The Rise Of Guerrilla Marketing And Effect On Small Business

The Rise of Guerrilla Marketing and the Effect on Small Business Anthony Campbell Alabama State University Abstract Distinguished by an aggressive and non-traditional approach to promotion, guerrilla marketing shares the same goals as traditional advertising – product or brand awareness growth – but does so in uniquely personal ways. Small businesses in particular stand to benefit from the opportunity to communicate with consumers using a diverse set of methods and practices while working within a more restricted budget. While often hard to directly quantify, guerrilla marketing has a myriad of benefits compared to more traditional vehicles, particularly as it evolves to encompass online and social trends. The associated†¦show more content†¦Jay Conrad Levinson (2007) was the first to directly apply these concepts to the business world with a method of promotion he publicized in 1984 as guerrilla marketing. Strategists Ries and Trout (1986) quickly followed with their push to embrace analogies between the marketing and military world, and subsequently the marketing warfa re strategies movement was born. Bach (2007) described the guerrilla marketing warfare strategy as potentially a major advantage small companies have over their larger marketplace competition, with the ability to rapidly disseminate low-cost attacks by honing in on particular market niches and reaching them in previously unheard of ways. He went on to describe unorthodox communication methods that relied on speed and flexibility not afforded to more established, traditional forms of advertising (Bach, 2007). Prevot (2009) explained that the reliance on new approaches, such as the element of surprise within consumer’s lives, can be a more successful way of connecting with potential patrons and making an indelible impression. As companies, particularly small entities, look for ways to position themselves against the constant tide of print, television and radio ads, the unique and low cost tactics of guerrilla marketing stand as a way to differentiate themselves and expand their market share in the mind of en gaged consumers. Benefits to Small Business The