No Guerrilla Marketer would ever be caught dead copying. There’s nothing wrong with avoiding copying, except for the fact that, in practice, Guerrilla Marketers often reinvent the wheel, when there’s a better alternative available.

That alternative is called patterning.

Copying is when you copy another’s work, word for word, typeface for typeface, or color for color. This is, of course, unacceptable.
But patterning is completely different. Patterning takes place when you look at another’s brochure, newsletter, or web site, and adapt the principles to your own marketing message. This isn’t copying; this is learning and has been practiced by artists, composers, and authors throughout history.

So, learn from the best. Seek out successful practitioners in other fields and see what lessons you can adapt to your own needs.