For your final project, you will assume the role of an account executive with a small marketing firm that specializes in digital advertising campaigns. You have been asked to develop a digital strategy for a client who wants to develop a forward-thinking digital campaign that leverages key learnings from past campaigns. The proposed strategy should be based on the client’s campaign goals, budget, and timelines, as well as the lessons learned from the previous campaign.
The campaign proposal will include an overview of the campaign, including an executive summary, channel selection and rationale, a SWOT analysis, and evaluation methodology. Other components include a content plan, media plan, and recommendations for campaign enhancements.
To effectively address the required critical elements, you will use the information from the Client Packet. You will also use the Campaign Toolkit, which includes templates and other resources to use when developing the campaign proposal.
The proposal will demonstrate your knowledge of digital channels and related marketing strategies, including their pros and cons, methods of evaluation, and legal and ethical risks and considerations.
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Specifically, you must address the critical elements listed below. Most of the critical elements align with a particular course outcome (shown in brackets).
Part One: Campaign Overview: In this section, you will develop a digital campaign strategy that is aligned with the client’s campaign goals. The strategy should take into consideration the results of the previous campaign, as well as your knowledge of digital channels and platforms. The overview will include the following:
a. Executive Summary: Provide a brief summary of the proposed campaign that provides context for the full proposal and highlights key campaign elements.
b. Key Takeaways: Summarize the major takeaways from the results of the earlier campaigns. [MKT-335-04]
c. Recommendations: Provide campaign recommendations that accurately reflect previous campaign results and align with current campaign
goals. [MKT-335-03]
d. Channels: Identify appropriate digital channels for the campaign and provide an explanation of the underlying selection rationale based on
the client’s campaign goals, resources, and constraints, as well as industry research and best practices. [MKT-335-02]
e. SWOT Analysis: Summarize the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the digital campaign, including legal and ethical
concerns. [MKT-335-05]
f. Evaluation Criteria: Determine appropriate KPIs for the campaign and provide a clear, logical, and accurate rationale for their selection.
[MKT-335-04]
Part Two: Media Plan: Next you will develop a media plan that optimizes advertising distribution across key channels, basing your selections on both the campaign goals and lessons learned from the previous campaign. The media plan will include the following:
a. Worksheet: Complete the Media Plan Template, a worksheet you should use to identify key components of the media plan, such as channels, flight, and content type. Selected media should optimize advertising distribution across key channels to drive campaign results. [MKT-335-01]
b. Rationale: Provide a clear, appropriate rationale for the media options outlined in the media planning worksheet. [MKT-335-02]
c. Targeting Specifications: Define appropriate targeting parameters for each channel and explain the rationale for selecting the identified
targets. [MKT-335-04]
Part Three: Content Plan: Based on the recommendations outlined in the campaign overview and media plan, you will develop a content plan that identifies paid, owned and earned content needs. The content plan will include the following elements:
a. Requirements: Outline the types of content and key information needed for the selected channels. [MKT-335-01]
b. Touchpoint Map: Develop a visual map that illustrates content touchpoints for paid, owned and earned channels. [MKT-335-01]
c. Messaging Guidelines: Develop messaging guidelines, based on channel specifications and campaign goals, that maximize content
effectiveness. [MKT-335-02]
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d. Legal Issues: Identify potential legal requirements and concerns related to content. [MKT-335-05]
e. Ethical and Cultural Issues: Identify potential ethical and cultural issues related to content and propose possible responses to address these
concerns. [MKT-335-05]
Part Four: Above and Beyond: In the concluding section of the campaign proposal, you will provide short- and long-term recommendations for improving or enhancing the campaign:
a. Short-Term Recommendations: Recommend specific strategies for enhancing, extending, or supplementing the campaign, based on additional resources, including time and budget. [MKT-335-03]
b. Predictions: Provide predictions about emerging technologies and approaches in digital advertising, explaining how these new options could further improve and enhance the client’s digital advertising efforts over the next two to five years. You must support your predictions with three academic or industry resources. [MKT-335-03]
Milestones
Milestone One: Campaign Overview
In Module Two, you will submit a draft of the campaign overview, Part One a–f. You will provide an executive summary of the campaign proposal. Based on the provided results of a previous campaign, you will summarize the key takeaways from the campaign, along with a list of recommendations for the proposed campaign. You will identify the suggested digital channels for the campaign, explaining the rationale for their selection. You will then provide a brief SWOT analysis, summarizing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the digital campaign, including legal and ethical concerns. Lastly, you will provide suggested evaluation criteria, identifying suggested KPIs and the rationale for their selection. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Media Plan
In Module Four, you will submit a draft of the media plan, Part Two a–c. The media plan should optimize advertising distribution across key channels based on the client’s goals and resources. You will complete the media planning worksheet and provide the rationale for the choices outlined in the worksheet. Lastly, you will summarize the targeting specifications for each channel based on the campaign goals as well as the channel itself. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Content Plan
In Module Five, you will submit a draft of the content plan, Part Three a–e. In the plan, you will identify content requirements, including paid, owned and earned content needs, as well as the key information needed for each channel. You will develop a related touchpoint map and messaging guidelines for content, based on the campaign goals and channel requirements. Lastly, you will summarize potential legal issues, as well as ethical and cultural issues to consider. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
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Final Submission: Campaign Proposal
In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
