What Is Street Marketing?

Street marketing is a marketing technique that brings products or services directly to customers in a public place. Intended to draw grab attention and create buzz, this type of marketing strays from typical advertising methods and can often be unconventional in its execution. Using street marketing can be an effective way to target a specific location frequented by customers valuable to a company's strategic plan. It can also be a way for a company to increase knowledge of its brand by making a memorable impression on consumers.

At times, it can be very difficult for a small business to get its message heard via the various forms of traditional media available to consumers. There is no guarantee that a person will listen to a radio commercial or keep the channel on long enough to watch a television advertisement. One alternative to this is a direct approach which eliminates any filters and brings the message of a company directly to the people, often when they least expect it. This type of marketing, known as street marketing, can be an attention-grabber that cuts through the media clutter.

There are many different ways that street marketing can be achieved. The strategy is actually old-fashioned in a way, dating back to the practice of merchants would peddle their wares on the street. But the strategies for advertising on the street have evolved, and can be as elaborate and inventive as a company wishes. Businesses will often hire so-called "street teams", consisting of young, high-energy workers, to execute these campaigns.

One of the main advantages of street marketing is that it can be directed right at the intended target audience. For example, a restaurant or bar that is trying to attract college students on Spring Break to its establishment would be wise to set up some kind of display on the beach during a sunny afternoon. Knowing the demographics of a particular area should allow the marketers to set up at a time and a place for optimum impact.

In addition, street marketing is one way for a small business looking to make a name for itself to accomplish that goal. Setting up an unexpected guerilla marketing campaign that's a bit unusual can be risky in that it might alienate a certain segment of the population. But the publicity engendered by such a stunt and the brand exposure it would accomplish might override that risk. Street marketers must be innovative in their presentation while still managing to deliver the necessary message.