This Week’s B2B Word on the Street is: GUERILLA MARKETING

You’ve seen them in action, from historic photos of Depression-era men wearing sandwich boards on busy sidewalks to today, where giant ads are projected across the sides of buildings at night and street teams hand out samples of anything from cereal bars to cigarettes. From dancing costumed mascots to the Flying Elvi, it’s not the most dignified side of marketing, but it can be effective.

At MLT Creative, we’ve always had fun with guerilla marketing. We don’t take the definition too seriously, either. To us, it’s a proper description for any part of a campaign that goes beyond conventional media and interrupts, intercepts, or intrudes on a target audience at a time and place at which they may not expect it. However disruptive guerilla marketing may be by design, it should not offend or insult, and it must support the broader brand message.

When looking for ways to reach a unique B2B audience, such as attendees at a major trade show, we often make a scouting trip to the location and literally walk the walk of the conventioneers, from the designated hotels to the convention center. We look up, down and all around as we go. From the streets to the walls and windows, even the fences and parking decks, there are often opportunities to economically place messaging the attendees can’t miss. Compared to real estate costs on the show floor, this can really improve your visibility if it’s done in brand and in good taste.

What’s your elevator speech for your product or service? Can it be simplified to a message that a street team can deliver with the aid of simple props or inexpensive giveaways? You’d be surprised how much this can enhance the same message the suits deliver at the corporate booth.

Maybe it’s not a trade show. If you have a construction product, you may want to reach architects, builders and contractors. Say you have an automotive industry service and you need to reach car dealers. Well place the trade ads and do the shows, but don’t overlook creative ways to reach them where they work on the job sites and in the car lots. If you’re creative in your approach and with your message, you will also generate industry buzz and potentially drive some good public relations results.

Here’s a video full of examples from blogguerilla.com: