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Guide · Street marketing

What is guerrilla marketing? Street marketing explained.

Where guerrilla marketing came from, how it relates to street marketing, examples worth knowing, and how to plan a street team that stays on the right side of the rules.

7 min read8 steps5 checks
Steve Madden brand ambassador handing out invitations to shoppers on a London street
Decide early whether you need the unexpected or simply presence. The answer changes the budget, the permissions and the team.The one thing to remember

Start here

From the idea to the street.

From what guerrilla marketing means to measuring street work. Follow the line; tap any point to read it.

APMZEE street team member handing out samples on a busy London street
01Step 1 of 8
Steve Madden promotional staff member with a giant branded bag on a shopping street

The meaning of guerrilla marketing

What is guerrilla marketing? It is marketing that uses the unexpected, imagination and unconventional placement to get noticed, often in public spaces and often on a smaller budget than traditional media.

  • The unexpected
  • Imagination
  • Unconventional placement
  • Public spaces
02Step 2 of 8
Emmi Caffè Latte sampling staff handing a drink to a commuter at Birmingham New Street

Guerrilla and street marketing: the difference

Street marketing is the wider practice of promoting a brand face to face in public places: on high streets, outside stations, around stadiums, at universities and in shopping districts.

  • High streets
  • Stations
  • Stadiums
  • Universities
  • Shopping districts
Key pointDecide early whether you need the unexpected or simply presence. The answer changes the budget, the permissions and the team.
03Step 3 of 8
Northern Rail mascot on a walkabout at the Great Yorkshire Show

Types of street marketing

Street marketing takes several forms, from a team on a pitch to a staged moment.

  • Flyering
  • Sampling
  • Walkabouts
  • Ambient media
  • Stunts
  • Projections
  • Branded transport
04Step 4 of 8
Hill Group costumed characters with a brand team member at an outdoor event

Guerrilla marketing examples, good and bad

Some guerrilla marketing examples have become textbook cases.

05Step 5 of 8
Popeyes brand ambassador with a sample tray on a branded bike in a Glasgow street

Guerrilla marketing ideas and tactics

The guerrilla marketing tactics that work tend to follow a few principles.

  • Local
  • A borrowed moment
  • A prop
  • Photographable
  • A next step
06Step 6 of 8
Pho promotional team with signs outside the pop-up on a city street

Getting permission

Public streets are not a free-for-all.

  1. CouncilConsent in designated areas
  2. LandownerBooking for private land
  3. Consent lettersWith the team leader
Key pointCheck with the council and the landowner before anything is printed. Permissions take longer than artwork.
07Step 7 of 8
Emmi Caffè Latte sampling team member with branded bins at Leeds train station

Running a street team

Pick pitches by footfall and audience, then by timing.

  1. Station entranceTwo short commuter peaks
  2. Shopping streetBuilds through the late morning
  3. University campusFollows the timetable
08Step 8 of 8
Sampling team handing out Takis to a queue at NASS festival

Measuring street work

Hand-outs are easy to count and easy to overrate.

  1. Hand-outs
  2. Response per pitch
  3. Report per pitch
  4. Team moved to the best pitches

Checklist

Before the team goes out.

Ready for the street.

Emmi Caffè Latte sampling team in matching black kit with branded bins at Birmingham New Street

At a glance

A street campaign, stage by stage.

Each stage of a street campaign, its aim and one tip. Tap a row to read its step.

StageAimTip
IdeaThe unexpected or presence, chosen deliberatelyUnderstood in seconds
PermissionsCouncil and landowner consentAsk before you print
PitchesRight place, right hourFollow the audience's routine
TeamPairs with a roaming leaderBrief on handling a "no"
MeasureResponse, not just hand-outsA code per pitch

Common questions

Guerrilla and street marketing questions.

Do we need permission for street marketing?

In most places, yes. Handing out flyers in some council areas, working on private land, projecting onto buildings and marking pavements all need the right permission. Plan the permissions with the idea, not after it.

What do street team marketing costs depend on?

The number of people, the hours and days they work, how many towns or pitches are covered, briefing time and any specialist roles such as costume performers. Council or landowner fees, printing and stock are separate costs.

Do you build the stand or produce the materials?

No. We supply and manage the street team. Leaflets, props, branded clothing and stock come from the brand, its agency or a production company, and our team works to that plan.

Museum of Illusions leafleting team at a branded gazebo on a shopping street

Further reading

Leaflet distribution: what shapes the price, and the rules on the street

What decides the cost of a distribution campaign, and the council and landowner rules that apply on the street.

Read the guide →

Where we fit

Street teams, ready when you are.

Agencies and brands come up with the idea; we supply the people who take it onto the street. Teams are recruited from 40 staffing hubs across the UK, briefed on your message and checked in on every pitch, with a 24/7 support line answered day and night. See our guerrilla and street marketing staff for how we work.

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