The Cartoon Network’s promotional campaign for its “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” TV show, which prompted nine bomb scares across Boston this week, is an extreme example of “Guerrilla Marketing” gone awry, marketers say. As a Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach, I can say that what we saw in Boston was not true Guerrilla Marketing. “Guerrilla Marketing never offends people, it never frightens people, and it never breaches ethics,” said Jay Conrad Levinson, the “father of Guerrilla Marketing”   more »

How to use an 8 Million Dollar Carrot to differentiate yourself from your competition....   more »

I recently had a meeting with a gentleman who owns a number of motels. He just purchased an older motel and wants to use Guerrilla Marketing to turn it around. We spent some time going over his target market, niche, and talking about things he had tried in the past. The man had only recently heard of Guerrilla Marketing and told me a story that shows sometimes you can be a Guerrilla and not know it just by using a little time, energy and imagination.   more »

Guerrilla Fund Raising How to sell lots of Coupon Books, Guerrilla Style   more »

What is a Guerrilla Certificate? It can be a certificate from any other business. I know of a music store owner who ran an ad and said he would take anyone’s gift certificates. When the customers came, many of whom were not current customers, he would gladly honor the gift certificate. He was able to introduce the new customers to his store, and also accumulate contact information. When someone uses a $25 gift certificate, since it is not like spending cash, they are more likely to increase their purchase than someone who just spent the same amount in cash. By taking other businesses’ gift certificates, he was able to expand his customer base, accumulate contact information, and increase the dollar value of each transaction. When they follow-up with the “new customers” and turn them into “repeat customers,” it doesn’t take long to figure out how valuable those certificates really are.

 

So what did they do with the gift certificates they took in? They used them, in some cases to buy supplies like from Wal-Mart. If you look at this from an analytical standpoint, it looks like you actually lose money, which you do. If you look at it from the lifetime value of a customer standpoint, then you see how effective this can be.

 

Would taking “guerrilla gift certificates” work in your business?

If you are going to be in the game, you need to step up to the plate. I was recently ...   more »

Two words that are incredibly powerful, greatly enhance customer loyalty, yet so often go unsaid?..   more »