What are the six essential parts of a campaign planning template?

Today's marketing campaigns are complex since they need to reach and engage audiences across a range of digital and traditional channels as shown by our RACE growth system visual.  In this article, we'll step you through an effective structure for briefing marketing campaigns to an agency or in-house team that has been used by tens of thousands of businesses in different sectors including financial services, retail, travel and consumer brands. I will also answer some of the key questions about marketing campaigns. I originally developed the template for structuring one-day training courses on Creating Effective Marketing Campaigns that I ran for the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK.  We emailed the Word template to course participants after the training so that they could adapt it to their planning process. For…

Mastering the art of the product launch: 3 product launch examples plus our recommended process and templates for a successful product launch

You are working during one of the most entrepreneurial eras in history. Thanks to digital media, launching a product to a global audience has never been so manageable.

Equally, competition has never been as fierce. To successfully launch your product online, you need a winning product launch marketing plan. For a successful launch, product marketers need to work with marketing communications experts so that the benefits of the new product are carefully positioned and then, the best online reach channels are selected to reach your audience. We'll show how you can use the RACE framework to review the different media options and build a funnel to maximize interest and sales in your new product.

By using this type of strategic planning and following best practices for using…

Do you think your business is good at writing briefs? Your agency likely disagrees...

Research from Smart Insights exploring best practices for marketing planning has often reviewed the importance of annual marketing planning and how to structure marketing and digital marketing plans. See, for example, our recent Digital Maturity research report reviewing how many businesses integrate planning for digital marketing into their annual plans. However, we haven’t explored how marketers approach the process of creating a marketing campaign brief and whether it is effective. Of course, this is important because of the amount of investment in marketing campaigns that support and must deliver on targets set out in annual marketing plans. [si_blog_banner_cta] But, we do recognize the importance of a structured, insights-driven campaign planning process through the templates recommending how to structure a brief in our campaign planning toolkit. Campaign Planning Learning Path module learning objectives: Define the essential parts of a marketing campaign…

The creation of a ‘big idea’ is a fundamental part in the development of a digital marketing campaign

Without a clear, impactful and differentiated concept, there is substantially less chance a campaign will pierce through the noise and generate the desired attention from the target audience. That's why you need a big idea. The creative element of any campaign is by far one of the most enjoyable. However, the process of coming up with a big idea can also be a little daunting, especially with so much at stake. Whether agency or client-side there will be many interested stakeholders involved, each with an opinion or point of view. So, in this post, we’re going to look at some of the key steps in the development of a big idea to help provide some structured thinking around the process. [si_monthly_campaign_blog_cta_banner id=160114]

What is a ‘Big Idea’?

Any new campaign will need a hook or…

Find out how to use different keyword research steps and techniques to inform your marketing themes and messages. Using keywords for research means giving your customers what they want

As one of the fundamental, foundational elements of effective search engine optimization (SEO), using keywords for research enables digital marketers to understand what consumers are looking for online and the potential opportunities to capture this interest and attention through the creation of relevant content and optimized user experiences.

Using keywords for research: campaign or always on?

SEO is often seen as an always-on, hygiene activity that is necessary before, during, and after campaigns but rarely seen as an integral part of a campaign itself. However although keyword research can be very useful for unearthing larger, more permanent content opportunities for an owned media presence, the process itself can also be used to help inform ideas, themes, and concepts for a campaign,…

Direct to consumer retail and e-commerce marketing strategy case study: Warby Parker

Warby Parker is a glasses designer, manufacturer, and retailer taking the world by storm. Their direct to consumer (D2C) model allows this company to build relationships directly with customers and benefit from retaining them, without expensive intermediaries and partners. "By circumventing traditional channels, designing glasses in-house, and engaging with customers directly, we’re able to provide higher-quality, better-looking prescription eyewear at a fraction of the going price." - Warby Parker   In this post, I'll be exploring Warby Parker's marketing strategy and offering our recommendations to develop customer relationships within your retail e-commerce business. To do this succinctly, I'll be using the RACE Framework to highlight WP's strategy at 4 crucial stages in the customer journey - Reach, Interact, Convert, and Engage.

The RACE Framework for direct to…

Cohesive customer journeys rely on brand and growth marketers working together

Many modern-day marketing departments are now split into two distinct groups: brand marketers who are tasked with building consumer awareness and growth or channel marketers who are tasked with transforming that awareness into action. Although both parties play for the same team, they often possess different internal priorities. It is easy for silos to emerge that make collaboration an uphill battle. There is overlap between what brand marketers and growth marketers provide. They each play pivotal roles in fueling department-wide success — but only if they work in tandem to create cohesive customer journeys. [si_guide_block id="95323" title="Download FREE Resource – Understanding different types of marketing plan" description="When, why and how to use different types of marketing plans. It will also be useful for any manager involved in setting future marketing direction for…

Inspiration for your Black Friday marketing campaign, to help you stand out from the crowd

With everyone shouting about the same thing, its hard to get your voice heard. Black Friday is no exception. Nearly every major retailer will promote Black Friday. Black Friday has become increasingly popular in the UK over the last few years, after originating in the US. Although it's a day hated by many, it has become a great way for retailers to increase profits. [si_guide_block id="5676" title="Download FREE Resource – Digital marketing plan template" description="Our popular marketing planning template built on the Smart Insights RACE planning system."/] Last year 154 million consumers made purchases, that’s about 3 million more than the previous year. Last year Black Friday surpassed the $3 billion mark for the first time, setting a new sales record. It was found that 76% of retailers will be taking part in Black Friday this year. …

From the politically driven to the funny, our favorite adverts of 2017 so far

We look at some of the best ads from 2017 so far. We have featured some of the most clever, moving and funny ads from the year. We also feature ads that have been thought-provoking covering some of the more controversial topics this year such as politics, immigration, and gender issues. Here are our top 25...

KFC Cauliflower Burger

When KFC's #cleaneating burger hit Facebook, the video went viral. Poking fun at healthy living influencers and the #cleaneating community, the advert features fake 'influencer', Figgy Poppleton-Rice.  Thankfully, the clean eating burger was a spoof, its real purpose to launch their new 'The Dirty Louisiana' burger.

Skittles 'Romance the Rainbow' Superbowl Ad 2017

Superbowl is one of the biggest advertising opportunities in the US, costing around 5million for a 30-second slot. Only the biggest and best brands…

3 Tips to Ensure the Success of Your Guerrilla Marketing Efforts

Guerrilla marking can be defined as “an innovative, unconventional, and low-cost marketing technique aimed at obtaining maximum exposure for a product.” Lower cost and increased exposure — that’s the dream, right? To illustrate with a modern, classic example, in 2012, Dollar Shave Club nailed guerrilla marketing with its viral YouTube video. For just $4,500, the company created a surprising and funny commercial that went viral in 72 hours. Although consumers see more than 2,900 media messages every day, the sad truth is they will only remember four of them. DSC managed to remain one of those memorable four for a long time, all thanks to a relatively inexpensive video. If that kind of return is possible, why even bother with marketing initiatives that yield lower returns?

Guerrilla Tactics Expand Your Reach

Most marketing — traditional and digital — is about scalability and input/output; it costs…