Popeyes is a fast food restaurant that everyone knows, but until recently it wasn’t the mainstream option or even a topic of conversation, mainly because of a negative perception of the brand. They had always been seen as a cheap food chain, but over the past decade, the company decided to change their image from a cheap fried chicken chain to a more sophisticated and quality-driven, yet affordable food chain.
Popeyes started by changing its logo, uniforms, and menu to appeal to a broader and younger audience. However, one of the biggest keys to their newfound success was their utilization of the internet and social media marketing to drive brand awareness and hype around the new and improved Popeyes brand.
In this post, we’re going to review one of the best examples of digital guerrilla marketing ideas that caught the attention of not only people that like Popeyes, but also the international news media! Whoever their new marketing team deserves a raise!
Guerilla Marketing From A Brand At Its Finest
So imagine this…
One of your biggest competitors is trying to hype the release of a new chicken sandwich ( Ahem… McDonald’s) with a creative guerrilla marketing strategy.
Thinking outside of the box, they leave their traditional marketing behind and build a campaign around 
their new domain and the ability to purchase chicken sandwich-related gear.
In my opinion, nothing ground shaking… but can appreciate the effort.
Well, this was the perfect setup for a sneaky and creative guerrilla marketing action. One that would spark the imagination of consumers and media alike eventually reaching millions of people.
An Example Of One-upping Your Competitors Creative Marketing Ideas
Popeyes saw this attempt at a creative marketing strategy and decided to one-up them and create one of my favorite guerrilla marketing examples in recent times.
They decided on a sneaky strategy and tactic. Buy several variations and mistypes of the URL that the golden arches were using and set up their own landing page promoting their chicken sandwich that each of those purchased domains redirected to. Talk about a …
Even with limited budgets, anyone could have emulated this.
Not only did you capture the attention of everyone who messed up their attempt at grabbing a chicken sandwich T-shirt with your own sandwich, but you got international press and mentions from small publications like ours all the way up to Adweek! Basically, you turned a guerilla marketing campaign into a viral marketing campaign, creating a ton of buzz without putting any of the promotional efforts or marketing budget of traditional marketing or advertising behind it!
An Example Of One-upping Your Competitors Creative Marketing Ideas
Popeyes saw this attempt at a creative marketing strategy and decided to one-up them and create one of my favorite guerrilla marketing examples in recent times.
They decided on a sneaky strategy and tactic. Buy several variations and mistypes of the URL that the golden arches were using and set up their own landing page promoting their chicken sandwich that each of those purchased domains redirected to. Talk about a …
Even with limited budgets, anyone could have emulated this.
Not only did you capture the attention of everyone who messed up their attempt at grabbing a chicken sandwich T-shirt with your own sandwich, but you got international press and mentions from small publications like ours all the way up to Adweek! Basically, you turned a guerilla marketing campaign into a viral marketing campaign, creating a ton of buzz without putting any of the promotional efforts or marketing budget of traditional marketing or advertising behind it!
The Spark Of A Successful Using Guerilla Tactics
The best thing you can do is take action. Even if your idea only reaches hundreds of people, your message is out there.
Not every attempt at guerilla campaigns will be successful but since they can be a relatively low-cost option when it comes to techniques, it only makes sense to take as many shots as you can. It takes only one genius to gain traction for your or business to gain notoriety.
So, be creative, play off what your competitors are doing and find ways to utilize the online space.
What could you do tomorrow utilizing this quick and cost-effective type of that might make a difference in your bottom line? Craft a video, buy some space in your local market?
Think like a and understand that isn’t just about buying ads. it’s about crafting a story or building an event that people talk about.
Get any way you can. Let your know you exist in creative ways.
Again, there’s a reason it’s call , you do any and everything you can, within your budget and capabilities, to win.
So, build a easter egg hunt, dress up like a road cone and block the entrance to Target while handing out flyers. Think of something that is shocking or surprising and take a note from this great … exploit your competitor’s blind spots!
What Creative Guerrilla Marketing Campaigns Will You Come Up with?
Popeyes is one of our favorite examples of stealth marketing when it comes to a digital guerrilla marketing tactic. It was well thought out, employed without many thoroughfares, and raised a ton of media coverage worldwide for the brand for free. Let’s just say, take this example and use it to fuel your next guerrilla campaigns!
For 15+ years now Adam has helped business brand, plan, and grow.
With a background in media buying and specializing in data-driven marketing he founded the Painted Brick Digital Agency to act as your in-house marketing and advertising department.
“Cookie cutter doesn’t work in a world that is constantly evolving.”