What the f**k is a marketing campaign?

Seriously, it’s a common question we get asked, almost daily… What is a marketing campaign?

To help us understand, a marketing campaign (simply put) is a series of marketing activities, where a brand will communicate in a specific design style and tone, throughout a series of 3-4 targeted marketing messages. A marketing campaign can be spread across different mediums, all at different frequencies, that sit within a brand’s guidelines.

To help us understand this a little further, the actual definition of ‘marketing’ is ‘the act of buying or selling in a market‘.

Today, a branded marketing campaign is used on social media, in whats left of traditional print advertising, digital or online advertising, billboards, bus shelters, newspapers or publications, direct mail or electronic direct mail – all with the purpose of helping to a buyer to purchase what you have to offer, in any marketplace.

SO, WHAT MAKES A MARKETING CAMPAIGN SUCCESSFUL?

A successful marketing campaign aims to get the target audience/or the buyer to take a desired and intended action (such as ‘call you’ or ‘Like’ you on Facebook). This action can take various forms and is determined by what the brand (and the client) wants to achieve from the campaign (increased sales, more leads, brand awareness) and also considers the type of campaign being used (social media, advertising, electronic direct mail) and the frequency (how often you see it/or it appears) in mind.

HOW CAN YOU SPOT AN MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT’S TOTALLY TANKED?

If your marketing campaign is not branded and doesn’t have a ‘call-to-action’, you’re already sunk. It’s already unsuccessful before it even hits the marketplace or seen by your intended audience.

In some industries, marketing without a call-to-action is considered nothing more than branded, shameless self-promotion – and you can easily do that through Social Media. Yet all too often, most marketing material we see, fails to have this basic fundamental included.

SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MAKE YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN ROCK?

Any kick-ass marketing campaign aims to have a combination of activities that include online (for example, blogging or social media or digital ads) and offline (for example, direct mail and advertising and product sampling), that keep in line with the brand’s guidelines.

As an experienced branding agency in Sydney, we recommend that your marketing campaign be hard-core branded, so it looks authentic and make sure the message targets your existing clients (people you already do business with) and new clients or prospects (people who you have yet to do business with).

If you’d like to know how to pick the best marketing activity to suit your brand or your business (and your budget), then download a copy of our Creative Director, Stella Gianotto’s eBook ‘Marketing Brands Made Easy’, (click here to download).

So what marketing activities will you commit to make your brand awesome?