cubicles; next to the lift buttons in shops or offices; if you write on the back of the notes you can stick them on car windscreens in car-parks, so the driver will see the message when they get in the car.

For help with guerrilla marketing please contact S.C. Agency on 01933 375174 or email enquiries@stikchikagency.co.uk