When should you try guerilla marketing?

• Author: Hatch, Cary
• Position: Communications Q&A

Q: How can guerilla marketing help my bank achieve its communications goals? When is it an appropriate strategy?

A: Guerilla marketing includes any activity that uses a means other than traditional media to communicate your bank's name and positioning to your prospects. Also called "extreme marketing," "grassroots marketing," or even "feet-on-the-street marketing," a guerilla campaign has no preset rules or boundaries. As such, guerilla marketing can work for banks of all sizes. If executed properly, a guerilla campaign can be a low-cost, high-impact way to connect with your prospects, introduce your name or remind customers you're still here.

Guerilla marketing can be particularly effective when faced with the following challenges:

When you need to impact a spot market. To promote its "Orange" online banking solutions, ING Direct waged guerilla campaigns in the metropolitan regions of Boston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. In Washington, for the duration of one winter morning commute, ING Direct sponsored rides anywhere on the rail or bus networks. Orange-clad staff leafleted passengers as they passed under orange banners, through orange fare boxes and by orange lightbox diorama advertisements. To drive home its message further, the company placed ads in subway cars and on the sides of buses. The event grabbed the attention of immediate prospects and generated extensive media coverage.

When you're trying to create networks of influence. Consumer research indicates that high-profile consumers--also called "influencers"--will affect the purchasing decisions of 70 percent of their peer groups. Commerce Bank, which operates in four Mid-Atlantic...