5 Things Every Campaign Needs http://tier10lab.com/2013/06/28/5-things-every-campaign-needs/ By Scott Rodgers June 28, 2013

Tier10’s FIVE is a blog series in which the industry and marketing leaders expand on their respective topics of expertise. In this edition, we hear from Scott Rodgers, Tier10’s Chief Creative Officer.

The media landscape is constantly changing, so the way we approached a campaign a decade ago is much different from our approach five years ago, and it’s even more different today. A focus on just one medium is no longer as effective as it once was. The five points below are important to have in any campaign today.

1. Credibility. If your goal is to sell a product, any concept for a campaign should be something credible that your audience can relate to. You don’t want a concept that is unclear or can be perceived as misleading to consumers – especially in a landscape known for misleading campaigns, such as the automotive vertical. We work primarily with automotive clients, and our most successful and popular campaigns are ones that have hit customers close to home, such as a focus on money consciousness or a vehicle’s safety and reliability. Today, credibility in a campaign can be a lot more dynamic and impactful, mostly due to the availability of information to consumers. They can fact-check and confirm your message and intentions with just a few clicks of a mouse. Knowing this, you can use it to your advantage and build trust.

2. Versatility. Some designs work well only on an outdoor billboard. Some designs work well only as a website banner. However, the visuals for a campaign today should be adaptable to fit any medium. It should work on everything from pre-roll video, to a post card, to a magazine ad. Designing for a multichannel campaign is challenging, especially when trying to retain the integrity of the campaign. However, if you make it work, it will be extremely impactful.

3. Digital Component. Today, many campaigns are strictly digital. Including a digital element in a campaign, especially one that runs on traditional media, is a must. Not only are consumers seeing the campaign on multiple platforms, but they also have the ability to engage with the campaign and learn more about your brand or product on the digital end. Incorporating paid keyword search is also an integral element of a digital strategy, as it helps you target the specific audience of consumers you’re attempting to reach.

4. Hash Tags. While using hash tags goes hand-in-hand with a sound digital strategy, its recent growth in popularity puts it firmly in a category of its own. Not only is the hash tag a good call to action for consumers, it also adds another level of engagement for your product or company with those consumers. Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, Google+ and Vine have been using hash tags for (how long?). However, Facebook’s recent adoption of it further proves the increasing importance of this element. In my opinion, hash tags could end up replacing website URLs on campaigns because it allows companies to easily organize and monitor the conversation consumers are having about their brand. If you’re coupling the campaign with a live event, you can also track its real-time relevance. In other words, you can easily see how effective a campaign is.

5. Engagement. You’ve heard it a million times that content is king, but this is an important step in a campaign that can engage consumers. Getting people talking and keeping people talking by responding and creating conversation gives your brand a voice. Better yet, it gives your customers a voice. This, in turn, creates a multitude of brand ambassadors, including some who may have a lot of social media influence and can help spread your message to a larger audience.

The way we approach a campaign today is different than we did even a couple of years ago. All that means is that the five points mentioned above will be outdated soon enough, and there will be a different list of must-haves. The important thing is to always stay ahead of the curve and keep yourself adaptable.

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Note In the time it has taken you to read this post, 55,600 photos have been posted to Instagram, 631,334 tweets were published, 4,166 people checked in to a location on Foursquare, 1,368,956 pieces of content were shared on Facebook and over 4 million searches were conducted on Google. Imagine the possibilities of a campaign that can tap into even of fraction of that.