Digital Guerrilla Marketing: The What, Why and How?

Many marketers will agree that marketing is as much an art as it is a science. Successful approaches can vary from creating a visually stunning color palette for the Barbie movie to launching an entire line of hydration and energy drinks on the back of an influencer’s fame.

One strategy that is becoming more prevalent, and can be very effective when executed correctly, is guerrilla marketing. Based on the concept of guerrilla warfare, it uses the unexpected to capture audiences’ attention and drive publicity.

But what would happen if you blended guerrilla marketing with some digital marketing concepts? Is it possible to apply guerrilla thinking in a way that shocks, surprises, and delights a digital audience? Short answer, yes.

But, because successful digital guerrilla marketing efforts are underpinned by strategic guerrilla marketing strategies, we'll need to dig in and look at some specific approaches and guerrilla marketing examples.

What is guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing is all about using unconventional tactics to market your brand, all without breaking the bank or committing a ridiculous amount of resources.

Guerrilla marketing is directly drawn from guerrilla warfare in which soldiers would use various unexpected, and often outlandish strategies to surprise and defeat the enemy. In marketing, businesses abandon traditional mediums like prints, billboards, and commercials, and instead focus on creating a big splash in the public eye. A crucial aspect of this approach is developing a guerrilla marketing strategy, which involves creative planning and understanding the audience to ensure the tactics align with the brand's identity and goals.

So they may transform a public space, include a crowd in their campaign, or dress The Charging Bull in the New York financial district in underwear. The latter was part of an outlandish and entertaining campaign by GoldToe to announce the launch of its newest shirts and underwear in 2010.

The beauty of this kind of marketing is that it captures the attention in a unique manner, and thanks to the more unconventional approach, can lead to conversations and even strong opinions - which can work both for and against you.

But then, as Oscar Wilde once said, "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about".

Read More: How to Get More Google Reviews

What are the traditional guerrilla marketing tactics?

Integrating guerrilla marketing tactics with broader marketing strategies can enhance the impact of these unconventional approaches, making them a big and important part of comprehensive marketing plans.

Let's look closer by discussing some guerrilla marketing examples as well as some of the major types of guerrilla marketing businesses use.

1. Experiential guerrilla marketing

Experiential guerrilla marketing focuses on creating experiences, specifically immersive experiences, that actively engage the people participating – hopefully the target audience. The idea is that this type of experiential marketing is memorable and will leave a lasting impression that is hopefully positive.

Examples of experiential guerrilla marketing include pop-up events in unexpected locations that reward people who are present, as well as interactive games, competitions and group experiences.

The classic flash mob could fall under this category, as it is often a shared experience that can be used to generate buzz. But, a better version would be to host a selfie zone at a music festival with subtle branding, or offer a free fun experience such as a ride the mechanical bull challenge.

2. Event ambush guerrilla marketing

Event ambush guerrilla marketing uses public events to promote a brand or message in unconventional ways.  It can be tricky to get right (and not come across as tone-deaf or insensitive to the audience’s wishes.) But when properly executed, event ambushes can leverage the energy and audience of existing events without the brand being an official sponsor.

An example is guerrilla sampling where product samples or promotional materials are distributed outside of events like concerts, festivals, or sports games to reach attendees as they enter or exit the venue.

Giving out 10,000 free sun hats with your branding during a summer festival can be a very clever and cost effective way of getting your brand seen both during and after the event.

3. Outdoor guerrilla marketing

Outdoor guerrilla marketing is all about attracting attention in outdoor settings through creativity. The goal is usually to place something unusual in a place with plenty of footfall or in a location where you're planning to increase foot traffic, to draw attention. 

Outdoor guerrilla marketing campaigns tend to turn heads because they involve passersby. Chances are that this is a form of guerrilla marketing that you've seen or experienced, as this broad strategy can encompass many types of elements from street art or installations, to eye-catching creative content on billboards or other digital screens.

4. Stealth marketing

This clever form of marketing aims to raise awareness of a brand without the audience necessarily thinking it's an ad. An example of this is Red Bull, who have long used guerrilla tactics to promote their product without using traditional marketing methods.

For example, Red Bull would often ensure their branding was visible at high stakes competitive events, or during world record breaking challenges. And as it became a more visible brand, they would use sports teams to display their brand name which have ultimately resulted in Red Bull being much more than a drinks brand.

Not to mention their shameless use of pretty girls to hand out freebies and sell Red Bull based drinks in nightclubs. A strategy repeated with various brands such as Jagermeister and Monster energy drinks.

5. Un-advertising

Increasingly, as audiences become wise to the marketing strategies used by companies, brands are looking to more unusual guerrilla marketing ideas. And a common one is un-advertising, or being blatant about the fact that they're running an ad.

Oatly are a great example of this, as they often just post an ad on a billboard saying something like, "This is an ad". Or, "You read this? Success!"

Other brands such as Brewdog have also run some cynical campaigns that straddle the line between guerrilla marketing and advertising.

How is digital guerrilla marketing different?

Digital guerrilla marketing leverages various strategies across the physical and digital environment to create unique and (hopefully) memorable experiences. It puts a fresh, digital spin on traditional guerrilla marketing by maximizing digital tools ranging from social media to digital signage screens.

This approach enhances overall marketing efforts by integrating creative tactics with digital marketing efforts, social media campaigns, and online presence to create a cohesive and impactful strategy.

Instead of flash mobs and outdoor set pieces, digital guerrilla marketing focuses on screens, online influencers, and interactive digital displays to capture attention. It is still guerrilla marketing, which means you can expect campaigns to pop up where they are least expected – on social media feeds, in online video, within online gameplay - and even in real life.

The goal remains the same: to capture attention, spark curiosity, and leave a lasting impression in the digital realm. Innovative marketing ideas like these unexpected digital campaigns and creative online engagements play a crucial role in making digital guerrilla marketing effective.

Samsung gave us one of the best guerrilla marketing examples back in 2023 with the Capture the Night Campaign. It was to promote the Galaxy s23 launch and Samsung asked users to upload their night photos using the phone’s magnificent night camera to a dedicated website.

Then, using AI analysis for each picture, Samsung paired the photos with their own dedicated soundtrack, leading to an epic experience that delighted not just the phone’s users, but everyone that’s heard about the campaign since.

Should you use digital guerrilla marketing?

Guerrilla marketing can be new, exciting, and unique enough to capture the attention of thousands if not millions of people. And digital guerrilla marketing can be, arguably, more accessible and affordable. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best move for your business’ next marketing campaign.

Successful guerrilla marketing campaigns, such as those using street marketing techniques, have demonstrated that the pros outweigh the cons, but that'll be for your business to decide.

Pros of digital guerrilla marketing:

1. Cost-effectiveness: Guerrilla marketing can be cost-effective, but digital guerrilla marketing is even more so. It often requires minimal financial investment compared to traditional advertising methods. With creativity and strategic use of online platforms, you can generate significant visibility and engagement without breaking the bank.
2. Wide reach: Digital platforms offer access to a vast audience across a wide range of demographics and geographical locations. For example, by leveraging social media, viral marketing, and online communities, you can extend your reach far beyond traditional boundaries - especially if you do go viral.
3. Flexibility and agility: Another great thing about digital platforms is the speed of communication and metric tracking. This flexibility lets you quickly adapt to changing trends and consumer behaviors, maximizing your marketing’s effectiveness.
4. Engagement and interaction: Digital guerrilla marketing techniques, like interactive content, gamification, and user-generated campaigns, can help create a greater level of interaction with your audience. Basically, people are drawn to get more involved, and as a result, can grow in brand loyalty and advocacy.

Cons of digital guerrilla marketing:

1. Saturation and competition: Viral videos are generated every day (Nieman lab found that 1% of Facebook videos go viral). That’s 1 in 100 videos posted on a site that gets 300k daily video uploads. This isn’t an exact science, but it gives an idea of how competitive digital guerrilla tactics can be. 
2. Potential for misinterpretation: Guerrilla marketing tactics, especially those that push boundaries or challenge norms, run the risk of being misunderstood or causing unintended offense. Consider the potential risk of a backfire, and what that could mean for your brand, especially if the subject is a little risque.
3. Technical challenges: Implementing digital guerrilla marketing tactics will require technical expertise or access to specialized tools and platforms. This is especially true if you have to coordinate multiple screens across multiple locations. 
4. Short-term impact: While digital guerrilla marketing can generate immediate buzz and attention, sustaining long-term brand growth and customer relationships requires consistent effort and strategic integration with broader marketing initiatives. That means a lot of planning is needed to keep the momentum rolling after the initial effort.

Finding the best platforms for digital guerrilla marketing

One benefit of digital marketing is that there is a wide range of options to choose from. But this also means that it can be difficult to pick a starting point, especially if you’re looking for the most effective approach in terms of both reach and cost.

Since guerrilla marketing hinges on unconventional approaches, it would defeat the purpose of offering a strict list of platforms to explore.

But all of these offer engaging methods of building your brand visibility across the physical and digital landscape.

Social media platforms

Social media platforms are where most people spend their time online (over 2 hours each day according to statistics), and unsurprisingly, are the lifeblood of digital guerrilla marketing. From Instagram and TikTok to Twitter and Facebook, these platforms offer unparalleled reach and engagement opportunities

These days, social media is also a low-hanging fruit for most marketing campaigns, and even if they are not centered around a platform, news of the campaign will inevitably make its way there. In many ways, social media is a guerrilla marketer’s best friend. 

Why consider social media?

• Wide reach
• Huge potential for virality
• Real-time engagements
• Highly targeted audience interaction

Content marketing and viral videos

Content is still King, and in the world of digital guerrilla marketing, viral videos reign supreme. Put them together and you have what could be considered as the ultimate recipe. Whether it's a heartwarming story, a hilarious prank, or a jaw-dropping stunt, videos have the power to capture hearts and minds like nothing else. And done right, video for viral marketing can have long reaching results.

Your brand can take advantage of video platforms to showcase unique creativity and personality. 

Here are some reasons why digital guerrilla marketers love content marketing

• Significant emotional appeal
• Potential for sharing
• Storytelling opportunities
• Cost-effective campaigns

Influencer partnerships and collabs

Collaborating with influencers who resonate with your target audience can amplify your message and extend your reach far beyond traditional advertising channels. You’ve probably seen this at work in traditional marketing campaigns.

However, incorporating influencer partnerships in your guerrilla campaign can add an extra layer of magic and catapult your results.

We’ve seen tons of traditional campaigns work with influencers, but if you’re building a digital guerrilla campaign, it’s critical to choose influencers who have an audience overlap, and whose online image matches the unorthodox approach your brand is taking.

These are the biggest reasons to consider influencer collabs in your digital guerrilla marketing

• Pre-existing audience trust and credibility
• An additional layer of relatability
• Amplified reach
• Diverse content formats

Interactive websites and online experiences

While not as popular or as easy to organize as the other approaches on this list, creating an online experience can be a useful part of a larger marketing strategy.

Digital guerrilla marketing offers immersive and engaging encounters that captivate audiences on a deeper level. Whether it's a gamified quiz, an augmented reality experience, or a virtual tour, interactive websites invite users to actively participate in your brand story. 

Some of the best features of interactive experiences include:

• Various personalization options
• Gamification
• Seamless integration between multiple channels
• Data capture and insights

Digital signage

Digital screens are everywhere these days, making them a great medium to display some of your guerrilla marketing strategy elements. And while you might think of billboards, DOOH screens and high cost digital displays, in fact anyone can set up a digital signage ad network using some consumer grade hardware and digital signage software.

With digital signage you can create some striking marketing ideas that leverage the power of the digital screen, from viral video or eye-catching imagery to interactive games.

Some of the overall benefits of digital signage include:

• Highly visible medium
• More people remember billboard and signage based displays (71% remember digital displays vs online)
• Cost effective solution to set up
• Versatile display solution means you can use digital signage for everything from your marketing to
• Offer interactivity options

Read more: What is digital signage?

7 strategies to launch the perfect guerrilla marketing campaign

1. Get familiar with your audience

Chances are, you already have some idea of your target audience and what can resonate with them. And if you're looking for a way to generate a buzz using your guerrilla marketing ideas, you'll need to understand how to push their buttons, and where to display your content for best results and get them talking.

If you're forming a guerrilla marketing idea, ask yourself:

• Where does my audience hang out online?
• What kind of digital content do they consume the most?
• What topics do they care about?
• How do they communicate?
• What concepts are they familiar with (and what concepts will surprise them)?

With this information, you can avoid making campaigns that outrage your target audience, and instead, stop them in their tracks and get them to pay attention.

2. Craft interactive experiences

Interactive campaigns, like online scavenger hunts or immersive websites, can engage users in a whole new way, and leave an unforgettable impression.

One elaborate example is Westworld The Maze. It was an interactive gameplay on Alexa, based on the TV series, and it gave fans two unique hours of gameplay, all accessible through their Alexa device.

All you had to do was say “Alexa, open Westworld” and users would be transported to an audio version of the world in the series in which they could solve the maze for themselves and interact with characters in an immersive and engaging experience.

The campaign caused quite an online storm and generated millions of impressions from not just players, but also fans of the show, demonstrating the power of interactive experiences.

3. Leverage viral content

Creating content that is highly shareable and resonates with your audience's emotions can ignite viral campaigns.

While there’s no formula for creating content that will go viral, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Most viral content has some emotional appeal. If your brand can leverage joy, surprise, or empathy, it can encourage sharing. Rage baiting has also become a hugely popular strategy for going viral, but you want to make sure you’re going viral for the right reasons.
• Relevant and timely content often always comes out on top. This may include making sure your audience will care about it right now, or even at all
• People can smell inauthenticity a mile away, and brands that are struggling to go viral for the sake of it rarely succeed.

4. Embrace Augmented Reality (AR)

AR experiences can transform ordinary environments into interactive marketing playgrounds. Some augmented reality experiences are more accessible than others. For example, your business can quickly incorporate QR codes into your digital signage, opening up a whole new section of content for the audience to explore. 

Photo credits: IKEA

However, overlaying digital content onto the real world might require special software and equipment. One example of this strategy successfully executed is IKEA's AR app, which lets users visualize furniture in their homes.

5. Go big with digital signage

This point is highlighted by the Google Pixel Fold campaign and its realistic DOOH billboard.

Digital signage can be very useful for projecting imagery or messages in unexpected places. And while big budgets can be used for capturing attention in densely populated areas, it's not just the preserve of big budget brands. Your business can innovate and launch a campaign as small as digital displays outside your store, or as large as 3D illusions.

For the campaign that inspired this, Google partnered with Anomaly to create a 3D anamorphic DOOH display that featured its new pixel fold in all its glory. The campaign ran across the UK and on social media, further demonstrating the power of combining multiple platforms for an effective digital guerrilla marketing campaign.

Although more challenging in a digital context, live-streaming these events or creating digital murals online can replicate the effect to a degree.

Read more: What is DOOH?

Photo credits: LBBonline.com

6. Foster user-generated content

User-generated content has always been a valuable part of marketing campaigns, and no digital guerrilla marketing strategy is complete without it.

You can encourage your audience to create content related to your brand, potentially increasing your campaign’s reach. 

A great example here is GoPro’s user-generated content strategy that features users using their devices for everything from skydiving to training their dogs. The campaign is always running with or without GoPro’s direct input, and it effectively showcases their product's quality and engages a broad community of enthusiasts.

7. Leverage different kinds of content

We’ve already discussed how collaborating with other brands or influencers who share your target audience can amplify your campaign’s impact. 

Your brand can explore creative and unexpected ways to make the partnership even more shocking by creating digital content that people will enjoy.

But why stop there? Give audiences a way to join the fun by holding contests. These contests can challenge users creatively while offering valuable prizes can spur engagement and virality. 

How to use digital signage for digital guerrilla marketing

Digital signage as a stand alone tool in your arsenal can yield some unexpected and delightful results. Here are some options to explore.

Pop-up installations

Marketers can set up temporary digital signage installations in high-traffic areas like public spaces, retail locations, or event venues. These pop-up displays can feature attention-grabbing visuals, interactive elements, or compelling messages.

And if they are new to the location they can capture the attention of passersby and create buzz around your  brand or message.

Interactive digital signage

Integrating interactive content into signage displays is a great way to add some fun to a marketing campaign. Using digital signage elements such as interactive kiosks and digital video walls can engage passersby in an activity or game and can create memorable brand experiences. 

For instance, a touch screen puzzle can reward users with coupons upon completion, or a QR code that flashes on the screen to reward members of the audience who are perceptive and quick enough to capture it.

Location-based messaging

With digital signage software, you can update your signage quickly across multiple locations, making it much easier to have more targeted and dynamic messaging. One use of this is displaying messages based on geographical data to increase their relevance and impact. 

Digital signage at bus stops, for example, can advertise umbrellas or raincoats during rainy weather. The delight for audiences comes when the message rapidly switches based on prevailing environmental conditions

Social media integration

A social media wall on its own is a great way to capture the attention of passers-by and encourage interaction with your social posts. But combined with your other guerrilla tactics, live social media feeds can foster intrigue and even community.

Use apps like Walls.io, Taggbox and Strea.ma to maximize social media in your campaigns.

Find out more about digital signage from ScreenCloud

Whether you're planning guerrilla marketing campaigns, or looking for ways to add more engaging content to your space, digital signage offers a versatile and visible option. With a network of digital screens you can get your marketing ideas seen, and link campaigns between the physical and digital world.

Setting up digital signage is probably more cost effective than you might think. All you need is some consumer grade hardware such as TVs or monitors, and connection devices like a Fire Stick or Google Chromecast.

Ready to get started with digital signage? Try ScreenCloud for free today.