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Marketing Campaign Defined

A marketing campaign is an organized strategy to promote a company goal, usually spanning a timeframe of several weeks or months. Marketing campaigns may include several kinds of media, all of which are designed to raise brand awareness and drive sales.

Marketing campaigns rely heavily on key performance indicators (KPIs) to quantify success against the goals set for a given time period. Marketing KPIs include everything from organic traffic goals to social media shares.


How to Use it in a Sentence

An effective marketing campaign establishes a specific target audience, has clearly defined KPIs, and produces thought-provoking, creative deliverables to achieve its goals.

Common Marketing Campaign FAQs

A marketing campaign is an awareness-based high-level strategy, whereas an advertising campaign is a persuasive, sales-based focus that leverages paid channels to drive direct sales.

Advertising campaigns exist under the broader marketing campaign umbrella.

The most common marketing campaigns include:

  • Product launch campaigns

  • Search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns

  • Email marketing campaigns and other messaging channel campaigns, including push notifications and SMS

  • Social media campaigns

  • Influencer marketing campaigns

  • General, brand awareness campaigns

Marketing campaigns can be executed using either owned or paid channels. Marketing channels may include:

  • Pay-per-click ads

  • Sponsorships

  • Influencer social media platforms

  • Website and blog

  • Email, mobile and web push notifications, and SMS

  • Owned social media platforms

Marketing campaigns are the bridge between what your business offers and what value in those offerings your audience perceives. A successful marketing campaign promotes brand awareness, generates revenue, and forms the backbone of your brand’s relationship with your customers.

Take Nike’s 1988 “Just Do It” marketing campaign. Not only did the campaign showcase professional athletes sharing their inspiring success stories, but it encouraged their audience to do the same… and in the process created a brand identity with an iconic tagline that has stood the test of time.