You’ve come a long way in a year as you prepare to launch your campaign.
You’ve developed core messages, struck upon a powerful campaign theme, and created a graphic identity. As great as your achievements are, there is still a long way to go to launch. Now is the time to take your great concepts and turn them into products.
T-Minus Six to 12 Months: Can we move our campaign from paper to practice?
Put simply, there is a tremendous amount of work to be done.
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, relentless attention must be paid to ensure that the core messages of the campaign are in every communications product; that each product, whether print or digital, matches the graphic identity; and that all of the work constitutes a collective whole that speaks to the central theme of the campaign.
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.
T-Minus Zero to Six Months: Ready to conduct the final systems check?
The last few months before the public launch of your campaign are all about finishing. 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 in how you finish. Getting the job done right is of critical importance. 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 in every place and on every platform?
- Does the photography and videography accurately convey the themes and messages of the campaign?
Finally, this is the time when the kickoff event really comes into focus. Start scripting early, with an eye on ensuring that core messages are present throughout the event. Communications and events teams should be in sync, ensuring that the campaign graphic identity is represented in every part and parcel of the event itself.
Liftoff to Splashdown: Are you ready to throttle up?
You did it! You successfully launched your campaign. Now what?
Maintaining communications and marketing momentum after the launch of a campaign is critical to its success. Your communications team should be focused immediately on determining how it maintains and builds 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 changing your organization for the better. 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 an integral part of your campaign’s success. By building your momentum, you’ll ensure your campaign’s success.
To learn more about the steps required for a successful campaign communications launch, you can read our first blog on the topic here. To watch the BWF Strategic Communications team’s webinar on this topic, filled with insight and real-life examples, please follow this link.
At BWF, we stand ready to assist you with all your campaign communications needs. Please reach out to Senior Vice President for Strategic Communications Jay Wilson at jwilson@bwf.com. It’s a privilege to help.
