What makes an effective marketing campaign?

This is a loaded question so I’m only planning on skimming the surface focusing on:

• Social Media Campaigns
• Website Brand Messaging: Is there a connection?

Two companies to look at when understanding and answering this question are Kate Spade & The Gap, the “to be” and “not to be” respectively.

The Gap is an old company that’s been around for quite some time so if you’re a younger company, I’d recommended against emulating their strategy. When you browse the site, it’s a lot of “look at my product” or “see our great deals”, encouraging you to make a purchase or leave the site. At the bottom of their page are links to social media sites however there isn’t much fluidity in movement between their store and their stories.

This is my first requirement for a social media campaign:

Fluidity: noun, able to flow easily

Now this is what Kate Spade does phenomenally well. When looking through their site to see what kind of campaigns they had going, I found myself envisioning a different lifestyle; the “Kate Spade Lifestyle”. I was browsing everything from shoes to handbags, home decor for cocktail parties and all the while their “Glitter” campaign was present reminding me that the holiday season was on its way. So what’s my second must-have for a successful campaign?

Continuity: noun, a state of stability and the absence of disruption

with your. . .

Tribe: noun, a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.

Kate Spade knows that they are targeting young professional females living in the city and that’s the lifestyle they convey through glitzy dresses and heels, lady-like bags, and the perfect accents to make your cocktail party the highlight of the holidays. They even give you guides of things to do in the city, “glitter” snack recipes, tips for throwing parties. . .so have you caught on to what’s so great about this yet?

You can browse their products while clicking through to blog stories, Instagram photos, YouTube videos, and get right back to their product page allowing you to see what they have, invite you into their tribe, and then show you again what they have to offer. By this point, you want to be a part of the Kate Spade lifestyle and join their tribe. If you’re not going to buy, you’re probably going to join their #YOUGOTTHIS Instagram campaign, try to make their Glitter Fortune Cookie recipe from their blog, or start a wish list and send it to your go-to gift giver.

If you’re familiar with sales, you’ll really understand my next necessity for a successful campaign:

Tell-Show-Tell: tell them what you have, show them how they can be a part of something more (your brand!), and tell them what you have again now that they feel more connected to your brand

Finally this is the hardest thing for me to practice, but I very much appreciate when others do it.

Focus: noun, an act of concentrating interest or activity on something

The Gap doesn’t have much focus except on their product so I’m on and off their site in seconds. Kate Spade however is focusing entirely on their “Glitter” campaign for the holidays. While this one focus will lead you to their blog, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest you will be able to navigate between each platform always focusing on their “Glitter” campaign and always thinking about the holidays, cocktail parties, and of course, GLITTER!

So how will you create your next social media campaign?

Keep me posted!