Unrestricted Marketing Warfare - Media Convergence at Work

The next new thing? Unrestricted marketing warfare! Guerilla marketing is dead. Long live unrestricted marketing warfare!

Within the marketing industry, many references have been made to Carl Von Clausewitz and his famous book, “On War.” “The Art of War,” by the great Chinese theorist Sun Tzu, is referred to with similar frequency. Both books have informed modern principles of marketing.

Some of these principles have survived the test of time and are still used today. One enduring concept is guerilla marketing, which is based on guerilla warfare. Guerilla warfare is characterized by a series of hit-and-run attacks and overt use of multiple tactics that perhaps, on first look, seem to be independent and uncoordinated.

Traditionally, small forces used these tactics against larger forces. Classic examples of guerilla warfare used against American forces include the Vietcong and jihadists in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The concept of guerrilla marketing was invented as an unconventional system of promotions that rely on time, energy and imagination, rather than on a big marketing budget. Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are potentially interactive and target consumers in unexpected places. Unfortunately, such marketing campaigns often rely on methods that are in poor taste or that include littering or graffiti.

Businesses or causes using guerrilla marketing should consider whether this is the way they want their cause viewed. Do you remember the Boston ATHF Black Box campaign of 2007? If not, Google “Boston ATHF Bomb Scare.”

The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking concept to generate buzz and turn viral. The term “guerilla marketing” was coined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book by the same name and has since entered popular vocabulary and marketing textbooks.

Guerrilla marketing involves unusual approaches—such as intercept encounters in public places, street giveaways of products, PR stunts, or any other unconventional marketing techniques—intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. More innovative approaches to guerrilla marketing now utilize cutting-edge mobile digital technologies to engage the consumer and create a memorable brand experience.