Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities, DOÇ. DR. SALIH BATAL,PROF. DR. HAKAN ALTINTAŞ, Editör, Serüven Yayınevi, Ankara, ss.37-52, 2025
Traditional marketing methods help brands reach large audiences, but in today’s competitive environment, differentiation has become increasingly difficult. Consumers’ growing indifference to advertisements and the overwhelming flow of information brought by digitalization necessitate innovative and attention-grabbing approaches in marketing
strategies. As traditional marketing methods fail to capture consumers’ attention, businesses are searching for creative and effective alternatives. In this context, guerrilla marketing stands out as a strategy that aims to create maximum impact with a limited budget by utilizing unconventional and creative methods. Unlike traditional advertising, guerrilla marketing is an approach designed to achieve high engagement with low costs. The concept of guerrilla marketing originates from military strategies and is particularly recognized for its elements of surprise, creativity, and innovative solutions. Introduced by Jay Conrad Levinson in 1984, this concept provides an effective marketing solution, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, today, guerrilla marketing has become a strategic choice for large-scale brands as well, representing an innovation that challenges conventional methods. By targeting consumers with memorable messages in unconventional locations and with low budgets, this strategy redefines the boundaries of marketing.
At its core, guerrilla marketing relies on creativity, uniqueness, and unexpected methods to leave a lasting impression on consumers. This enables brands to go beyond merely promoting their products or services and instead establish a strong emotional connection with their customers. One of the most significant advantages of guerrilla marketing is that
it allows even businesses with limited budgets to reach large audiences. While traditional advertising methods typically require substantial budgets, guerrilla marketing aims to achieve a significant impact at a low cost. This strategy can be implemented in unconventional locations, using extraordinary advertising techniques or methods that engage consumers
directly. Elements such as street art, flash mob events, viral videos, and surprise campaigns are among the primary tools of guerrilla marketing. Guerrilla marketing is not just a marketing strategy; it is also a powerful communication method that enables businesses to establish meaningful and effective emotional bonds with their target audiences (Levinson, 1994). From a marketing strategy perspective, guerrilla marketing reduces brands’ reliance on traditional media channels and fosters more organic and genuine communication paths. With the rise of social media platforms, guerrilla marketing strategies have played a crucial role in creating viral campaigns. By encouraging active participation from users,
these strategies facilitate consumer-brand interactions and strengthen brand loyalty. Consequently, guerrilla marketing has been gaining increasing importance in the modern marketing landscape. The aim of this study is to examine the historical development and theoretical foundations of guerrilla marketing and to evaluate its advantages in terms of marketing strategies. The study will explore how guerrilla marketing techniques function and in which situations they are most effective. By doing so, it aims to contribute to businesses developing marketing strategies that achieve a high impact at a low cost.