Marketing Campaign Planning

Is THIS the best ad campaign ever? In 2015, Sport England challenged ad agency FCB Global to close the 2 million strong gender gap by getting women more active. The agency used the insight that women often feel 'fear of judgement' in exercise, to create the campaign 'This Girl Can'. The campaign is a rallying cry to women to get active in THEIR own way by replacing fear with a 'don't give a damn' attitude. This is shown with bold copywriting, relatable casting, REAL moments (the make-up smudged under the eyes, normal jiggling bodies, menopausal sweat, period cramps, tampon string hanging out your pants) and a true sense of female camaraderie. Since it's launch: - 3 million women were inspired to exercise as a direct result of seeing the campaign - 1000+ social media mentions each day - 37m views across social media - 500,000 active members in the This Girl Can community - Cannes Lions award The campaign is evidence that advertising can make great impact and drive change in many little corners of the world. THIS is the result of a clear brief, unifying insight and - in this case - a dedicated female creative team who truly 'understand' their audience. But more than that, it's the result of a LONG-TERM campaign that has been running for almost decade, and continues to re-engage the audience in various different ways, globally. I think there is such a short-term mindset in advertising nowadays. Mainly due to the fast-paced nature of social media, the need to 'go viral' and the economic need for performance marketing tactics to generate cashflow. But without the longer-term brand campaigns, we are missing the ability to build strong narratives and make REAL change in the world. And with that, stronger brand salience, brand love and LEGACY. This is an element of advertising that I fell in love with years ago. And an element that I see really defining which brands stand the test of time, an which fall apart years down the line.

Top-of-mind-brand awareness is brutally hard.... so how long should you run B2B brand campaigns before seeing any improvement? Not 30 days. Not 60 days. Not even 90 days. Most B2B marketers abandon brand initiatives way too early - killing ROI before it even has a chance. Binet & Field’s "Play the Long Game" analysis found brand lift rarely appears before month 6. And not six months after a short campaign. Six months after always-on brand marketing! After six months of steady activity the median B2B campaign shows a 6-8% rise in aided awareness and a 2-4% rise in consideration. Anything shorter is basically noise. Most CMOs expect quick results because their board does. Out of ignorance. Reality check: • Aided awareness: Needs 2-3 quarters of consistent spending • Unaided awareness: 4-8 quarters to see significant shift • Preference/consideration: Only tick up after aided awareness crosses ~50%, typically month 9-15 What works best to drive brand awareness? Eight things the research confirms: 1. Always-on broad reach (not campaign bursts) 2. Distinctive assets shown quickly (LinkedIn's neurometric research shows professionals subconsciously decide whether to remember your brand almost instantly) 3. Emotion-led creative (delivers 10-20× sales impact vs. rational-only) 4. Consistent creative over years, not quarters (memory builds like compound interest) 5. Campaigns that cover category entry points - the more scenarios people see your brand in, the faster they remember you. 6. Category-level thought-leadership and events 7. Employee-advocacy amplification (extra reach at marginal cost) 8. ~50/50 brand/performance split If your boss asks why leads aren't pouring in after 60 days of brand work, share this post. The ones who win are those who play the long game.

Legos aren’t just for boys.  A global survey of over 32,000 children and parents revealed that 80% still view boys as better builders, and most envision a “builder” as a man in a hard hat. Introducing#SheBuiltThat, the LEGO Group’s new powerful campaign that’s using music to challenge gender stereotypes around STEM and innovation. The campaign reimagines RUN DMC’s iconic track “It’s Like That” and challenges gender stereotypes around building and creativity. By recasting the anthem with a Global Girls Crew—including DJ Livia, drummer prodigy Nandi Bushell, vocalist Pink Oculus, and alt-pop artist Cacien—LEGO spotlights girls not just playing, but constructing, innovating, and leading. Representation ignites confidence. When girls see themselves as creators, their imagination expands inspiring them to be anything they want to be. https://lnkd.in/ekn94e8s

We are in the age of AI, and in many ways that is something to embrace. Innovation is powerful, but when it starts shaping how women and girls see themselves, we must pay attention. Aerie by AEO, Inc. understood this long before AI entered the conversation. In 2014, they became the first major retailer to stop retouching their models, a move that was considered radical at the time. The impact was immediate and measurable. Aerie’s sales surged, their audience grew, and more importantly, they helped reset expectations across the industry. What started as a bold decision became a new standard pushing other brands to rethink how they represented women. Now, with their latest campaign featuring Pamela Anderson, Aerie is drawing another line: a commitment to never use AI-generated people. Today, it’s about much more than retouching; it’s about fully manufactured perfection. AI-generated people that don’t enhance reality, they replace it entirely. Pamela is the perfect choice for this campaign. She’s made headlines for not wearing any makeup and choosing to show up fully as herself. She represents something increasingly rare: authenticity in a world that’s very good at faking it. When images become engineered and indistinguishable from reality, the standard becomes something no one can live up to. And this affects the confidence and self-worth of women and girls around the world. Aerie has proven again and again that building a business and building confidence are not at odds, they reinforce each other. When brands choose to reflect real people, they earn trust and drive growth. The future of commerce is about what you stand for.

A soap launched in 1986 with ₹60 crore in its first decade just crossed ₹2,850 crore. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸. Santoor didn't outspend Lifebuoy. They outsmarted it. In a category dominated by legacy giants with decades of brand equity, Santoor chose a different playbook, and it's one every founder building against a bigger competitor needs to study. 𝟬𝟭. 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘁𝗵 Instead of spreading thin across India, Santoor went deep into Andhra Pradesh first. Built dominance. Then moved state by state – Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat. By 2009, they were the largest soap brand across South and West India. → Don't try to win everywhere at once. Identify one geography or segment where you can become undeniable. Win it completely. Then expand. Depth builds a moat. Breadth builds exposure. 𝟬𝟮. 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 Santoor started as a sandalwood-turmeric soap – an ingredient story. Then they repositioned around one powerful benefit: younger-looking skin. That one shift changed everything. → Ask yourself honestly – are you selling what your product is, or what it does for the customer? Features attract attention. Benefits build loyalty. Repositioning from ingredient to outcome is often the highest-leverage brand move a founder can make. 𝟬𝟯. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 The "Santoor Mom" campaign ran for decades – same theme, evolving story. No reinvention every year. No chasing trends. Just disciplined consistency until it became cultural memory. → Most founders change their brand positioning too early because they're bored of it. Your customer hasn't seen it 1000 times like you have. Pick a positioning that's true and stay with it long enough to compound. ₹60 crore to ₹2,850 crore. One brand. Four decades. No shortcuts. That's what patient brand building looks like. #santoor #fmcg #brandstrategy #founders #business

If your social strategy isn’t supporting the business, you don’t have a strategy… you have posts. Here’s the framework I use ↓ (save this for your next planning session) 1. Business Goals → What does leadership care about? Revenue, adoption, retention, reputation? → Social isn’t an island. Your piece has to fit the larger puzzle. 2. Marketing Goals → What’s your CMO or Boss laser-focused on? → These outcomes ladder to the business, but marketing defines the campaigns, events that you also have to support. 3. Social Goals → What are your team goals? (growth, publishing volume, share of voice) → Define the role social plays (awareness, consideration, conversion, loyalty) 4. Tactics + Content → Choose formats + channels that ladder up to the above.  → Speak their language. Show leadership why your wins are brand wins. → Use social as a testing ground—experiment, adapt, repeat. At Kickstarter, this framework shaped everything from “pre-campaign” hype posts to creator-driven launches to product announcements. Every post should ladder up the chain. If it doesn’t? Don’t post it. Read my full breakdown for Social Media Strategy today in Hootsuite's Blog: https://ow.ly/ESUs50Xeim7 #HootsuitePartner

Want your words to actually sell? Here’s a simple roadmap I've found incredibly helpful: Think of crafting your message like taking someone on a mini-journey: 1. Hook them with curiosity: Your headline is the first "hello."  Make it intriguing enough to stop the scroll.  Instead of just saying "Email Marketing Tips," try something like "Want a 20% revenue jump in the next 60 days? (Here's the email secret)."  See the difference? Promise + Specificity = Attention. 2. Tell a story with a villain: This might sound dramatic, but hear me out.  What's the problem your audience is facing?  What's the frustration, the obstacle, the "enemy" they're battling?  For the email example, maybe it's "wasting hours on emails that no one opens."  Giving that problem a name creates an instant connection and a sense of purpose for your solution. 3. Handle the "yeah, but..." in their head: We all have those internal objections.  "I don't have time," "It costs too much," "Will it even work for me?"  Great copy anticipates these doubts and addresses them head-on within the message. 4. Show, don't just tell (Proof!): People are naturally skeptical.  Instead of just saying "it works," show them.  Even a simple "Join thousands of others who've seen real results" adds weight. Testimonials, even short ones, are gold. 5. Make it crystal clear what you want them to do (CTA):   Don't leave them guessing!  "Learn the exact steps in my latest guide" or "Grab your free checklist now" are direct and tell them exactly what to do and what they'll get.  Notice the benefit in the CTA example: "Get sculpted abs in just 4 weeks without dieting." And when you're thinking about where you're sharing this (LinkedIn post, email, etc.), there are different ways to structure your message. The P-A-S (Problem-Agitate-Solution) or A-I-D-A (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) frameworks are classics for a reason. The core difference I've learned? Good copywriting isn't about shouting about your amazing product. It's about understanding them – their challenges, their desires – and positioning your solution as the answer in a way that feels like a conversation, not a sales pitch.

LEGO has launched “She Built That,” a powerful global campaign and research-backed initiative designed to tackle persistent gender stereotypes in building and boost girls’ confidence as creators. 🤯 This multi-faceted campaign features a vibrant music video remix of RUN DMC’s “It’s Like That,” an interactive game, and in-person Creativity Workshops for girls ages 6-12. The initiative directly responds to new global research across 21 countries, which found that only 22% of girls see themselves as “good builders” and that the majority of parents and children still associate building with boys. 💡🚀 “She Built That” is a masterclass in using pop culture, research, and community engagement to rewrite outdated narratives. It shows that brands can spark real change by empowering underrepresented groups and making inclusion a core part of their story. My Advice for Small Businesses: 👉🏼 This campaign highlights the immense impact of pairing cultural relevance with purpose-driven storytelling and hands-on experiences. 👉🏼 Look for ways to challenge stereotypes in your own industry. Spotlight diverse voices, and create interactive opportunities for your audience to participate and see themselves reflected in your brand. 👉🏼 Use research to identify confidence gaps or barriers in your market, and design campaigns that don’t just talk about inclusion, but actively foster it—through workshops, games, or community recognition. By making empowerment tangible and culturally resonant, you can inspire loyalty and help shape a more inclusive future for your field. 💖🤝🏼 I'm ChiragSpeaks, creator of the Brand Clarity Framework, here with the HubSpot Marketing Team, bringing you weekly breakdowns of real news with real brand marketing takeaways.

Brand building is an investment only when every piece of brand communication consistently reinforces the same brand identity. A powerful brand isn’t built through isolated campaigns. It is built through relentless consistency across every consumer touchpoint. Whether it is the brand’s visual identity, narrative, tonality, distinctive brand assets, sonic cues or mnemonics, every communication should strengthen the same set of brand associations. This is how brands create memory structures, improve recognition and build long-term brand equity. In today’s highly fragmented media ecosystem, consumers engage with brands across multiple screens, platforms and formats. While the media landscape has become increasingly diverse, the brand should remain instantly recognizable—irrespective of where or how consumers encounter it. This places a greater responsibility on marketers and creative agencies to ensure that every communication works as part of one integrated brand ecosystem rather than as standalone creative executions. A modern campaign should therefore be conceived as a 360° Brand Communication System, comprising: • Long-format TVCs • Shorter cut-down edits • 6-second bumper ads and 3-second promo tags • Social media content and reels • Two-way digital engagement posts designed to drive conversations and community participation • Influencer and creator collaborations • Communication assets for e-commerce and online sales platforms • Digital display, CTV, OTT and mobile-first adaptations • In-store and shopper marketing communication Each format may tell the story differently, but all should reinforce the same distinctive brand assets and associations. Brands don’t become stronger by communicating more. They become stronger by communicating more consistently. In an era of fragmented media, creative adaptability is essential—but brand consistency is non-negotiable.

There’s a quiet little word that makes your cold emails way more inviting. Without. It’s not flashy. But it does something powerful. It promises the good stuff and removes the ugh. Examples: “This app lets you cancel subscriptions without calling customer service.” “Start playing music without reading sheet music.” “Stretch $1 million in retirement without running out of money.” “Get the benefits of 12 servings of vegetables without eating them.” See what’s happening? “Without” shrinks resistance. it removes a hidden objection before your prospect says it out loud. It makes the payoff feel easier. Lighter. More doable. It whispers: You can have this… and skip the part you dread. Want better copy? Start thinking in “withouts.” What does your prospect want? What do they wish they didn’t have to do to get it?