Week #8 – MBA 6101 – Guerrilla Marketing, Chapter 8: Research: The Starting Point of a Guerrilla Marketing Campaign

In Research: The Starting Point of a Guerrilla Marketing Campaign of Guerrilla Marketing; Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making BigProfits From Your Small Business, Levinson discusses the significance of research in shaping and implementing a marketing campaign.  As a tool, research can be used to create a powerful connection with potential and existing customers.  For the entrepreneur, the information gathered through research can serve as a “spark for breakthrough thinking.”

Most entrepreneurs will begin their research with internet searches, but the traditional methods of research that the internet supplanted are well developed and up to date.  Books, journals, and other publications still hold valuable, accessible information including census data, industry white papers, and research reports. 

Another source for research for guerrilla marketers are prospective and existing customers.  Simple surveys and lengthier questionnaires can be used to collect a glut of details.  Along with observing broad trends, information collected from surveys and questionnaires can be used to learn specific details about potential and current customers.  These details can be used to optimize marketing efforts including “how to appeal to them” and “how to reach them through the media.” Other information that can be learned are details about potential competitors as well as demographic details about your customer base. 

There are many potential sources for information that marketers can tap to create and execute their strategies.  However, it is important to consider the “quality of information” and the “source of information.”  According to Levinson, for research to be valuable, it is crucial that it is “high-quality information” from a “reliable source.”