A campaign is any series of actions or events that are meant to achieve a particular result, like an advertising campaign of television commercials and Internet ads that tries to convince kids to buy bubble gum-flavored toothpaste.
The noun campaign describes any group of actions that are done with an ultimate purpose in mind. The goal of a political campaign is to put a candidate in office. The goal of a military campaign might be to take over a city, as in General Sherman’s Civil War campaign to capture Atlanta.
How to Create a Campaign: Step-by-Step Guide
This six-step guide will help you make the most of your resources. It addresses specific challenges facing college access marketers and draws on the real-life experiences of practitioners and marketing experts.
STEP 1: PRELIMINARY RESEARCH AND GOAL SETTING
Identify the problem, target audience, attitude or behavior you are trying to change, and intended outcomes
STEP 2: ENGAGEMENT OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Talk with potential partners and funders about the campaign; involve them in the planning process to get buy-in and support
STEP 3: AUDIENCE RESEARCH
Learn everything you can about your target audience – how they view the problem, what barriers they face and their trusted sources of information.
STEP 4: STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL PLANNING
Plan your strategies and tactics and then create and test the campaign messages. Think about how to evaluate and measure success.
STEP 5: IMPLEMENTATION
Implement your campaign plan.
STEP 6: MONITORING AND REPORTING
Monitor your progress, make changes as needed and keep all stakeholders in the loop as the campaign rolls out. Document and report what you learned with the field.