A road trip and marketing like no other: See how this brand surprised travelers en route to the beach!

Thursday: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Happy Thursday, everyone! Are you familiar with guerrilla marketing? I personally like this strategy because it has the ability to provide fresh and captivating ideas on how marketers can get their target audience hooked. Any business owner or marketer looking to elevate their marketing efforts should utilize this strategy! Do you want to know an example of guerrilla marketing? Keep reading to discover how this brand stood out among hundreds of billboards, grabbing the attention of travelers in Peru in 2017! CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

A road trip and marketing like no other: See how this brand surprised travelers en route to the beach! Road trips are fun, especially when you're headed to your long-awaited summer getaway. … and during these trips, you’ll likely come across various large advertisements and billboards. However, if you're someone who is solely focused on your phone and with your headphones on, you won't be able to see these advertisements. Even if these billboards are large and widespread, they won’t be able to capture your attention. This scenario poses a challenge for marketers. So… "How can brands capture the attention of passengers fixated on their phones while traveling?" One brand has an answer to that! In fact, in its 2017 campaign, the company effectively captured the attention of travelers, resulting in significant brand impressions! We’re talking about… “Sodimac Homecenter!” Sodimac is a Chilean home equipment store with locations in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Uruguay. The company offers a wide range of home products, appliances, and necessities for every home. The business was among the most trusted brands in Chile and globally. In Peru, the company stood as the largest home improvement brand. Here’s the problem: Being the largest home improvement brand was not enough. With other emerging home improvement brands left and right, Sodimac must think of a way to be able to stand out. With that in mind, the brand came up with a brilliant idea… In the summer of 2017, the brand targeted the Pan-American Highway. This is Peru’s most traveled road, especially in summer when travelers head to the beach. This route features numerous grandiose billboards vying for audience attention. What did Sodimac do to get the attention of its target market? The brand partnered with McCann Lima, a marketing communications agency, and launched a HUGE campaign on the highway. The name of the campaign? “The Hijacked Highway!” In this campaign, Sodimac and McCann Lima hijacked 40 billboards along the Pan-American Highway by replacing them with a 15-kilometer summer products collection. These collections were activated on the road through a gigantic virtual reality (VR) experience. Sodimac’s team distributed cardboard VR headsets to passengers at toll stops. Once these VR devices were connected to passengers' phones, they were able to activate the 360˚ interactive advertisements from the brand. Specifically, Sodimac showcased its HUGE animated products. These products were accessible both in Sodimac's physical stores and online. Travelers along the VR Pan-American Highway had the option to check the brand and make online purchases while en route to the beach. This outdoor experience captured the attention of travelers and encouraged them to interact with the brand. That’s monumental and impressive, Sodimac! Was Sodimac’s “The Hijacked Highway” campaign effective? The entire campaign generated buzz on social media and garnered attention from various media outlets! Here are the other results of the campaign: Sodimac experienced a 21% increase in sales after the campaign, marking the highest recorded sales figure in the brand's history. The campaign garnered more than 103 million social impressions. The campaign boosted consumers’ sentiment towards the brand by 59%. There's more! In addition to increased brand awareness and sales, Sodimac’s campaign received recognition from various organizations! The campaign received the following accolades: Three Bronze Awards under Entertainment, Direct, and Design category at the Cannes Lions Awards 2017 A Bronze Award under Events & Experiential - Ambient category at the Clio Awards 2017 A Bronze Award under Direct - Digital - Mobile category at the Clio Awards 2017 A Webby Award under Advertising, Media & PR Experience category at the Webby Awards 2018 A People’s Voice Winner under Advertising, Media & PR Experience Marketing category at the Webby Awards 2018 A Gold Pencil Award under the Ambient Media (Indoor & Outdoor) / Dynamic Billboards & Transit category at The One Show Awards 2018 Congratulations for bagging these awards, Sodimac and McCann Lima! Clearly, these numbers and recognition show how unique and effective your guerrilla marketing on the highway was! — What can you learn from Sodimac’s GIGANTIC marketing move? Leverage the availability of innovative technologies like virtual reality (VR). Sodimac realized that large billboards on the Pan-American highway were no longer effective in attracting an audience. Because of that, the company sought a solution beyond traditional billboards. Virtual reality emerged as the solution, providing a new and creative approach that successfully captured the target audience's attention. Using VR, the brand crafted large, animated illusions that not only drew in customers but also offered them memorable road trip experiences. As a marketer, you too can explore the myriad possibilities offered by VR! The key is to tap into your creativity to maximize the technology’s potential in various ways. Consider the right timing and right place when conducting your marketing stunt. Sodimac demonstrated that in marketing, the right season and right location play a crucial role. Besides having a brilliant strategy, the timing and location of marketing significantly contributed to the campaign’s success. As a marketer, take note of this if you aim for optimum results in your marketing execution. Always be creative in identifying what will click with your target market. Sodimac recognized the intense competition among billboards along the Pan-American highway. However, the company didn't simply follow the crowd; it aimed to stand out by thinking outside the box. If you're considering an unconventional approach, your creativity is crucial for surpassing common strategies. When brainstorming unique marketing tactics, consider current trends, unexplored techniques, and new approaches that are sure to resonate with your target market. Remember: To stand out from the rest of the competition, you have to offer your audience catchy, interactive, and unexpected stunts! Also, stay open to current trends and blend them with your creativity. Who knows? Your next guerrilla marketing idea might be the next BIG hit in the industry!     Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Do you want to know how one organization amplified women’s ability in sports? See it in next week’s article!