Guerrilla marketing: Why does it work so well?

Guerrilla marketing is a breath of fresh air

As a society, it’s safe to say that we’re sick of advertising. We pay money for devices that can skip through commercials so that we don’t have to sit through 30 seconds of someone speaking directly to us about what to buy or where to eat.

We drop a few extra bucks on a membership to an online community so that we don’t have to be subjected to such inconveniences. In essence, we have reached the point of discomfort when it comes to advertising.

What I’m saying is this: You can’t just market the way you did in the olden days. People wise up to trends and see through cheesy ploys to extract their cash and attention. Guerrilla marketing provides a nice breath of fresh air by breaking the traditional mold of common advertising methods.

So here’s where the psychology major in me comes out…

Guerrilla marketing plants a seed so deep in the consumer’s brain that its effects are long lasting, and somewhat cerebral. Actually, quite cerebral.

The concept of Freudian marketing involves working with the unconscious mind by using visual cues, colors, and other subtleties that affect the consumer’s experience.

Did you know that things as minor as the colors you use in your presentation could mean the difference between a scoff and a sale? Studies show that red is the color that is the most efficient at maintaining the attention of the customer. Green, as you might have correctly assumed, is often associated with money or wealth. Using black text has been known to evoke feelings of strength and intelligence. Who knew?

The key to making this all work

Skinnerian marketing, on the other hand, works with offering a reward for participation in a given activity. Using what are known as “soft steps,” handing out free pens, lanyards, and other dinky little things for completing a survey or simply saying hello might incentivize reaching out and learning about the brand.

These will hopefully lead to “hard steps,” which mean actual purchases.

At the end of the day, adaptability is key. Consumers are getting smarter by the minute. If you’re in the marketing field, try thinking outside the box and accessing the unconscious. The results might surprise you.

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