The communications countdown to a public campaign launch includes numerous critical steps that every organization must take to be successful. There is a definitive tried-and-true approach, and there really aren’t shortcuts or workarounds that don’t come with some compromise or risk.
Like the aerospace designers, engineers, and astronauts who are making plans to go into space, the initial steps are essential in ultimately achieving a successful liftoff. This guide explores the critical steps to turn your campaign communication plans into reality.
Step 1: Define your campaign communication goals.
First, your organization needs to solidify its aspirational destination and the vision for getting there. You have to be able to explain why reaching that destination is necessary and desirable, and why you are the ones to do it.
This phase is all about finalizing your case for support and developing your campaign communications plan, and it is essential to get these right. After all, they’re the foundation upon which everything is built—and a shaky foundation will be unsustainable in the long run.
- The case for support provides the compelling why and the inspiring vision of that new or aspirational future state. It provides the foundational messaging and editorial direction that will carry your campaign forward.
- The campaign communications plan is the road map for the work ahead—sometimes over several years. After you’ve identified the key audiences you need to reach throughout the campaign, determine what they need to know and when, and select the optimal channels and platforms to reach them. It’s important that the fundraising campaign plan and communications plan work in tandem and complement one another—not work at odds with or in isolation from one another.
Modern campaigns, especially comprehensive ones, can demand a long lead time, a long runway, and a long flight path. Like so many things in life, you can’t start soon enough.
Success will hinge on getting key people (i.e., decision makers, influencers, and those you need buy-in from) on board from the get-go. You also need to get all of the right details into the plan, and while it’s okay to dust off the previous plan, ensure it’s updated for the times. After all, this is your playbook for the next several months or years.
Step 2: Determine your campaign’s “image.”
Once you’ve got your case for support in hand, it’s time to bring your campaign to life. In this step, you’ll develop the campaign’s theme, visual identity, and messaging platform—the visual language and expanded editorial for the campaign. This phase is all about how the campaign will feel, look, and sound.
- The theme should reflect your campaign’s inspired vision. It should be a hook to grab attention and serve as a thread to weave throughout all editorial and creative execution. The theme must be authentic to your organization but also aspirational. It should bubble up internally and not be solely an external construct chosen by consultants or an outsourced marketing firm.
- The graphic identity for the campaign should be on-brand and serve as a springboard from your organization’s current identity (logo, tagline, visual expression). It can stand on its own, but shouldn’t be uncoupled from your overarching organizational brand.
- The core messages should further flesh out the case, providing primary and secondary messages that convey deeper insight and details. The messaging should be memorable and resonant, carry the story, and drive calls to action throughout the campaign.
This phase presents distinct challenges. A common pitfall is having too many stakeholders who believe they hold the definitive answer and subsequently disregard the expertise of marketing and communications professionals. You will inevitably face difficulty if you neglect to involve all necessary voices in shaping the campaign’s theme and visual identity (though not every voice requires a vote). Furthermore, failing to establish essential strategies and tactics from the outset guarantees that you will later be distracted and lose focus while scrambling to incorporate vital elements into the communications flow.
It’s good to remember that coming up with the theme may take longer than expected, in part because many people want to have a say. So, facilitate the process to engage people at the right time, but ensure you have a small decision-making group that can act quickly.
Once you establish the campaign theme and visual identity, be vigilant about consistency and integration—it’s how you’ll build awareness and trust.
Step 3: Create campaign messages.
Now is the time to create communications products for every platform—digital, video, print, and more. These products must convey your core messages and campaign identity. While some projects come easily to mind—a campaign video, case statements, a website—others are just as important and easy to overlook. These projects could include everything from design decks to apparel.
Throughout the creative process, pay relentless attention to ensure that the campaign’s core messages are in every communications product; that each product, whether print or digital, matches the graphic identity; and that all the work constitutes a collective whole that speaks to the campaign’s central theme.
This is also the time when your ideas, messages, and graphic identity may receive the most pushback from others inside your institution. Many people only become truly engaged once the creative process starts. Do not be afraid to stand up for the work already completed and to stand behind your core messages and concepts.
Step 4: Finalize and launch your campaign communications.
The last few months before the public launch of your campaign are all about the finishing touches. You need to complete the website and have it ready to go live. You should make the final edits on every iteration of your campaign video—the anthem cut and every cut you’re creating for social media, email, and digital. Every print piece, from your case statements to your business cards, should be complete and ready to go. The list goes on, and you’ll need to check every box.
The key to success here is to be mindful of how you finish. Getting the job done right is critical. You need to be able to answer “yes” to each of the following questions:
- Is the graphic identity correctly represented everywhere?
- Can you find your core messages everywhere and on every platform?
- Does the photography and videography accurately convey the campaign’s themes and messages?
Finally, this is the time when your kickoff event really comes into focus. Start scripting early, keeping in mind that core messages should be present throughout the event. Communications and events teams should be in sync, ensuring that the campaign graphic identity is reflected in every part and parcel of the event.
Step 5: Build momentum.
You did it! You successfully launched your campaign. Now what?
Maintaining communication and marketing momentum after a campaign launch is critical to its success. Your communications team should immediately focus on determining how to maintain and build awareness and engagement in the weeks, months, and years after a successful campaign launch.
As it does so, the communications team should seek to continuously answer four questions.
- Who am I trying to reach?
- How often should I reach them?
- How should I reach them?
- What do they need to know?
Now is the time for you to stretch out of your comfort zone. Campaigns create opportunities for powerful storytelling—be mindful of how philanthropy is improving your organization. Tell the stories your audiences want—and need—to hear.
This is your time to deepen engagement with your audiences, and as they become more engaged, their giving will increase. The throughline from awareness to engagement to giving will be integral to your campaign’s success. By building your momentum, you’ll ensure your campaign’s success.
Wrapping Up: What BWF Brings to the Campaign Communications Launch
At BWF, we stand ready to assist you with all your campaign communications needs. We specialize in crafting messages that strongly resonate with your target audience and ensure every communication aligns with your campaigns’ goals, branding, and priorities.
Our campaign communication services include:
- Priority development
- Prospectus creation
- Theme development
- Communications plan
- Case statement
- Donor engagement and stewardship
- Digital and multimedia production
We work closely with you to ensure every strategy we recommend fully communicates your vision and engages your donors and constituents. Fill out the form below to get in touch with a member of our expert team. It’s a pleasure to help.
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Find out how BWF can support your campaign communications strategy.
