In Wikipedia it says that, "Guerrilla Marketing, is an unconventional way of performing promotional activities on a very low budget." Even if this would be accurate, I'm not buying it, because I think a good strategy is always in search of something more. So here is what I think...

1. Set out to change the world Don't launch a business unless you're prepared to change the world! No one ever freed a nation with features and benefits. People will get excited about your initiatives only if you clearly articulate how your proposition will liberate your customers in a way none of your competitors can. That is the true cause and banner of your guerrilla campaign. And if you can't come up with it, don't bother with the rest of this list unless you talk to an expert first.

2. It's not about the battle, it's about the war. If successfully waged, guerrilla campaigns cause "death (success) by a thousand bee-stings." Yet, all too often, marketing initiatives that claim to be guerrilla in nature are planned without regard for the 999 stings to come. This leaves successful campaigns without follow-up or even budget. While in war there may be merit in occasionally irritating your enemy, in business it's simply a waste of money.

3. Power to the people. No guerrilla movement or revolution can succeed without popular support. Guerrilla campaigns are a great opportunity to involve your most loyal customers and staff. Consider community marketing, consumer-generated media (CGM), and co-creation programs to get them in the loop. Not to make money, but to help achieve the change you described in point 1. People love to improve the world. Invite them to your cause and treat them well.

4. Deploy mercenaries wisely. While agencies can be great allies by having quality resources to deploy, they also know that there will be a time that you will abandon them (come on, be honest). That is why they will offer you the same loyalty of any mercenary: as long as the money's good. The moment a budgetary glitch reduces budgets or margins, most of them will leave you to your own devices, unless they have a sense of pride invested in the project.

That is why you should involve agencies whenever you need the extra firepower. Use them to get you going, give you ideas, structure and contacts. However avoid relying on them for the long run. That, you can only do on your own, with your own staff and customers (and treat them well).

5. Think small, but spectacular. Guerrilla campaigns are high on brainpower and low on budget. They use creativity, speed, and adaptability to capitalize on high-profile opportunities. Foster this attitude by combining tight budgets with high-to-impossible expectations from your marketing team or agency. And when they get lost in opportunities, focus their attention on the one thing that will really blow the market's mind.

6. Keep them guessing. Good Guerrilla campaigns always capitalize on the element of surprise. Not once, yet over and over again. If you have something that works, change it before your competitors can respond. If you focus on one geographic region in one month, move somewhere completely different the next. Do a ski party on the beach or a beach party in the mountains. Surprise and sometimes even shock if the campaign lends itself to it.

7. Get the gold and get out. Guerrilla campaigns are executed with laser precision. This means they get clear, quantifiable business objectives. Once these are achieved, you get out. Prolonging your initiative only leads to wasted resources, plus it gives your competition time to react, duplicate or even improve on your initiative.

8. Lead the charge. Every cause needs a leader who's drive cannot be captured in a PowerPoint presentation. Love it or hate it, but this leader is you. And if you don't have the time to be with your troops when they need you, find someone who cares enough about your cause to do it in your place. Leaders should be where the action is, and in your case that's among your community, customers, and staff.

9. Don't forget propaganda. These days it's probably called word-of-mouth (WOM), yet in the old days, whenever the Partisans in Italy blew up another stronghold, the country knew about it in an instant. If one of your guerrilla marketing campaigns hits a homerun, get yourself a megaphone and shout it from the rooftops. You have taken another step to change the world. And don't take the credit yourself, but celebrate your heroes (customers, staff, and others), for they will be your biggest source of WOM.

10. Don't get killed by friendly fire. Guerrilla campaigns are unorthodox, daring, visible, accountable, and....... prone to failure. This means that people who control the purse strings can get nervous about them. Prepare the ground by selling your boss on your cause and the path you intend to walk. Demonstrate the benefits of involving your customer community and focusing your staff on "one goal." And if it looks like you really won't get any air cover, don't go it alone. Dead soldiers can't win wars.

Happy Fighting the Marketplace!

Han Ramakers