Activations need to have goals and objectives for measurable results, especially when evaluating ROI.
When it comes to activations, the main objectives can vary from maximising leads, converting consumers into customers, growing revenue and increasing brand recognition.
In order to stand out from the clutter, brands need to effectively, strategically and creatively implement activations that offset a particular list of goals and furthermore, these goals need to be measurable. Why? Because success needs to be measured.
Activations, by their very nature, provide the opportunity to be agile and be tweaked or changed if not instantaneously, then extremely quickly. This is where measurement is crucial in guiding the success of a campaign.
A measurement criteria needs to be put in place at the very beginning. Right up there at the inception of a campaign. All parties involved, from brand managers to brand ambassadors, need to be aligned with the goals and how they are to be measured. And reporting is just as important as measurement. This is a statement that needs repeating. Feedback reporting is right up there with measurement and measurable results.
Here are some things to consider when setting and tracking campaign objectives:
Set your objectives, identify your desired results and ensure that all relevant parties involved get the memo. This may seem like I’m stating the obvious, but in order for a campaign to run smoothly, objectives need to be clearly laid out and everyone who needs to know, knows and understands. In order to be able to track the progress of an activations campaign, it is necessary to make the desired results as specific and as tangible as possible. Then define them in a way that they can be measured.
Measure your progress. The more clearly defined your objectives and measurement criteria, the easier it will be to see even the smallest movement in both a negative and a positive direction. Real-time measurement apps that allow for activations to be measured and adjusted with immediacy are key.
Keep your finger on the pulse and adjust. An agile feedback reporting methodology ensuring that measurement can be tailor-made to each campaign is vital. This allows for fingers to be kept on the pulse in real time, allowing for decisions to be made quickly and activations tweaked accordingly. The app allows for progress to be constantly inspected, it highlights points of weakness as well as points of success.
In a time where marketing channels continue to evolve and emerge, it is important for marketers to consistently measure what works and what doesn’t. This holds true especially for activations campaigns, where flexibility allows for quick adjustment.
Peter Kohlӧffel is national sales manager at ProActive. Follow @ProvantageSA
