{"id":84858,"date":"2025-04-28T16:08:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T16:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glossary\/marketing-de-guerrilla\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T17:28:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T17:28:56","slug":"guerrilla-marketing","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/guerrilla-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Guerrilla marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Guerrilla marketing is a way of advertising through original, surprising and low-cost actions that aim to grab attention in unexpected places and moments.<\/strong> Instead of buying lots of media space, it relies on creativity to get people talking about the brand.<\/p>\n\n

A sticker on a zebra crossing, a street bench turned into an ad or a flashmob at a station are typical guerrilla actions.<\/p>\n\n

Where does the term come from?<\/h2>\n\n

The name was popularized by American advertising executive Jay Conrad Levinson with his 1984 book Guerrilla Marketing<\/em>. The idea came from guerrilla warfare: small groups with few resources that catch a larger opponent by surprise.<\/p>\n\n

Levinson had in mind small businesses that couldn’t compete with the budgets of big brands. Today multinationals use it too, because a good action gets coverage on social media and in the press without paying for it.<\/p>\n\n

In Spanish, it is also called publicidad de guerrilla<\/strong> or mercadotecnia de guerrilla<\/strong>. In English, it is known as guerrilla marketing<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

Characteristics of guerrilla marketing<\/h2>\n\n

These are the hallmarks of a guerrilla action:<\/p>\n\n

Feature<\/th>What it means<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Creativity<\/td>The idea matters more than the budget<\/td><\/tr>
Surprise<\/td>It appears where nobody expects an ad<\/td><\/tr>
Low cost<\/td>Few resources compared to a media campaign<\/td><\/tr>
Interaction<\/td>The audience takes part in, touches or photographs the action<\/td><\/tr>
Virality<\/td>It aims to be shared on social media and picked up by the press<\/td><\/tr>
Short duration<\/td>It is usually one-off and short-lived<\/td><\/tr>
Simple message<\/td>It can be understood in a few seconds<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n
\"Characteristics<\/figure>\n\n

Types of guerrilla marketing<\/h2>\n\n

Depending on where and how the action is carried out, there are several types:<\/p>\n\n

Ambient marketing.<\/strong> It uses elements of the urban environment, such as benches, stairs, bus stops or zebra crossings, and turns them into an ad.<\/p>\n\n

Street marketing.<\/strong> Street actions with people, giveaways or installations that interact with passers-by.<\/p>\n\n

Ambush marketing.<\/strong> A brand takes advantage of an event sponsored by another to gain visibility. We explain it in our ambush marketing<\/a> entry.<\/p>\n\n

Experiential marketing.<\/strong> Flashmobs, surprise events or experiences that people live and remember.<\/p>\n\n

Digital guerrilla.<\/strong> Creative actions designed for the internet that aim to become viral marketing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Stealth marketing.<\/strong> The product appears naturally, without looking like advertising. It is the most controversial type, because it can mislead the public.<\/p>\n\n

\n

Don’t let your campaign stay on the street<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turn the attention your action gets into subscribers with Mailrelay forms and newsletters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Advantages and risks<\/h2>\n\n

Guerrilla marketing has clear strengths, but also risks worth knowing about:<\/p>\n\n

Advantages<\/th>Risks<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Low cost compared to a media campaign<\/td>Results are hard to measure<\/td><\/tr>
Great brand awareness<\/a> if it works<\/td>If it doesn’t surprise, it goes unnoticed<\/td><\/tr>
Free exposure on social media and in the press<\/td>It can annoy people or feel invasive<\/td><\/tr>
It sets the brand apart from the competition<\/td>Some actions require permits from the city council<\/td><\/tr>
Emotional connection with the audience<\/td>A bad idea can go viral for the wrong reasons<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

How to run a guerrilla marketing action<\/h2>\n\n

1. Know your audience.<\/strong> Define your buyer persona<\/a> and the places they frequent.<\/p>\n\n

2. Set a goal.<\/strong> Awareness, website visits, sign-ups or sales at a specific store.<\/p>\n\n

3. Look for a simple idea.<\/strong> It should be understood in seconds and tied to your product.<\/p>\n\n

4. Check the permits.<\/strong> Actions in public spaces usually need authorization from the city council.<\/p>\n\n

5. Plan the promotion.<\/strong> Photos, videos and a message for social media, plus a way for people to follow you, such as a QR code that leads to a landing page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

6. Measure the results.<\/strong> Mentions, visits, contacts captured and sales in the following weeks.<\/p>\n\n

\"How<\/figure>\n\n

Guerrilla marketing and email marketing<\/h2>\n\n

A guerrilla action doesn’t last long. If you don’t take advantage of the attention it gets, it fades within a few days.<\/p>\n\n

Email helps turn that spike in attention into something lasting. Send people to a subscription form<\/a> with an incentive, such as a discount or a giveaway, and confirm each sign-up with double opt-in. Then tell them the story of the campaign in your newsletter and stay in touch with them.<\/p>\n\n

That way, anyone who noticed your action on the street becomes a contact you can write to whenever you want.<\/p>\n\n

If you’re looking for ideas, there’s a selection of guerrilla marketing examples<\/a> on our blog.<\/p>\n\n

How Mailrelay helps you<\/h2>\n\n

With Mailrelay you can create the form to capture the people who discover you through a guerrilla action. You can also send an automatic welcome email and share the campaign’s results in your newsletter.<\/p>\n\n

The free account includes up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts, with human support by chat, ticket and phone.<\/p>\n\n

\n

Send your newsletters with Mailrelay<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts for free, with human support on every plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Try Mailrelay for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n

These are the most common questions about guerrilla marketing.<\/p>\n\n

What is guerrilla marketing in a nutshell?<\/h3>\n\n

It is advertising through creative, surprising and cheap actions in unexpected places to get people talking about the brand.<\/p>\n\n

Who invented guerrilla marketing?<\/h3>\n\n

The term was popularized by Jay Conrad Levinson with his book Guerrilla Marketing<\/em>, published in 1984.<\/p>\n\n

What is the difference between guerrilla marketing and street marketing?<\/h3>\n\n

Street marketing is a type of guerrilla marketing carried out on the street. Guerrilla marketing also includes digital, ambush and stealth actions.<\/p>\n\n

Is guerrilla marketing legal?<\/h3>\n\n

Yes, but actions in public spaces usually need permission from the city council, and stealth marketing can be misleading advertising if it hides that it is an ad.<\/p>\n\n

Does guerrilla marketing work for small businesses?<\/h3>\n\n

Yes. It was born precisely for them: with creativity and a small budget, a small business can get more attention than with a traditional ad.<\/p>\n\n

Related entries<\/h2>\n\n