Boston Guerilla Marketing Event

The Boston chapter of the American Marketing Association held its monthly Boston Marketing Club event this week. A networking event where people not only have fun, but the chapter also asks the attendees several marketing related questions, this month the topic of guerilla marketing was top of mind for marketers here in Boston, especially with recent campaigns from the Cartoon Network and Dr Pepper.

Here are the questions and the attendees’ answers:

Q1. Which of the following best defines guerilla marketing?
43% -- "Unconventional promotional activities to gain broad attention."
0% -- "Deceptive marketing campaigns used to promote a brand or product."
49% -- "Unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources."
5% -- "Direct one-to-one tactics to create contact between marketers and consumers."
3% -- "A man in a gorilla suit" (While few people would normally have selected this answer, perhaps this evening they had good reason)

Q2. Was the TBS guerilla marketing campaign brilliance or a blunder?
33% -- Yes -- brilliant
Some of the reasons cited were:
a. Brilliantly stupid
b. $2M and viewership skyrockets - less than the price of a SuperBowl ad
c. Long term benefits - people will remember Cartoon Network, but maybe not why
d. Got everybody talking - no one got hurt

63% -- No -- blunder
Some of the reasons cited were:
a. Didn’t cover their bases - permissions
b. Non-ethical long-term cost
c. Association with guys that did the signs
d. Good idea - didn't think it thru

1% -- Neutral
(remember, we did have a city council person there)

Q3. Did Boston city officials over-react?
58% -- Yes
42% -- No

Justin Holmes a staff member of President Maureen Feeney of the Boston City Council attended the event, Steve Halling, the President of the Boston AMA is planning on attending the Boston City Council meeting on the topic of guerilla marketing