Charmin Experiential Marketing

As mentioned in my Sharpie blog post and first blog post, experiential marketing is my favorite type of guerrilla marketing. In general, it's a growing form of marketing because of its effectiveness and ability for brands to engage with consumers. Experiential marketing is a two way communication experience where the consumer interacts with the product or brand without being forcefully "sold."

Charmin used experiential marketing over the 2007 holiday season by installing 20 restrooms in Times Square.  The pop-up restroom installations were a massive success with 392,862 visitors participating (Hospes, 2010).

Here is how Charmin effectively implemented experiential marketing using "4 Steps to Engaging Guerrillas":

1.  Understand the brand's Unique Selling Proposition: 
Charmin created a clean and comfortable experience for New Yorkers and tourists in the bustling city.  Instead of searching for any restroom in the city, customers experienced a clean restroom with soft toilet paper rather than dirty porta-potties with cheap and thin toilet paper.  Instead of people hurrying to got and get out of the bathroom, Charmin created an experience where customers wanted to stay.  Their Twitter hashtag #tweetfromtheseat also promotes this notion of a comfortable bathroom experience.  

2.  Incorporate the USP in nature: 
Installing 20 pop-up bathroom sites around NYC

3.  Incorporate audience engagement into the idea:  
As pictured to the right, the restrooms contained 6 different types of Charmin rolls for the consumers to try.  Charmin also made the experience a product contest by having the participants choose which type of toilet paper (Ultra Strong vs. Ultra Soft) was their favorite.  They used giant flush-o-meters for people to cast their vote! (Partnership Activation, 2008).  Lastly, two giant Charmin bears were on-site for pictures.

4.  Finish the idea by creating an effective call-to-action: 
Every person who voted in the contest was rewarded with coupons for the product.  Participants could also purchase branded t-shirts, boxers and bears as a take-away from the event.

Remember: Say "I do" to engaging the audience with guerrilla marketing--Kayleigh Green

Sources

• Chung, J.  2006.  Charmin's Time Square Bathrooms Are Open For Your Business.  http://gothamist.com/2006/11/20/charmins_times.php
• Hospes, C.  2010.  Guerrilla Marketing from Marginal to Mainstream.  http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/guerrilla-marketing-marginal-mainstream/
• McDonough, G.  2007.  http://meetschmitt.typepad.com/schmittblog/2007/05/plunging_into_e.html
• Partnership Activation.  2008.  Is There Money In the Can? http://www.partnershipactivation.com/partnership-ideas/?currentPage=23

McDonald's Guerrilla Marketing

Big or small, guerrilla marketing is a creative and engaging solution for all!  Although small businesses can really benefit from guerrilla marketing, large brands and corporations are using guerrilla marketing to stay relevant in customers' consideration set.  McDonald's is a great example of a market leader in the fast food industry who implemented guerrilla marketing numerous times across the globe.  Below are 6 examples of types of guerrilla marketing McDonald's used to creatively catch customers' attention.

Ambient/Environment Marketing
McDonald's used ambient/environment marketing which "creates brand recognition without necessarily pushing the product" (Weburbanist.com).  The company placed a life-size version of an empty shamrock shake next to the Chicago river turning green during St. Patty's Day in 2010.  This placement was a perfect match for a product with Irish inspiration for an Irish holiday.

Presence Marketing
McDonald's took advantage of common elements on the streets to showcase their coffee, french fries, and chicken nuggets with dipping sauces.

Coffee pothole

Coffee streetlight

Crosswalk street fries

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Chicken nuggets & elevator dipping sauce

Interactive Guerrilla Marketing

McDonald's placed a giant take-out bag in the streets to have customers carry around.  This is the closest McDonald's gets to creating an two-way experience for the customers rather than a one-way message.


Although these 6 examples are incredibly creative and clever, they are mostly one-way experiences and do not completely interact with customers.  However, when you are a market leader like McDonald's, the goal of guerrilla marketing is to entertain customers.  Engaging customers with guerrilla marketing should always be a goal.  McDonald's could accomplish this goal by giving a 15% discount for the pictured product for customers who tag McDonald's Twitter/Facebook in a picture of themselves with the guerrilla marketing example.

Sources
Alice.  2010.  Clever Guerrilla Marketing: McDonald's Shamrock Shake.  Retrieved from http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/clever-guerrilla-marketing
Ewen, Sam Travis.  2010.  McDonalds Goes Massive in Auckland.  Retrieved from http://www.onthegroundlookingup.com/2010/12/mcdonalds-goes-massive-in-auckland.html
Guerrilla Sushi, 2009.  Street Marketing: McDonald's Have You Had Your Coffee Fix Today?  Retrieved from http://guerrillasushi.blogspot.com/2009/11/street-marketing-mcdonalds-have-you-had.html
Weburbanist.com  10 Different Types of Guerrilla Marketing.  Retrieved from http://weburbanist.com/2008/06/19/different-types-of-guerrilla-marketing/

Apps & Guerrilla Marketing Integration

Using "String" App in Street Marketing

Social media is becoming a regular communication medium in marketers' tool belts.  Guerrilla marketers have an opportunity to uniquely use technology during street marketing campaigns through apps like "String".  This iPhone and iPad app is a great fit for guerrilla marketing because it is unique and will attract customers' attention in an innovative way.  "String" takes provided pictures and turns them into a 3D, interactive experience through the camera lens.


The best way to describe the "coolness" of String is by experiencing it yourself.
      1.  Download "String" from iTunes--it's Free!
      2.  Open the app and use the provided camera to move it around the pictures found here or below:
      3.  See these pictures turn into a 3D experience!

Since this app is only compatible on iPhones and iPads, if you have an Android powered device, you can view a video of the experience here:


Integration Opportunities
Brands and agencies can create Augmented Reality apps and use String to create 3D experiences for customers by contacting String's team.  Brands can place these pictures/posters as street paintings, street signs, banners on buses/trains/subways, etc.  By each picture, there should be a logo that says "Download 'String' on your iPhone or iPad to see this 3D picture".  This creates a unique way for consumers to interact with the brand and possibly customize a product (like the shoes above).

Brands could also create contests where they have to find the picture that does x behavior. Once the customer finds it, they can send a picture of themselves by the poster to the brand's Twitter/Facebook and be entered in for a drawing for a new product.

When using String to integrate apps with guerrilla marketing, marketers need to remember the 4 Steps To Engaging Guerrillas: 
     1. Understand the brand's Unique Selling Proposition
     2. Incorporate the USP into nature
     3. Incorporate audience engagement into the idea
     4. Finish the idea by creating an effective call-to-action

Remember: Say "I do" to engaging the audience with guerrilla marketing--Kayleigh Green

Guerrilla Marketing in the Midwest

Most guerrilla marketing examples I have analyzed so far have occurred in NYC, an area of very high traffic.  However, fellow blogger, Emily Droessler, brought up an excellent point--how and where can Midwest marketers use guerrilla marketing?

Brands that are Midwest-specific, local concerts or events should use guerrilla marketing because of the low instances of guerrilla marketing in the Midwest.  Guerrilla marketing itself is an attention-getter, but in the Midwest there are less brands utilizing it compared to the East and West Coast.  An example of some brands, concerts, events who would benefit from Midwest guerrilla marketing are: U.S. Cellular, Lollapalooza, the Omaha Zoo and the Iowa State Fair to name a few.

To maximize your ROI, marketers should make sure they are implementing guerrilla marketing in the population dense areas of the Midwest.  Below is an interactive map of the Midwest showing these most population dense areas.


How To Use Guerrilla Marketing in the Midwest
First, you need to ask "where is most of my target market?"  Then you need to capitalize on everyday places a large amount of the target market is.  Some examples are: within the Subways in Chicago, in cornfields in large rural areas during a high-travel area (Fourth of July), or on buildings and streets in Minneapolis.

What cool examples of Guerrilla Marketing have you seen in the Midwest?  Comment below!

Remember: Say "I do" to engaging the audience with guerrilla marketing--Kayleigh Green

Sources:

• http://maps.howstuffworks.com/midwest-region-population-density-map.htm

Flash Mobs: Relevant or Retired?

Flash Mobs: A Live TV Commercial

After talking with fellow blogger, Ashley Werthmann on my last post about Sharpie guerrilla marketing, she mentioned the great idea to discuss Flash Mobs as a past guerrilla marketing opportunity.  They have been successfully in the past for some brands I will discuss below.  

What is a Flash Mob?

Flash Mobs are a public stunt used for marketing or personal reasons (usually marriage proposals) that begin with one person dancing.  Slowly, more dancers emerge from the crowd and join in on the synchronized dance routine for 2-5 minutes.  They can be set to any song and usually are riffs off of viral sensations.  Some pop culture examples are Flash Mobs to: Gangnam Style and "Marry You" by Bruno Mars.

Although the first flash mob took place in 2003, it truly gained traction and reached its peak in 2009-2010 (Raney, n.d.).  As a guerrilla marketing opportunity, I believe they are outdated to currently use in its traditional form.  However, some brands have successfully used them in the past.  They have been used for specific organizations or personal stories rather than a specific product. However, guerrilla marketers could reinvent this fad to resemble a "live" TV commercials which I discuss below.

Brands that have used Flash Mobs

• Liverpool T-Mobile Dance:  T-Mobile implemented a series of 3 flash mobs for it's "Life for Sharing" campaign.

• Gisele Bundchen SKY HDTV "Live Commercial" Flash Mob: This is also a costly, but highly effective example with estimated costs of $4 million dollars, not counting in Bundchen's fees (ViralBlog, n.d.).  Guerrilla marketing is meant to be a low-cost marketing alternative, so Flash Mobs do not exactly fit that criteria. However, this is a great example of making Flash Mobs more interactive for the audience--this engages them in a "live commercial."

• Samsung Galaxy s4 Flash Mob in 2013:  This Flash Mob shows how brands are using it as a "Live" TV Commercial.  Samsung also accomplished this by including a big pop-up prop during the dance as well.  Although Flash Mobs were a sensation years ago, this proves if they are reinvented as a "Live Commercial" people are still enticed to watch.

Goals of Flash Mobs for Brands:

• Draw attention to the brand to increase brand visibility and recognition
• Engage the consumers by making the Flash Mob a "live" TV commercial
• Try to make the YouTube clip of the Flash Mob "go viral"

My Suggestions/Takeaways

• "Live TV Commercial" Opportunity: Flash Mobs were a creative way for brands to engage consumers with the fad in 2009-2010.  The fad is now retired, but they can be relevant by reinventing them as a  way to engage with consumers as a "live TV commercial."  The concept will be similar to the original Flash Mob idea.  The "Live TV Commercial" will be effective because it will draw customer's attention and they will be so intrigued that traditional commercial avoidance will not play as much of a factor.  A potential drawback is the cost of the implementing the stunt, which is why heavy planning is required to capitalize on the "Live Commercial".  Marketers of the specific brand will need to:
• Find a popular public location
• Quickly load in any props (Ex: Loading in the couch in Gisele's Flash Mob above).
• The spokesperson will next enter the public place and being the "commercial.
• Other characters will enter the scene and the commercial will play out.
• Engaging Consumers on YouTube: When uploading the YouTube clip, make sure to include information about the brand/organization at the beginning and end of the video.  Another option is to include fun facts about the brand scrolling during the middle of the video to keep consumers' engagement while re-watching the Flash Mob.  Brands need to give consumers a reason to keep watching since there are many Flash Mobs on the internet with the same songs.

Remember: Say "I do" to engaging the audience with guerrilla marketing--Kayleigh Green

Comment Below: Are Flash Mobs Relevant or Retired?

Sources

• Edwards, Jim.  2013.  Samsung's Advertising for The Galaxy S4 Has Been Weirdly--Deliberately?--Cheesy.  Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/samsungs-advertising-for-the-galaxy-s4-has-been-weirdly-deliberately-awful-2013-3
• Elliott, Amy Mae.  2010.  15 Fab Flash Mob Videos on YouTube.  Mashable.  Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/06/20/flash-mob-videos/
• Hoyal, Emily.  2011.  Flash mobs: a gimmick or serious marketing strategy?  Retrieved from http://blog.viadeo.com/en/2011/09/13/flash-mobs-a-gimmick-or-a-serious-marketing-strategy/#respond
• Raney, Rebecca Fairley.  n.d.  5 Mind-blowing Flash Mobs.  Retrieved from http://people.howstuffworks.com/5-mind-blowing-flash-mobs.htm#page=0
• ViralBlog.  n.d.  Gisele Bundchen SKY HD Flash Mob.  Retrieved from http://www.viralblog.com/viral-social-videos/gisele-bundchen-sky-hd-flashmob/
• TheFinancialBrand.com.  Wells Fargo 'Flash Mob' Yields 1 Million YouTube Views.  2011.  Retrieved from http://thefinancialbrand.com/18345/wells-fargo-times-square-flash-mob-video/

Sharpie Guerrilla Marketing

Use a Sharp' to Make Your "Mark"

As I mentioned in my first blog post, experiential marketing is my favorite way for brands and organizations to interact and engage with customers using guerrilla marketing.  Experiential marketing is a form of guerrilla marketing that gives the customer an experience to interact with the brand rather than merely one-way communication (Web Urbanist).

It is one of the top forms of guerrilla marketing that gives the opportunity for consumer engagement, something that should be included as a goal of marketing.  Sharpie, the manufacturer of popular writing instruments, has successfully used experiential marketing with a recent campaign.

4 Steps to Engaging Guerrillas

1.  Understand the brand's Unique Selling Proposition: Sharpie is known for selling versatile writing utensils.  How many times have you asked "Do you have a Sharpie I can borrow?"  Whether that is to sign the cast of an elementary school classmate, write your initials on a piece of property, decorate a card, or much more, Sharpie is known for being the marker you can use anywhere and everywhere.  The brand needs to show this versatility by expanding their campaign focus beyond writing on casts.  In the section below, I explore more ideas for accomplishing this.

Sharpie needs to sell their USP of a versatile family of writing instruments 

2.  Incorporate the USP in nature: Placing the interactive boards near bus stops and other places on the streets.  The brand needs to make sure the boards are in places where consumers are already stopping in order to increase the likelihood of consumers interacting with them.

3.  Incorporate audience engagement into the idea:  Experiential marketing has customers interacting with the boards and brand by doodling on the cast. 

4.  Finish the idea by creating an effective call-to-action: A call-to-action to inspire purchasing is still needed in this campaign.  However, Sharpie did include brand interaction and a call-to-action by setting up experiential marketing section in Office Depot stores.  Customers could doodle with different Sharpies in the store, determine the right ones for them, and purchase them (Promo Xtra, 2009).

Marketing Campaigns to Appeal to Teenagers
In their 2012 "Back to School Campaign," Sharpie focused on capturing teens as their target market.  Since teens are a specific target market that requires engagement to capture their attention, loyalty and purchase intentions, experiential marketing was and is a perfect marketing tactic (Julig, 2013).

Here are some of my ideas that build off some  campaigns/ideas they have begun:

Mark Your Shoes!
1.  Understand the brand's Unique Selling Proposition: Writing utensils, especially markers that can be used for many functional uses and doodling on things.
2.  Incorporate the USP in nature: Sharpie has to ask "where are teenagers standing still?"  Mass amount of teenagers can be found standing outside concert venues, schools, bus stops, benches, Starbucks, juice bars, etc.
3.  Incorporate audience engagement into the idea: Place laminated shoe stickers at the above venues and place stands of Sharpie markers nearby for teenagers to draw on.  They could also use digital boards similar to the above campaign so Sharpie would not run the risk of markers going missing.  
4.  Finish the idea by creating an effective call-to-action:  The submissions have to also include a picture of the teenager holding the Sharpie markers they used to decorate the item.  As more teenagers become involved in the campaign, more markers will be used, thus more markers will be needed by teenagers, resulting in an increase in Sharpie sales.


"Make Your Mark" Social Media Contest
Sharpie is already publishing examples consumers using their Sharpie markers to decorate items on their website.  The brand could expand this interaction by running a contest through Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook: social mediums teenagers are actively using.  They can challenge students to "make their mark" on everyday objects with Sharpies and then post pictures of them on the social mediums.  Fellow teenagers can then "favorite", "like" and "share" the best designs.

Takeaways

• Sharpie already has a great campaign started which utilizes experiential marketing to interact and engage with consumers, specifically teenagers.  
• The brand needs to take the guerrilla marketing campaign a step further by including a call-to-action through their street campaigns and highlight the versatility of their brand.

Remember: Say "I do" to engaging the audience with guerrilla marketing--Kayleigh Green

Sources & Other Great Articles On The Campaign:

• Babitts, Gerard.  2009.  Sharpie's Uncapped Marketing.  Retrieved from http://www.gerardbabitts.com/2009/06/29/sharpie-uncapped-marketing/comment-page-1/#comment-1379
• Gardner, Courtney.  2011.  Sharpie's New Marketing Campaign.  Retrieved from http://area2oh3.com/sharpie-marketing-campaign/
• Julig, Louise.  2013.  3 Ways Sharpie is Engaging Teens With Social Media.  Social Media Examiner.  Retrieved from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/connect-with-teens-on-social-media-sharpie-case-study/ 
• Levere, Jane.  2011.  A Sharpie Campaign, Aimed at Teenagers, Urges Self-Expression.  The New York Times.  Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/business/media/sharpie-aims-a-new-campaign-at-teenagers.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
• Promo Xtra.  2009.  Sharpie Sets up Experiential Shops in Office Depot Stores.  Retrieved from http://chiefmarketer.com/eventmarketing/news/sharpie-setsup-shops-0107
• Weburbanist.com.  Guerrilla Ads & Marketing.  Retrieved from http://weburbanist.com/category/design/guerilla-marketing/

UNICEF Vending Machine Installation

Brands are not the only ones who do, can and should utilize guerrilla marketing.  Cause-related organizations can, should, and engage consumers with guerrilla marketing as well.  This post analyzes the cause-related organization, UNICEF's use of guerrilla marketing, specifically street and experiential marketing.

On July 12, 2010, UNICEF installed a vending machine in Manhattan's Union Square which shocked and engaged consumers (Kaye, 2010).  Instead of the buttons being different soda or energy drink options, there was 8 different types of disease that dirty water can give.

Click below to watch a video of the installation:

1.  Understand the brand's Unique Selling Proposition: UNICEF's Tap Project "provides clean water and adequate sanitation to children around the world" (UNICEF).  Instead of capitalizing on its USP of clean water, it attracted consumers' attention by showing what consumer support prevents---diseases from dirty water.  
2.  Incorporate the USP in nature: UNICEF took guerrilla marketing to the streets by the installation of a vending machine.
3.  Incorporate audience engagement into the idea: Consumers were engaged because of the shocking nature of the vending machine.  
4.  Finish the idea by creating an effective call-to-action: After consumers are engaged, they can see the dirty water for themselves through a $1 donation to UNICEF Tap.

Other Ideas:

• Install 8 empty fish tanks on the streets with a signs on each fish tank labeling the different types of diseases. UNICEF staff could be on hand selling plastic water bottles for a $1 donation.  Consumers will be so shocked by this dirty water they will want to show others information about the cause.  Lastly, the water bottles should include information on UNICEF Tap and where to donate.
• Install a "wishing well" with dirty water instead of clear water within the streets. The money raised through the wishing wells would go to UNICEF Tap.

UNICEF shows that cause-related organizations can use guerrilla marketing to inspire consumers, represent their cause, and gain donations.

Remember: Say "I do" to engaging the audience with guerrilla marketing--Kayleigh Green

Sources:
Kaye, L.  2010.  UNICEF's Dirty Water Vending Machines Raises Awareness in Manhattan. Retrieved from http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/07/unicefs-dirty-water-vending-machines-raises-awareness-in-manhattan/

UNICEF.  Clean Water Campaign.  Retrieved from http://www.unicefusa.org/work/water/.