Imagine: in the heart of the city is a beautifully lit wooden rowing boat, filled with colorful flowers and a plate with the text: "Be carried away on adventure!". Passers -by stop to take a photo, children point to it, and Instagram is full of unique images. This is not just a set piece, but a smart guerrilla marketing campaign that puts your boat rental company in the spotlight. Fortunately, you have linked a hashtag promotion, which means that passers-by placing a photo on social media tags you and get your brand awareness in one fell swoop.

Guerrilla Marketing is about surprising, creative and often low-budget marketing campaigns that generate maximum impact. For smaller companies, such as boat rental companies, it is a perfect way to stand out in a competitive market. It does not require a great advertising budget, but it does require a good dose of inventiveness. Whether you want to attract more customers, strengthen your brand or simply create a buzz, guerrilla marketing can take your company to a new level. Ready to discover how you make a difference in your industry with smart and affordable actions?

What is Guerrilla Marketing?

But before we dive into creative tips, briefly: what is Guerrilla Marketing exactly and what is its purpose? Guerrilla Marketing is a form of promotion that revolves around creativity, surprise and impact, without needing a large budget for that. It is marketing that often colors outside the lines and leaves the traditional path of advertisements and campaigns. Where traditional marketing focuses on repetition and large -scale visibility via, for example, TV, radio or online advertisements, Guerrilla Marketing opts for unexpected, original promotions that surprise and stimulate people. The goal? Not only standing out, but also leaving a lasting impression. For entrepreneurs in the rental sector, such as boat rental companies, Guerrilla Marketing can be the way to make a stronger connection with your target group with a limited budget and to put your company in the spotlight in a unique way.

How do you use Guerrilla Marketing?

Now that you know what Guerrilla Marketing is and why it can be so powerful, it's time to discover how you can use this yourself. A successful guerrilla marketing campaign starts with setting your goals. Do you want to attract more customers, increase your brand awareness or put a specific product in the spotlight? Once you have this clear, you determine your target group. Who you want to achieve exactly, and what stimulates them? This insight helps you to come up with effective ideas that really appeal to.


Then the creative process starts. Brainstorming together with your team about original concepts that your brand can position in a unique way. Think of the use of striking visuals or unexpected actions that arouse curiosity. Location and timing play a crucial role in this. Choose a place where your target group can often be found and plan your action at a time that attracts maximum attention.


At Guerrilla Marketing, creativity is more important than a large budget, but that does not mean that you can get started without preparation. For example, always check the rules and permits in your municipality to prevent problems. Minimizing risks is essential, so make sure your action is safe and respectful. By working smart and strategically, you can make a powerful impression with Guerrilla Marketing without the costs of a traditional campaign.

Creative ideas specifically for companies in the boat rental

Now that you know how to set up a Guerrilla marketing campaign, it's time to get inspiration with practical ideas that match your boat rental company. At Guerrilla Marketing, everything is all about standing out, pleasure and an unexpected connection with your customers. So why not turn one of your boats into a work of art? Let a local artist paint your boat with striking visuals and sail through busy waters. It is not only a floating billboard, but it also attracts attention on social media.


Another original idea is to set up a 'live' pirate island during a city festival or a busy event. Hire some actors, create a mini theater and let visitors participate in interactive, funny mini adventures. This type of action stays with people and makes your brand unforgettable.


Spontaneous actions can also be powerful. Think of handing out inflatable boats with a funny text at beaches or water sports festivals. Visitors will not only bring these cheerful gadgets, but will probably also record on Instagram. This way you increase your visibility in a playful way.


Finally, you can use playful Guerrilla promotions to promote crazy deals. Suppose you are walking, for example, and you will find a mysterious treasure map in any place in the city, perhaps on a bench in the park or stuck to a tree. On the map is only the challenging message, "Start your adventure here." Full of enthusiasm you follow the instructions and you will be dragged into an exciting escape room-like search. You decipher codes, unraveled puzzles and follow cryptic instructions that lead you through narrow alleys and hidden places. Every resolved mystery brings you closer to the ultimate goal. At the end of this trip a secret destination awaits you, perhaps a cozy local café or a hidden garden in the city. There you will receive a price such as full of nice surprises and a free boat trip when you post a photo on social media. The feeling of discovery, adventure and reward makes all this an unforgettable experience.

Another nice opportunity is a 'Wet Race': organize a competition during an event in the city where participants perform assignments with water guns. Make an action of this that attracts families, and again connect a nice reward such as a free boat trip. This type of interactive action not only creates pleasure, but also strengthens the bond with your customers.
With these creative ideas you can stand out without a huge budget, while you position your company as an original and customer -oriented. Let your creativity run free and discover how Guerrilla Marketing can give your boat rental company a unique and playful boost.

Inspiring examples of other companies that have successfully applied Guerrilla Marketing

As discussed in the previous paragraph, Guerrilla Marketing revolves around creativity, pleasure and the unexpected. This is well illustrated by a number of successful campaigns from companies that surprised everyone with an original approach. These budgets are of course a lot higher, but they are too nice not to show you.


One of the most iconic guerrilla marketing campaigns is TNT's ' Push the Button to Add Drama '. TNT placed a red button with a simple plate on a busy square in Belgium. As soon as a passer -by had enough courage to press on it, an unexpected series of dramatic events, such as ambulance cars, fighting actors and motorcyclists, followed. The result? Pure sensation and an impressive wave of publicity that showed how powerful a well-performed guerrilla action can be.
Click here to watch the video


Heineken used a playful and daring approach with the ' Departure Roulette ' campaign. At an airport, travelers were able to exchange their planned flight for an unknown destination by turning a roulette wheel. This not only gave a lot of tension and attention on location, but also generated a viral buzz thanks to shared video clips, with which Heineken successfully strengthened their image of adventure and pleasure.
Click here to watch the video


Appealing Guerrilla promotions have also been carried out in the rental sector. KLM, for example, organized their annual BackpackTicket campaign . They hung in strategic places in cities of backpacks with free airline tickets to literally give people a travel experience as a gift. This promotion was perfectly tailored to KLM's brand values ​​and received a lot of attention, both offline and online.
Click here to watch the video


Another creative example came from Grolsch with the ' cool hotline '. People could call to exchange their lukewarm beer for an ice -cold can of Grolsch, where a refrigerator came to deliver their product immediately. This original promotion ensured that the brand was not only visible, but was also in direct contact with their customers, which caused many positive reactions.
Click here to watch the video


A significant example of a creative and budget -friendly action comes from the series " Prison Break ". To attract attention for a new season, they delivered cakes in an original way with small objects hidden that symbolized how you could escape from a prison. This brilliant idea, which was set up with a small budget, caught great on because it perfectly matched the theme of the series and at the same time surprised people. This proves that impactful guerrilla marketing does not have to be expensive at all.
Click here to watch the video

What does Guerrilla Marketing cost?

At Guerrilla Marketing you may think of large budgets. But it's not about deep pockets, but about a good dose of creativity. While major brands such as Heineken and TNT have carried out impressive campaigns with considerable budgets, actions such as those of "Prison Break" that you can also make enormous impact with limited resources. The secret is in an original idea that stands out and surprises people.

What can you spend costs on?

Although Guerrilla Marketing is often more affordable than traditional advertising, there are some costs that you have to take into account. Think of:
props and materials: objects or decoration parts that make your action stronger, such as personalized giveaways or decorative items.
Permits: With activities in public spaces you may have to request permission, which can entail costs.
Production: If you take videos or photos of your promotion for online distribution, production costs are involved.
Manpower: hiring actors, promotion teams or freelancers to perform your campaign.

Tips for a realistic budget

For small and medium -sized companies it is smart to have clear in advance what you want to achieve. These are a few simple steps to determine your budget:
start small: start with an action that is focused locally and does not require great logistics.
Reuse materials: First check what you already have or what you can purchase cheaply.
Use social media: make sure your action is shared, so that you get more results with fewer costs.
Work together: involve other local companies or artists who can enrich your idea, for example an artist for a striking mural.
Don't be discouraged by the greatness of certain examples. Although world brands can set up large campaigns, it is mainly the creativity that makes a guerrilla action succeed. A smart idea will always stand out more than a large advertising budget. The most important thing? Set something in motion that people don't expect and easily remember!

Is also creative

Guerrilla Marketing shows that making impact is not dependent on a large budget, but on a creative idea that touches and surprises people. Whether you opt for striking campaigns such as TNT's 'push the button to add drama' or an accessible, budget-friendly action such as the Prison Break cakes, it's all about strategy, originality and connection with your target group. This makes Guerrilla Marketing accessible to companies of all shapes and sizes.


A successful promotion can ensure a considerable increase in interest and bookings. A reservation system such as i-Reserve is perfect here. It offers companies the tools to manage reservations efficiently, so that the peaks in question after your campaign run smoothly. Whether you rent boats, offer tickets or have devised a creative promotion, i-Reserve helps to keep your customer experience at the highest level. Prepare for the enthusiastic reactions of potential customers and optimally use the momentum of your Guerrilla marketing campaign.

May 2025