Marketing Campaign: Definition & Types

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Marketing campaigns are an effective way to promote a new product or service. They’re also effective in creating more brand awareness.
• There are several ways to maximize the reach of a marketing campaign. This could be through online platforms or traditional media, such as TV, radio, or print. 
• Knowing your audience is one of the most important factors to consider when putting together a marketing campaign.

What Is a Marketing Campaign?

In its simplest form, a marketing campaign is put in place to achieve a specific goal. The campaign goal you have is largely going to depend on the type of product or service you offer. For example, a marketing campaign could be put in place to launch a new product or create brand awareness. 

The key thing to keep in mind is that each marketing campaign needs to have a distinct and clearly defined ultimate goal. By doing this, you set your business up to reach more potential customers and maximize success. 

As well, choosing the right platform to use is also just as important as the goals you set. If you don’t leverage the right platform, it can be easy for a marketing campaign to fail. 

For example, you might have to choose where exactly you want to promote your product or service. It could be across social media, on the radio or television, or through print. Whatever platform you choose, it should align with the goals you set. 

From here, you can begin to put in place certain components of your campaign. These can include things like promotion, distribution, advertising, pricing, and merchandising.

Ultimately, marketing campaigns get designed to build brand awareness and generate new customers. 

Different Types of Marketing Campaigns 

Depending on your primary goals, objectives, and marketing strategy as a whole, there can be a few different types of campaigns to use. Keep reading to find out more about the different types and how each works so you can make more informed decisions. 

A Brand Awareness Campaign

As the name suggests, a brand awareness campaign is put into place to build awareness around your brand. These can happen when you first launch your business. Or they can also get implemented on a regular basis to maintain awareness by your marketing team. 

For example, many brands put together a brand awareness campaign that revolves around a blog. By producing high-quality content that’s relevant to your audience, you can highlight key pieces of information. Think about when your target audience searches online for something. If you have a blog that’s created with valuable information the customer is looking for, they become aware of your brand. 

Even if the customer doesn’t immediately purchase your product or service, the purpose is to establish brand awareness. This way, they know where to come back in the future since you have established your brand as an authority. Plus, you can leverage social media platforms with a good social media strategy to increase your reach.

A Traditional Media Campaign 

Have you ever seen commercials on television, heard advertisements on the radio, or read an ad in a newspaper? These are perfect examples of the power of a traditional media campaign. These campaigns rely on traditional media outlets to promote their product or service.

Or, they can also get used to creating additional brand awareness. A traditional media campaign works well because many of these outlets see high amounts of traffic. It’s a great way to promote your brand to a wide audience and reach company goals. 

A Product Launch Campaign 

Once you create a new product, how are you going to get it in front of the right customer base? Not only that, but how are you going to create some extra buzz? A product launch campaign is an effective way at creating awareness. You can also highlight the reasons a customer would need it by focusing on its features and benefits. 

Typically, product launch campaigns can involve coordinating with distribution partners and manufacturers. It’s also an effective marketing tactic since you can leverage several platforms and outlets. 

For example, the campaign could include a heavy push across social media channels to get in front of the right audience. But it can also include things like email campaign strategies and product placement techniques. No matter the marketing tools, content marketing in general can help achieve key performance indicators.

A Seasonal Push Campaign 

This type of marketing campaign works well if you have products or services that revolve around different seasons. For example, if you regularly have an influx of business at the peak of certain seasons then a seasonal push campaign would be effective. Restaurants and retail chains use this tactic since there are often seasonal sales. 

Let’s say that you operate a retail business. You might put together a seasonal push campaign to promote the newest summer clothing. Or, it might be a winter sale to increase revenue over the course of the winter months. 

A Rebranding Campaign

A rebranding campaign is a great way to promote changes to your business. You might have changed your logo, altered your name, or merged with another business. It’s a way to share those new changes with your existing audience and get in front of new customers. 

It can also be a common marketing tactic if a business has lost its primary target audience. By implementing a rebranding campaign, the business can change its perception to make a comeback. 

Businesses use rebranding campaigns to highlight these changes across social or traditional media. The main purpose is to establish a new level of trust and authority with your customer base. 

An Email Marketing Campaign 

Email has been around for a long time, and it still holds a high level of power when it comes to brand awareness. Companies can use an email marketing campaign to stay in contact with current customers. By doing this, they can highlight new products or services, upcoming sales, or unique discounts. 

For example, you might have an upcoming sale. While you might promote the sale across other platforms, you might not get in front of all your customers. Maximizing a digital campaign through email is an effective way to get the attention of customers and even receive customer feedback. 

A Search Engine Marketing Campaign 

How often do you type in a quick search on the internet? The first page of results that show up is there for a reason. Using a search engine marketing campaign allows you to target your ideal customer.

When a customer searches for something or asks a question, you can immediately get in front of them. Advertisements in the search results is another effective way to help drive traffic to your website. Plus, it’s a great way to stand out from the rest of the competition and reach your target audience. 

Main Components for a Successful Marketing Campaign

It’s one thing to have an idea of how you want to market your product or service. But it’s also important to ensure you have certain components in place. This helps maximize the chances of your marketing campaign being effective and successful. 

Here are a few of the primary components every marketing campaign should include:

• A main goal: What do you want to get the most out of your marketing campaign? Do you want to sell a new product or service? Do you want to inform existing customers that something has changed? Once you decide on your main goal, it’s easier to put together an effective campaign. 
• A primary offer: Your main goal is going to set the stage for your primary offer. What exactly is it that you’re offering your customers? A discount? A free product trial? Understanding what you’re offering will help shape how you communicate it to your audience. 
• Your audience: Who do you want to reach with your marketing campaign? Are you trying to gain new customers? What about getting in front of your existing customers? Knowing who you want to reach will help determine the messaging you use in your campaign. 
• The main message: Now that you have your goal, offer, and audience determined, what’s your main message? Are you trying to create more brand awareness? Are you selling a new product or service? What about advertising an upcoming sale? Knowing the message you want to get across will contribute to the success of the marketing campaign.

Summary

Each marketing campaign is going to get designed with varying goals. Sometimes you might want to promote a new product or service. Other times you might want to create brand awareness. 

That said, understanding your main goal from the beginning will help set your marketing campaign up for success. From here, you can start to determine what you’re offering and your target audience. Then, you can craft your messaging to align with the goals that you have set. 

There are several types of marketing campaigns, as well. It could be a traditional media campaign where you promote your product or service on TV or in print. Or it could be a rebranding campaign to highlight a new name or logo.

Whatever type of campaign you choose, knowing your audience is key to being successful. It’s one of the best ways to ensure future campaigns are effective and you reach loyal customers.