History is full of stories where tiny, unadvanced armies
have handily defeated better equipped and much larger armies.
The
history of these battles is the history of guerrilla warfare.
There are
similar stories in business.
One example is that of the "Marlboro Man".
Before the Marlboro Man, the Marlboro brand of cigarettes was ranked 31st -
almost rock bottom.
After the introduction of the Marlboro Man, and the
guerrilla branding campaign to promote it, Marlboro became the #1 brand in a
multi-billion dollar industry.
It may shock you how many of the "big
business" names (that are now household words) started out as struggling small
businesses.
The history of the ascent of these icons is the history of
guerrilla marketing.
Until 1984, the principles of guerrilla marketing
were known only by a select few people in the world. They jealously kept this
information quiet with almost fanatical secrecy. And who can blame them? If you
had some special knowledge that allowed you to rise to the top of your field,
would you want this information to be made public? Of course not!
The
balance of power was dramatically upset by a maverick marketing genius named Jay
Conrad Levinson - a man who is arguably the most respected marketer in the
world.
He is the man who coined the term "guerrilla marketing" and
introduced these secrets to the average Joe (like me). His concepts are so
successful that he has published 27 books on the subject (in 37 languages), his
books are required reading in the most respected MBA programs in the world, and
he is now the most widely read and respected author of business books in the
world.
And Jay did all this "from scratch". That is, the success of the
"Guerrilla Marketing" brand is a testament to the very principles Jay himself
teaches.
It just so happens that he is also one of the creators of the
Marlboro Man. (Think what you will about tobacco, but you can not deny the power
of the marketing behind Marlboro - arguably the most successful marketing
campaign in history, and the most widely recognized brand in the world.)
So, what then, is Guerrilla Marketing all about?
Let's take a
segment from Jay's new book "Guerrilla Marketing for the New Millennium" to
learn:
"Marketing is absolutely every bit of contact any part of your
business has with any segment of the public. Guerrillas view marketing as a
circle that begins with your ideas for generating revenue and continues on with
the goal of amassing a large number of repeat and referral customers.
"The three key words in that paragraph are EVERY, REPEAT, and REFERRAL.
If your marketing is not a circle, it's a straight line that leads directly into
Chapters 7, 11, or 13 in the bankruptcy courts.
"HOW IS GUERRILLA
MARKETING DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL MARKETING?
"Guerrilla marketing
means marketing that is unconventional, non-traditional, not by-the-book, and
extremely flexible. Eighteen factors make it different from old-fashioned
marketing: "
Jay then goes on to list 18 things that separate guerrillas
from "mere mortals".
(See below for info on his new electronic book -
it's recognized as his most powerful work yet - and can't be found in book
stores.)
So, how then, does this information apply to those of us
marketing on the Internet?
Far more than you think! The Internet is not
just a new guerrilla battlefield - it's the *ultimate* guerrilla battlefield.
There have been more small business mega-success stories in the last 5 years
than in the combined history of business.
And there are clearly two
factors that have influenced this more than anything:
1. The Internet
2. Guerrilla Marketing
Ever wonder why big businesses are
totally blowing it online? Because they are not guerrilla thinkers!
These big bloated bureaucracies are sluggish and set in their ways. This
means that someone like you can step in and out-maneuver them. (More and more
big businesses are turning to small business entrepreneurs to teach them how to
market online - the tables have turned!)
So, start thinking like a
guerrilla right now. You have the advantage - all you have to do is take it.
Here's the definitive place to get started - where you will find an easy
to follow step by step plan for launching a "guerrilla attack": http://www.roibot.com/gm.cgi?R10682_GWM
