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You’ve likely heard restaurants promote special deals on billboards or social media or local radio ads.
Effective? Sure.
But guerilla marketing takes things to the next level with unconventional tactics.
These campaigns usually generate more engagement than traditional ads.
Restaurant guerilla marketing is a strategic way to create buzz and draw attention to your establishment. It involves thinking outside the box and coming up with creative, attention-grabbing ideas that will make people take notice.
Intrigued?
You won’t want to miss these 12 guerilla marketing gems designed to boost restaurant sales.
From tapping into the power of QR codes to flash mobs, we’ll explore actionable ideas you can roll out into your marketing strategy.
Let’s say you’re strolling down the street, minding your own business, and BAM! A mouthwatering sizzler platter graffiti catches your eye.
That’s digital marketing gold!
For example, Burger King used colorful graffiti art on the streets of Amsterdam to promote irresistible burgers. The eye-catching artwork grabbed attention and was shared widely on social media.
Before you grab those spray cans, get the green light from local authorities. Nobody wants a hefty fine, right?
Once you’re in the clear, it’s time to get creative. Consider bold colors, eye-catching designs, and a message that sticks. Partner with local artists. They know the scene and can add that authentic touch.
💡 Pro tip:
Don’t forget to document the process. Time-lapse videos of your artwork coming to life are social media gold!
Who does not love free food? Hand out bite-sized samples of your most popular dishes to hook new diners. Set up a stand near busy public places and office buildings at lunchtime for maximum exposure. Offer a weekly or monthly rotation of tastings so regulars have a reason to return.
Pair free food samples with deals like free sides or half-priced entrees so folks stick around to order more.
McDonald’s has effectively used food sampling to build out-of-restaurant awareness for its new and existing products. For instance, Brewco Marketing Group’s turnkey sampling units can serve over 10,000 consumers a day, making it a powerful tool for reaching potential customers.
Who doesn’t love a good scavenger hunt? Hide parts of your menu around town. Consider laminated cards with menu items and prices stuck under park benches, taped to lamp posts, or hidden in local shops (with permission, of course).
Announce the hunt on social media and watch as people scramble around town, piecing together your menu like a tasty puzzle.
The first person to find all the pieces and show up at your restaurant? They get a free meal, merch, or maybe even more based on your marketing budget!
This idea isn’t just fun – it gets people talking about your food before they’ve even tasted it. Plus, it’s a great way to build buzz for a new menu launch.
Gain insider knowledge on cutting-edge guerilla marketing techniques and trends. Limited seats available.
One simply should not underestimate the power of gamification and virtual engagement when it comes to guerilla marketing.
You can create a digital scavenger hunt by hiding QR codes that unlock deals and rewards around your neighborhood. Post riddles and puzzles on social media, with the first people to solve them scoring freebies.
Get creative with AR filters that transform users into your mascot or make them appear to have crazy ingredients splattered on their faces.
You can also partner with local bloggers and influencers to create collaborative stories and competitions around your menu offerings. The possibilities are endless when you integrate interactive digital experiences.
Just remember to keep it lighthearted and on-brand. A pinch of zany creativity will spice up your marketing strategy.
Pop-up dining experiences are exciting and memorable, leaving people wanting more.
To create your own pop-up dining experience as a part of your restaurant guerilla marketing campaigns, try to create an immersive experience. Your pop-up should make people feel like they’ve stepped into another world.
You could transform an abandoned warehouse into a 1920s speakeasy, complete with jazz music and servers in period costumes. Another great idea is a “Dining in the Dark” experience where guests eat blindfolded.
Don’t forget to milk the social media cow for all it’s worth. Create a unique hashtag, encourage people to share their experiences, and watch as the FOMO drives more customers to your door.
If you’re in need of some serious inspiration, take a cue from Ben & Jerry’s. These folks are known for wild pop-up shops with fun themes, over-the-top concoctions, and Instagram-worthy photo ops.
Diners crave customized creations catered to their preferences. Wagamama’s “Ramen Your Way” concept allows patrons to select broths, toppings, and spice levels for signature noodle bowls. Take cues from this Asian eatery by incorporating DIY options into existing dishes.
Kick things up a notch by enabling folks to name their own concoctions!
Don’t forget to leverage social media with this restaurant guerilla marketing campaign either. Encourage people to share photos of their creations with a special hashtag. You could even run a contest for the most creative or popular dish.
💡 Pro tip:
Curate customizable combos that complement each other to simplify mix-and-match for first-timers.
You know what they say – dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
Well, the same goes for your restaurant! It’s time to slap your logo on everything associated with your restaurant.
But don’t stop there. Get creative with your branding. Customized takeout boxes, branded delivery bags, and even your delivery vehicles can be rolling billboards. A good idea is to also brand your staff’s uniforms. This can create a sense of unity and professionalism, as well as make your team easily identifiable to customers.
Take your branding and merchandising up a notch by going eco-friendly. According to a recent study, 82% of customers across age demographics are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging.
Chipotle and Panera Bread have this down to a science. They’re not just selling burritos and bread bowls. They’re selling an experience. And part of that experience is making you feel good about the choices you make.
For example, Panera is committed to using 100% circular packaging by 2025. This means all packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable. Panera has already made progress by replacing sandwich boxes with thermal heat wraps made from 60% waste, which are compostable.
💡 Pro tip:
Offer a discount for customers who bring back their eco-friendly containers. It’s like a loyalty program, but for Mother Earth.
Okay, this one’s a bit cheeky, but hear us out. Hire a few actors to pose as delivery drivers. Have them “accidentally” deliver food to random offices or busy public spaces.
But here’s the kicker – the food isn’t real. It’s actually amazingly realistic fake food (yeah, that’s a thing).
As people gather around to check out the “free food,” the actors reveal it’s fake and hand out coupons for your restaurant instead. It’s like a flash mob, but with fake food.
People will likely be talking about this restaurant guerilla marketing campaign for weeks.
Just make sure your actors are good. You don’t want this backfiring into a “restaurant pranks innocent bystanders” headline!
Ever heard of Chick-fil-A’s Cow Appreciation Day? It’s like Halloween, but instead of dressing up as ghosts and goblins, people dress up as cows to get free chicken. Genius, right?
So, why not create your own wacky holiday? National Spaghetti Twirling Day? International Burrito Juggling Week? The possibilities are endless! Here’s how to make it work:
The crazier the challenge, the more likely it is to go viral. And in the world of restaurant guerrilla marketing, viral is the name of the game.
Food challenges are like the extreme sports of the restaurant world. They’re intense, they’re exciting, and they make for great social media content.
Create your own extreme food dare for the brave-hearted. Consider mountains of fries, 4-patty burgers, and supersized shakes. Offer prizes for conquest – free desserts, merch, or their photo on the Wall of Flame.
Promote it on social media and watch the crowds roll in to accept the trial.
Buffalo Wild Wings’ Blazin’ Challenge is one of the most popular restaurant guerilla marketing campaigns when it comes to food challenges. The rules are simple: eat 10 super spicy wings in five minutes.
Why does this work? Because people love a challenge. They love to prove themselves. And most importantly, they love to put it up on social media.
Remember, the goal isn’t just to create a challenge; it’s to create a spectacle. The more people who watch (and film) the challenge, the more free advertising you get.
Who says you can only pay for food with boring old money? Announce a special day where customers can pay for their meal with puns. The better the pun, the bigger the discount.
Encourage people to share their best (or worst) food puns on social media with a custom hashtag. Before you know it, you’ll have people lining up around the block, armed with groan-worthy wordplay.
Just be prepared for an onslaught of “lettuce pray” and “I’m kind of a big dill” jokes.
Loyalty brings patrons back for more. Make joining your VIP club tempting by offering exclusive discounts and early access to new menu items. Promote perks on social media and email blasts to keep peeps engaged.
Check out this article to learn 11 creative email marketing tactics to build loyalty and bring patrons back for more. See how small personal touches and exclusive deals for VIPs can tempt people to not only open but act on your messages.
Coming back to loyalty programs, Domino’s Piece of the Pie Rewards allows members to earn points for every purchase that unlocks free pizzas and tasty treats at a certain threshold.
Remember to make your guerilla loyalty program fun and interactive. Offer exclusive rewards that money can’t buy. Before you know it, they’ll be weekly regulars.
From guerilla tactics to loyalty program strategies, Restaurant Growth has you covered.
Last but not least, let’s talk about giving back. It’s not just good for the soul, it’s good for business too.
Sponsor a local cause close to your community’s heart. Donate a portion of the proceeds to the effort and promote it online and in-store. Getting involved fosters mad goodwill with patrons. When they feel your restaurant shares their values, they’ll eagerly support your success.
McDonald’s McHappy Day is a perfect example. In 2022, they raised over $8.9 million for families in Canada. That’s a lot of happy meals!
You can also host a “pay what you can” day for a local charity. Offer free meals to first responders or teachers.
The key is to make it genuine. Don’t just do it for the publicity; do it because you care about your community. The good PR will follow naturally.
QR code marketing is an insanely easy way to bridge the gap between your brick-and-mortar location and the digital world. To get started, you can slap some QR code stickers on your tables. Link them to your online menu, delivery platforms, or social media.
If you want to get super creative with QR codes, here are some ideas:
Burger King drove this restaurant guerilla marketing campaign home by linking TV ad campaigns with QR codes. By offering free Whoppers, Burger King incentivized app downloads and engagement.
Want to see more clever advertising ideas? Check out this post!
Before you jump on the guerilla marketing bandwagon, understand why exactly does guerilla marketing work for restaurants? Here are 6 surprising benefits of restaurant guerilla marketing:
Guerilla marketing grabs attention through creativity, not big budgets. Diners will definitely notice that giant pizza box costume as you hand out free slices.
You know what’s worse than a bad marketing campaign? A bad marketing campaign that’s targeting the wrong people. But with guerilla marketing, you can get up close and personal with your ideal customers. Want to attract college students? Set up a pop-up restaurant on campus.
Trying to attract families? Sponsor a local Little League team. Unlike broad ads, guerilla marketing allows you to engage niche audiences.
Restaurant guerilla marketing campaigns help you make personal connections and build rapport with potential diners. Instead of just seeing an impersonal ad, customers get to interact with your brand in an unexpected yet delightful way. This makes them more likely to support your biz and spread the word to friends.
Guerilla marketing is a flexible way to highlight your latest food and drink offerings. Add a new signature cocktail? Send folks dressed as bartenders downtown passing out tasty samples. Just introduced avocado toast? Stage an “avocado protest” with servers holding clever signs like “I’d rather be on toast.”
It all works! Brands using creative guerilla marketing approaches see a boost in customer engagement, leading to an increase in customer lifetime value.
You don’t need a massive budget to make a big splash. Implementing guerrilla marketing strategies can help reduce marketing expenses.
Most guerilla marketing tactics cost little to implement, yet capture attention like a multi-million dollar Super Bowl commercial. For instance, gluing coins on the sidewalk leading to your restaurant costs pennies but creates tons of buzz.
Today’s diners love to snap and share unique experiences. A smart guerilla campaign incorporates Instagrammable moments that customers will excitedly post about. Their shares and tags then organically spread brand awareness to their networks.
Cleverly designed unconventional marketing campaigns have the potential to spread rapidly on social networks, dramatically expanding their audience and visibility.
Guerilla marketing can be a wild ride for restaurants looking to stand out with low-cost efforts. But before you go all-in on those crazy ideas, there are a few potential pitfalls to watch out for.
First up, the risks. Guerilla campaigns can be unpredictable – what seems hilarious to you might fall flat with customers or even offend them. Take Snapple’s 2005 stunt in New York, where they tried to erect a 25-foot popsicle in Times Square. Sounds cool, right? Well, it melted into a sticky, gooey mess. Talk about a PR nightmare!
Then there’s the challenge of staying true to your brand. It’s tempting to go for shock value, but if your campaign doesn’t align with your restaurant’s image, it could do more harm than good.
And don’t forget about the legalities. Guerilla marketing often pushes boundaries, but you don’t want to push them too far.
So, how do you balance creativity with responsibility? It starts with knowing your audience, staying authentic to your brand, and thinking through the potential consequences.
Now, if you’re unsure about how edgy is “too edgy”, leave the marketing to Restaurant Growth. Our team of experts can help you come up with creative and effective campaigns that will set your restaurant apart without risking your reputation.
We work closely with you to understand your brand and target audience. This ensures that every campaign we create is a perfect fit for your business.
So there you have it. Restaurant guerilla marketing is not just about being quirky and attention-grabbing (although that’s definitely part of it). It’s about building relationships, creating memorable experiences, and getting the most bang for your marketing buck.
So ditch the boring old flyers and get creative with these unconventional promotions! With some imagination and guerilla tactics, your restaurant can thrive. Just don’t go too wild and end up on the evening news.
How do you ensure that? By hiring experienced restaurant marketing agencies like Restaurant Growth. With our help, you can create a buzzworthy campaign that attracts new customers and drives growth for your restaurant.
Or, if you’re a DIY person, we also offer coaching and webinars to help you grow your restaurant.
Join our live webinars and community to learn from industry experts and connect with like-minded restaurateurs.
Contact us today to boost your restaurant’s growth!
Guerilla marketing in hospitality is about surprise and creativity. It’s a low-cost, high-impact approach to grab attention. Some examples include flash mobs in hotel lobbies or pop-up food trucks. These tactics create buzz and memorable experiences. They’re designed to cut through the noise of traditional advertising.
Coca-Cola excels at guerilla marketing with its innovative campaigns. Many of its iconic guerilla marketing campaigns are used as prime examples, especially the “Share a Coke” promotion.
In 2010, they created a “Happiness Machine” on college campuses, surprising students with endless sodas and pizzas. These campaigns create joyful, shareable moments that boost brand loyalty and engagement.
Guerilla marketing focuses on creative, unconventional tactics to grab attention. Viral marketing aims to spread content rapidly through social sharing. While guerilla marketing often happens in physical spaces, viral marketing primarily lives online.
Guerilla campaigns can lead to viral content, but it’s not guaranteed. Viral marketing depends on audience participation to spread the message. Both strategies aim for maximum impact with minimal budget, but their approaches and platforms differ.
Measuring guerilla marketing success requires a mix of metrics. Track social media mentions, hashtag usage, and engagement rates. Monitor website traffic spikes during and after the campaign.
Analyze foot traffic and sales increases in your restaurant. Conduct surveys to gauge brand awareness and sentiment changes. Use unique promo codes or landing pages to track direct responses.
Don’t forget to calculate your return on investment (ROI) by comparing campaign costs to revenue generated.
From strategic marketing planning to seamless execution, we’ve got you covered!
