It’s the ultimate question in marketing: What will make my campaign successful?
And the truth is, there’s no easy answer. But in our 45+ years of supporting organizations on campaign development and evaluation, we’ve picked up a few tricks that can help you make the most of your efforts.
Know what you’re trying to accomplish.
A strong campaign can help you achieve a variety of goals, from brand awareness and differentiation to service or product engagement. But trying to do too much with a single campaign will end up hurting more than helping. Instead focus on identifying your goals and honing in on where consumers are, to understand how much you can move the needle. You’re much more likely to deliver “impact,” when you know exactly what you’re trying to achieve.
Consider your starting point.
Take an honest look at your brand health before developing the campaign. If the market you’re trying to reach isn’t familiar with you yet, your campaign must work harder and longer to build credibility. On the other hand, if you’re already top-of-mind, you’ll need to focus on converting brand awareness into engagement. Brands with a solid reputation are more likely to reap the rewards of their marketing investments, but marketing can’t compensate if there are major customer satisfaction issues to resolve.
Study your competition.
You’re likely entering your campaign into a market with a lot of advertising “noise.” It’s hard to cut through the clutter and reach your target audience in a market crowded with competitors. But the only way to do so is by knowing the quality and quantity of who and what you’re up against. This will help you figure out what your brand strengths are and how they map onto what consumers are looking for and expecting from other brands in the market. Even if competition is strong, understanding what they’re offering can help you identify opportunities for further differentiation.
Contextualize your campaign in the “now.”
Consider the social, political, economic, or technological factors that could boost or depress the attention of your target audience, exposure to campaign messages, or receptiveness to the message. Evaluating big-picture external forces that may affect the market environment will ensure your campaign is relevant, reaches audiences where they are, and tells a story that will resonate.
Invest in creative.
Even if your campaign message is simple, pairing it with visuals will make a big difference. A study in 20171 found that creative elements account for nearly half of a campaign’s measurable impact, and a 2020 study2 found the reason why: fresh and inspiring, visually creative ads help earn consumers’ attention and foster a positive emotional connection with the brand. And our research has shown that consumers who are more emotionally attached to a brand are more likely to stay loyal to the brand and recommend the brand to friends and family.
Place ads with intention.
Research has shown that where you air your campaign has over a third (36%) of an impact on how well your campaign performs. Every platform needs a unique strategy with content tailored to the format and audience. Is your campaign messaging heavy? Focus on places where people are likely to read or listen to what you have to say. Is it driven by visuals? Try out-of-home spots that catch people’s eye. Trying to reach a younger audience? Meet them on social media. Whether you choose to lean into one specific platform or placement or tailor the campaign to cross them all, do it with intention.
Test your campaign before launch.
There’s no guarantee your audience will interpret your campaign in the way you hoped, and perspectives may have changed since your last campaign effort. Testing with your audiences is the best way to avoid spending time, money, and energy on a campaign that misses the mark.
Leverage market research to help you understand your audience.
From assessing your base line and scoping out the competition to figuring out ideal placement, messaging and visuals, you need to know your audience to deliver a message with impact. And market research can help you get the information that you need.
Sources
1. Nielsen and NC Solutions (NCS). Meta-analysis. 2017.
2. Rosengren, S., Eisend, M., Koslow, S., & Dahlen, M. (2020). A Meta-Analysis of When and How Advertising Creativity Works. Journal of Marketing, 84(6), 39–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242920929288
At Market Street, we can help you reach your audiences and gather the information you need at every stage of the campaign lifecycle, from strategic foundations through concept development, creative execution, and in-market optimization.
Through surveys, discussion boards, and focus groups, we connect you to real people and get you real answers, delivered in a way that helps you figure out what to do next. And when you bring us in at the beginning, we set you up for success and help you fine-tune, every step of the way.
Contact us for a consultation today.