Is Guerilla Marketing an Effective Strategy?
Back in March 2022, dating app ‘Thursday’ hired a camel to stand outside Liverpool Street Station in London, making it wear a handwritten billboard promoting the app that read, “Happy Hump Day. See You on Thursday.” While the stunt certainly garnered attention, it was widely condemned for animal exploitation. After all, a desert camel has no place standing outside in the grey bustle of Liverpool Street Station.
But this isn’t all that Thursday has been pulled into controversy for…
In January of this year, the dating app’s CEO, George Rawlings, found himself in hot water over a social media post that was deemed insensitive toward the layoffs at his start up. In the now deleted post, Rawlings wrote, “70 percent of the people you see in this picture have been made redundant”. He then added, “Here’s the ironic part [. . .] Thursday has never been stronger.”
The buzz, for better or for worse, around the brand has now been sparked by numerous of its edgy PR stunts, one of which includes an intern being handcuffed to a lamppost as part of a spin on ‘cuffing season’. Though the intern has said she “had the best time working there” she also described her placement as the “world’s most embarrassing internship.” Once more, the campaign struck a nerve with some members of the public who said it was exploitative of those wanting to break into the PR and marketing industry.
In a more ‘toned down’ effort of their guerilla tactics, ‘Thursday’ has shown no fear in poking fun at its competitors. The app’s signage around London currently reads, “Bumble? Hinge? Tinder? There’s nothing awkward about saying you met on Thursday.” Shouting out their competitors was certainly a bold move that turned heads, and this time it was for the right and more humorous reasons.
What is Guerilla Marketing?
So far, Thursday is certainly the champion of guerilla marketing. Guerilla marketing is an advertising/PRstrategy that uses unconventional tactics to ambush, attract, shock and surprise customers.
When executed well, employing guerilla tactics can generate significant attention around your brand. However, there is a fine, fine line between a clever guerilla campaign and one that is simply in poor taste.
The Benefits of Guerilla Marketing
Budget-Friendly
Guerilla marketing is about being fun and creative with your brand, rather than investing in a costly advertising campaign. The goal of this sort of marketing is to generate word-of-mouth attention through punchy and newsworthy stunts.
Virality
We all know that gossip, controversy and bad news is far more intriguing than good news. That’s why using guerilla marketing can make for a story that’s really newsworthy, granting your brand some free coverage.
Differentiation
As in Thursday’s case, the dating game is already an oversaturated market with the likes of Tinder, Hinge and Bumble dominating the field. Quite literally only operating one day a week, Thursday needed to showcase its unique selling point against competitors. It’s fair to say that its guerilla game has certainly allowed the dating app to stand out amongst its rivals.
Audience Engagement
Whether through humour, shock or awe, guerilla tactics capitalise on emotion, naturally making these sorts of campaigns garner a wider reach and greater audience interaction with the brand.
Authenticity
Guerilla marketing allows you to think outside of the box and tear down everything you think you know about marketing. Humour and wit play a big part in this strategy which can have the potential to make your brand seem more personable, naturally forging a genuine and authentic connection with your target audience.
The Downsides of Guerilla Marketing
Reputation at Stake
The effectiveness of guerilla marketing comes with significant risks. As seen with Thursday, there’s always the potential to alienate certain segments of your potential audience. The camel stunt, for instance, likely turned off potential customers who are vegan, vegetarian or simply animal lovers. Now, the brand’s reputation is vulnerable to being stuck with connotations of exploitation.
Unpredictable Success
There’s a reason why we don’t see many brands take such a bold approach, these types of campaigns are inherently unpredictable. It’s difficult to predict how an audience will react, and there’s always the risk that the campaign’s message will be misinterpreted, or it won’t resonate as intended. What one person may find funny or innovative, another may find offensive or distasteful.
Feeling Bold and Want to Give Guerilla Marketing a Try?
Guerilla marketing is a line to be tread carefully. Whilst it can be a powerful tool for grabbing attention and setting a brand apart from its competitors, it can also lead to a controversy that may forever tarnish your brand’s reputation.
For brands considering this approach, the key is to strike a balance between being bold and being respectful, ensuring that the buzz generated is positive and aligns with the brand’s values. Learn from Thursday’s experience and go viral for the right reasons.
