Key Takeaways
Multi-channel campaigns can help you communicate a single, focused message to your customers.
There is an ideal length of time for the success of a multi-channel advertising campaign.
Campaigns that last too long can become stale and begin fading into the background.
It is a best practice to plan your campaigns well in advance, with the beginning of the year presenting an excellent opportunity to map out campaigns for the next 12 months.
One of the biggest challenges business owners face is determining how long any given marketing campaign should last. This is especially true for multi-channel campaigns, when you have all of your company’s messaging vehicles focused on one specific message; whether that’s promoting a sales event, a particular line of merchandise, or another offer.
It turns out that there is an ideal length of time to run a multi-channel marketing campaign, and that ideal length is 45 days. 45 days is slightly more than 6 weeks, which research has proven is approximately how long it takes any of us to develop a habit or learn a piece of information so profoundly that we’re able to retain and recall it later. Exposing your customer base to a focused marketing message for that period of time ensures that you’ve shared the information long enough for them to get it and act on it. If your campaign is shorter than 45 days, you are reducing the likelihood of your customers seeing and grasping the message you’re sharing.
You don’t want your multi-channel marketing campaign to go on longer than 45 days because then you’re running into the risk of your messaging becoming stale. If a campaign is too familiar to your customers, it eventually becomes invisible. Even legacy brands like Coca Cola and McDonalds will change up their campaigns frequently in order to keep their customers –who are capable of fanatical levels of brand loyalty – interested in what’s going on.
Three-quarters of U.S. adults say they ‘tune out’ digital ads due to the increased amount of time they’ve been spending on computers, mobile devices, and TV sets, according to findings of a Harris Poll.
New Media and Marketing
How to Plan a Multi-Channel Advertising Campaign
Given a shelf life of 45 days, you have time for 8 multi-channel marketing campaigns in any given year. It is a good best practice to take the time now, at the beginning of the year, to determine what you’d like those campaigns to be. Creating a promotional calendar makes it easier to develop creative concepts, create graphics, imagery and copy, and line up the vehicles you’re going to deploy your messaging on in a strategic, organized manner. For many retailers, it’s easier to start filling in your calendar in reverse, blocking out the time needed to support the major winter holidays first, and then working backward throughout the year.
Ready to Plan Your Campaign?
If you need help making this happen, or developing & deploying your multi-channel marketing campaigns, give us a call. Our world class team of creative talent and digital marketing professionals are here to help! You can even book a session to work one-on-one with a Marketing Mentor who has years of experience planning multi-channel marketing campaigns and putting them into action. Prefer a solo approach? We have on-demand training sessions to teach you everything you need to know about launching a successful campaign. Whatever you need, we’re here to help you thrive.
