When planning a marketing campaign, whether it’s for brand awareness of a new product or service or something that’s been around for a while, two questions usually come to mind:
- What do we want to achieve?
- How can we achieve it?
These simple questions translate into two critical elements: strategy and execution. Usually, marketing teams work with these two steps and define their action around them.
But let’s tweak the elements slightly and change them to strategy and structure. Here’s why:
Think of strategy as the road map and structure as the vehicle to get you where you want to go. Execution is important, but without a solid structure, execution can quickly go off the rails. Without a framework, things can start to feel chaotic midway through the campaign, and you might find yourself scrambling to figure out what’s gone wrong.
Strategy: Your Campaign’s Compass
I like to think of strategy as your campaign’s compass. It gives you direction and keeps you focused on the end goal. Without a clear strategy, you could end up lost, wasting time and resources on activities that don’t move the needle. So, before you do anything, it’s crucial to nail down a few strategic elements. Based on my experience, here are the top five things you need to clarify as part of your marketing strategy:
- Define Campaign Objectives (Keep them realistic and aligned with your budget)
- Identify Your Target Audience (Think in terms of your smallest viable audience to begin with)
- Understand the Competitor Landscape (Know your top three competitors’ activities)
- Determine Ideal Positioning and Messaging (How do you want to resonate with your customer?)
- Select Your Channels (Build a phased approach rather than starting all at once)
Structure: Your Framework for Execution
Now that you’ve mapped out your strategy, it’s time to build the framework—the structure that ensures your strategy gets executed flawlessly. If strategy is the “what,” structure is the “how.”
Here are the five key elements of an effective campaign structure:
- Timeline and Key Deliverables
- Budget Allocation
- Team Roles
- Workflow and Management
- Reporting, Analysis, and Realignment
Strategy + Structure = Success
So, there you have it—strategy and structure are two sides of the same coin when working on your marketing campaign development. Without a strategy, you’re just shooting in the dark, hoping something sticks. Without structure, even the best strategy will fall apart in execution. Get both right, and you’ll have a campaign that’s focused, efficient, and delivers results for a better digital marketing ROI.
Reach out to our team if you would like help planning your digital marketing.
