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An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). Advertising campaigns appear in different media across a specific time frame. Moreover, an advertising campaign is a specific course of action designed to advertise a company, cause, or product that employs an intentional and carefully coordinated series of marketing tools in order to reach the target audience. The end purpose of any ad campaign is to boost awareness of the subject matter and generate demand. The exact structure of the advertising campaign will often depend on the nature of the product or cause and the target audience that the campaign is designed to reach.

While specifics vary from one advertising campaign to another, some of the same tools are used in just about any campaign. Both print and electronic media are often used to generate attention and enthusiasm for the subject of the campaign, often with the logical and timely launch of different tools at specific points in the overall campaign. While in time past, electronic media referred more to television and radio broadcasts, that component now includes tools such as online banner ads, text messaging, and email advertisements.

Before carrying out an advertising campaign, it’s normal to conduct an advertising research. Advertising research is a specialized form of research that works to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of advertising. It entails numerous forms of research which employ different methodologies. Advertising research includes pre-testing and post-testing of ads and/or campaigns — pretesting is done before an ad airs to gauge how well it will perform and post-testing is done after an ad airs to determine the in-market impact of the ad or campaign on the consumer. Continuous ad tracking and the Communicus System are competing examples of post-testing advertising research types.

Advertising research is key to determining the success of an ad in any country or region. The ability to identify which elements and/or moments of an ad contribute to its success is how economies of scale are maximised. Once one knows what works in an ad, that idea or ideas can be imported by any other market.

In terms of print media used in an advertising campaign, ads placed in newspapers and magazines are a time-honored method of reaching the target audience. The ads usually are designed to pique the interest of readers and entice them to learn more about the topic of the ad. In order to ensure that the desired consumers are reached, the print advertisements will often appear in print media

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that is geared toward those consumers. For example, software that is designed to keep track of sales leads and existing clients may appear in a magazine that caters to sales and marketing professionals.

With electronic media, television and radio commercials remain a viable means of attracting the attention of buyers and creating demand for various products and services. Short television commercials designed to amuse as well as inform tend to make an impression on the viewer and are highly likely to entice a significant number of consumers to purchase the products displayed in the ad. In like manner, an advertising campaign may also include short radio commercials that catch the ear of the listener and help to conjure up visual images that create demand for the product.

Along with traditional methods of creating an advertising campaign, newer tools are making it possible to reach consumers in new ways. Many companies design advertising campaigns to current clients that rely on such tools as text messaging or email advertising. For example, a telephone service provider may notify existing customers of upcoming specials on bundled services by sending a text message to the client's cell phone. As an alternative, the service provider may notify the customer of upcoming sales or new products and services via an email. When coordinated with other tools as part of an overall advertising campaign, it may be possible to upsell current clients to generate more revenue as well as gain a significant number of new customers.

The critical part of making an advertising campaign is determining a champion theme as it sets the tone for the individual advertisements and other forms of marketing communications that will be used. The campaign theme is the central message that will be communicated in the promotional activities. The campaign themes are usually developed with the intention of being used for a substantial period but many of them are short lived due to factors such as being ineffective or market conditions and/or competition in the marketplace and marketing mix.

Taking on your own advertising campaign is no easy task. You can do it on your own but get ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Nothing can help you identify your goals more than your marketing plan. You learn a lot about your company, your competitors and your long-term goals by creating and following your marketing plan. This is crucial to knowing what type of advertising is best for you.

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Once you have your marketing plan, you must create a plan of action. This model shows you how freelancers and agencies put their own plan of action in place. Your plan of action also gives you crucial info you can use in executing your ad strategy.

How you advertise depends on your ad budget. You need to strategically use your advertising money. If you’re only allowing a small portion of money to advertising, you wouldn’t want to throw it all into the production of one commercial that runs at 2 a.m. Know exactly how much you will spend on your advertising first so you can make wise decisions in the creation and placement of all ad mediums.

Running your own ad campaign means you have to be your own media director. You’ve got to find the best ad placement and the most affordable opportunities to fit into your budget. If you’re limited to a very small budget, you can find many ways to bypass high advertising costs. You earn advertise effectively if you don’t hit your target audience. Know who they are before you start creating your ads.

Of all the different advertising mediums you can use, you have to be able to use these mediums to your benefit. Spending all of your money on a direct mail campaign when your ad dollars would be better spent on print ads is going to limit how many customers you could’ve gained. Take a look at each medium, think about your target audience, take a look at your marketing plan and your plan of action and decide which medium(s) will be best for your ad dollars.

If you can’t turn your advertising over to an agency, still consider hiring a freelance copywriter and/or graphic designer. These professionals know what makes a good advertisement. Many freelancers have worked in advertising agencies so you get the benefit of their expertise. Plus, freelancers can give you professional copy and materials at an affordable cost.

If you’re running TV and radio commercials, print ads and a direct mail campaign, keep them consistent. Use the same announcer and music for your commercials. Print materials should use the same colors and fonts. Use the same tag line. You want to keep everything consistent so your potential customers start identifying your tag line, your colors, your font, your announcer, jingle everything that relates to your company’s ad campaign!

Buying space for one radio commercial that airs once at 4:30 in the morning isn’t going to get much of a response. You want commercials to have a larger frequency so you can increase your chances of hitting that target audience. If

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you’re running a direct mail campaign, decide the frequency of your materials up front. Once you send your initial materials out, how many times will you send out follow up materials? Know the answers before you begin to help maximize your strategy success.

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