Monday, April 23, 2012

Guerilla Warfare in Marketing

The enemy advances, we retreat. The enemy camps, we harass. The enemy tires, we attack. The enemy retreats, we pursue.  Mao Tse-Tsung.
 
 
Trouble a leader, survive, injure a leader, survive, defeat a leader, win.
 
Guerillas need to have a survival plan. If they survive they can fight the battle once again on a different day. The cost incurred in defeating a guerilla is very high for the opponent.
 
Al Ries and Jack Trout give the following as principles of guerilla warfare in marketing.
 
1. Find a segment of the market small enough to defend.
 
There has to be market from which you can earn revenues. Guerilla marketers may have a diffuse market which the leaders cannot even identify.
 
2. No matter how successful you become, never act like the leader.
 
Don't declare victory early. Guerilla strategy and tactics are essentially opposite of what's right for Fortune 500 companies.
 
3. Be prepared to bug out at a moment's notice.
 
Whenever you venture into the main visible markets, get out at the first instance of trouble. Conserve your resources.
 
References
 
Al Ries and Jack Trout, Marketing Warfare, McGraw Hill, 1986

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Original knol - http://knol.google.com/k/narayana-rao/guerilla-warfare-in-marketing/2utb2lsm2k7a/ 403

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