If an enterprise intends to conquer the market or even part of it, then large-scale advertising campaigns are indispensable. Taking into account the competitive environment, consumer selectivity and the specifics of marketing measures in general, a strictly scientific approach should be followed.
The main stages of planning an advertising campaign
Spreading a new product, brand or idea to the masses is a long and costly process. To achieve the goals of the company, complex promotional measures will be required: advertising on various media, image publications in the media, participation in various events, even non-advertising ones.
What are the stages and how are they different?
Planning an advertising campaign is subject to the following sequence of actions:
- Research.
- Budget.
- Setting goals.
- Locate location.
- Define duration for each campaign.
- Format selection.
- Design and development.
- Correction and revision.
- Planning the company during campaigns.
- Launch of advertisingcampaign.
- Performance evaluation.
Given the specific features, each of the stages deserves special attention.
Market and target audience research
Planning an advertising campaign starts with thorough research. They should be carried out in several directions: studying the market, customer needs, the marketing situation on the market, the approaches of competitors - what they focus on and how they promote their product. The market should be considered by segments.
Also, strategic planning of advertising campaigns should focus as much as possible on drawing up a portrait of a potential client: what he does, what problems he has, from which channels he receives information and how an advertising campaign can get into his field of vision.
If there are specialists in the state, then the company can conduct these studies on its own. This is usually how large corporations operate. If the company is small, it can order research papers from special agencies that specialize in collecting such information.
Define the budget
Planning an advertising campaign takes it to the next level when budgeting for upcoming events. There is no specific example of an estimate, since the cost of services in each case is purely individual. The total budget also depends on the following factors:
- Ad placement. Traditionally, these are television, newspapers, magazines, radio and special editions.
- Terms of placement. Media resources encourage serious advertisers. In practice, most are ready to provide discounts and bonuses for the volume of advertising or the duration of the placement period.
- Enterprise budget. How much is the company willing to spend on advertising? What is the system for distributing funds? Usually the budget for marketing and promotional measures is approved at the beginning of the year. Based on this, it makes sense to schedule campaigns as early as possible.
- The scale of the campaign. Is the campaign planned for one city, for the whole country, for a certain circle of clients or internationally? In each case, the budget will be very different.
The stages of planning an advertising campaign are closely tied to the results of the second step - determining the budget. Not every company can allocate such an amount that can be spent on the classics of the genre. Therefore, you should know in advance the maximum level of costs and plan the remaining stages with an eye to these figures. It is important to remember that expensive advertising does not always guarantee high performance.
Goals
Each measure in the field of marketing and advertising should have its own clearly defined goals. Having big ambitions is good. But for efficiency, it is more important to rely on the real state of affairs.
If the first stage of planning an advertising campaign is carried out as detailed and clear as possible, then it will be easier to determine the goals. There may be several. But for one campaign, it is advisable to choose only one goal. It could be:
- Increase awarenessbrand.
- Formation of a positive opinion about the company.
- Introducing consumers to the new product.
- Increase sales.
- Expanding market reach.
- Elimination of competitors.
The specificity of the goal simplifies the task of achieving it. For example, if a company is running an advertising campaign to increase sales, then it should choose placements where the consumer will be most inclined to buy - a supermarket or a store. Product design, communication, and ad format will need to consider behavioral factors.
When it comes to improving the company's image, the location will be radically different. It will be television, newspaper or magazine. The submission format can be in the form of a video or article about the company, an interview with an executive, or a press release about the company's achievements.
If a company produces or sells several types of product or service, then planning and conducting an advertising campaign is carried out for each type separately.
Where to post?
The industry offers a variety of types of advertising space. Traditional Options:
- TV channels.
- Newspapers and magazines.
- Radio.
But trends in the world of advertising are changing and now virtual advertising space can compete:
- Websites.
- Social networks.
- Advertising portals.
- Contextual advertising.
- Affiliate networks for advertising.
In addition, street billboards, vehicle advertising and other media continue to deliver strong performance.
When choosing a placement, there is one criterion. The best place will be the place where the attention of the target audience is riveted. It is difficult to make clear distinctions, since no one in the modern world is limited to one type of information source. Every active citizen watches TV, reads newspapers and spends time on social networks. Strategic planning of advertising campaigns must take into account these factors.
Campaign expiration dates
The next step is to decide the duration of marketing activities. Planning an advertising campaign will be incomplete if you do not determine the exact duration of the duration.
When deciding the time factor, you can be guided by two criteria: budget and efficiency. If funds are limited, then this is already a determining condition. In the event that the emphasis is on efficiency, then you should listen to the advice of specialists.
Thus, the ad perception theory says that a person remembers an ad after watching it at least 28 times. However, this does not mean that it is enough to advertise for 28 days. There are two factors to consider: advertising space coverage (channel or newspaper) and behavioral factors.
Media reach ratio refers to the number of viewers, readers or listeners. Before posting, you should request statistical data from the source itself or order from independentcompanies.
The process of planning an advertising campaign is difficult to imagine without taking into account behavioral factors. There are a few basic rules to keep in mind here. But they are not the rule.
- Morning hours are not the best time for advertising: the target audience is in a hurry to work and it is difficult to attract attention.
- Daytime is not very good: the target audience is still at work.
- From the afternoon to 11:00 pm is considered the best time since most viewers gather at the TV at this time.
- On the weekend, the coefficients increase slightly, but depending on the general conditions in the region. For example, if it is the holiday season, then the coefficient does not change much compared to weekdays.
The stages of planning an advertising campaign should also take into account behavioral factors in the field of print advertising:
- Printed publications are strongly tied to the season of the year. In January, February and during the holidays, circulations decrease, sales of printed publications fall, and, accordingly, the effectiveness of advertising will be lower.
- Before the holidays and on holidays, the profit drops. It makes sense to pause the campaign.
For this reason, at the stage of planning an advertising campaign, it is necessary to take into account such factors.
Format selection
Several formats:
- Videos. If earlier they were placed on television, then over the past few years, with the same success, you can set uptargeted advertising on social networks. High efficiency is ensured due to the sound and visual impact on the target audience.
- Print advertising. Simple advertising module or banner. Particular attention should be paid to design. The latest trend is storytelling. This format suggests an interesting story about a product or company, where events should unfold around the advertised product. Compared to the design module, it provides ten times more profit.
- Audio format. Its main disadvantage is that there is no way to transfer pictures, air time is often limited. There are few solutions left: an audio version of the video, reading it as a simple announcement, or storytelling with voice acting.
- Digital solutions. Differ in high rates if the site is chosen correctly. A win-win option is social networks. Here advertising can be both in video and text format. Significant advantages - the possibility of feedback and involvement of the target audience in the process.
Design
Performed by in-house designer or commissioned by studios. What's important? It is important to take into account the peculiarities of perception. Ideally, each company has its own style and designer logo. If not, then you should pay attention to the effect of colors.
Warm colors - red, yellow and orange - attract attention, stimulate the imagination, affect the emotional sphere. But it is important to dose them as accurately as possible, otherwise it will have the opposite effect. These colors are appropriateuse in advertising food, clothing and gadgets. For perfect results, apply to impulse buy items.
The next point that strategic planning of advertising campaigns should take into account (Percy L. emphasizes this point in his universal guide) is the effect of cold tones. Cold tones - blue, black, cyan and green - affect the logical part of the brain. It is noteworthy that these colors are preferred by people with higher intelligence, respectively, and with a higher level of solvency. Therefore, cold tones are used in the design of expensive goods, such as cars, real estate, luxury goods, alcohol and tobacco products. The successful introduction of black demonstrated the planning of an advertising campaign using the example of BMW and Mercedes.
Correction and revision
Ideally, an advertising campaign for the coming year should be developed first. The costs are then calculated and included in the budget. However, not all companies, especially small firms, cannot afford this approach. There are many reasons - underestimation of the role of marketing measures, lack of funds, unstable situations in the country, and the like.
Given these realities, the planning of an organization's advertising campaigns is often carried out according to the leftover principle: it is necessary to meet a limited amount. However, for experienced professionals, this is not an obstacle. Standard solutions:
- Reducing the length of videos.
- Reducing the frequency of broadcasting. Emphasis moves from frequency to effective time of day.
- Reducing the size of ad units or banners in favor of more posts.
- Media partnership with sources.
When it comes to social media or any other digital advertising, strategic and tactical planning of an advertising campaign has many options for optimizing the budget.
How a firm should operate during campaigns
The launch of an advertising campaign means an instant surge in demand. Its provision, and in general the format of the company's work during active marketing activities, goes beyond the activities of the advertising department. Coordination of work should be entrusted to the shoulders of top management or another responsible department.
If this is production, then the company must take care of sufficient stocks of products. When running a campaign for a merchant, the merchant must also ensure that the promoted product is in stock with sufficient stock.
It is also important to take into account the case when the product can be sold out before the end of the campaign. The logistics department in this case must first take care of the mobile delivery of goods. The main criterion is that the entire company must be ready to increase the flow of customers, since the opposite case reduces the effectiveness of future advertising campaigns.
Launch
From the moment of launch, specialists should work in two directions:tracking the progress of the campaign and its effectiveness. For this purpose, statistical data is collected for specific periods of time from the sales, marketing, logistics and accounting departments.
By analyzing the sales graph, you can determine the degree of effectiveness of the launched campaign. If the desired effect is not achieved, then you should look for shortcomings and fix them in the reports.
In conclusion
The main stages of planning an advertising campaign are not limited to this. Any advertising move is multifaceted and does not follow uniform rules. On the contrary, the advertising industry loves exceptions to the rules, non-standard approaches and original solutions. Moreover, these requirements apply not only to the submission format. Ways are encouraged in which costs are minimal and profits are high.
A decade ago, it was believed that the creation of viral advertising is the lot of only professional specialists. The development of digital technologies, in particular social networks, has opened up great opportunities for business. The rate of information dissemination has increased hundreds of times.
Gadgets today are confidently competing for the role of an effective advertising plane, leaving behind television. Such conditions create the most favorable conditions for businesses to easily achieve their goals at minimal cost.
