Executing your Strategy

Campaign action plans are similar to media plans, but they cover all aspects of the campaign. They are the project planned for all the moving parts in a digital strategy and will detail paid media channels, they tend not to include ad delivery or finer details of the paid media piece, though, non-paid channels, briefing deadlines for creative, run dates for channels and timings for production, budgets per line item. Ultimately, they are a project management document to outline the budgets, channels, production, and timings of all elements in the campaign execution. Like a media plan, they are formatted visually, like a calendar or a Gantt chart, to make them easier to understand.

For larger campaigns with an off-line element, we can look to integrate digital media to amplify and enhance performance across other channels. For example, TV. TV is definitely one of the strongest mediums which digital can support. Many viewers sit down in front of the TV while using social sites on their mobile device. This dual screening presents an opportunity to enhance performance. In this instance, there are two key tactics that can be implemented. Trans time mapping. When you buy a TV commercial, you are given very specific times and channels for when it will be shown. These are called trans times.

If you ensure TV audiences are targeted with both your creative and search activity to support the TV commercial during those times, two things can occur. Users are more likely to click on social content or search for your product, and there is higher recall of your TV creative. When you map your TV trans times to website traffic changes or social engagement, we can see the impact of the TV commercial on changing online behavior in your audience. Tracking the difference between normal levels and the traffic spike after a TV commercial airs helps measure the impact of your TV slot.

Hastag integration. If your TV commercial has social planned at the center of it, in the sense that you hope to create some conversation about it, then a hashtag would be highly effective. If your hashtag is clearly listed at the end of the TV commercial, it will give audiences the correct hashtag to participate in your conversation. This also applies to radio, print, and outdoor advertising.