Campaigns That Click
The Secrets Behind Crafting a Winning Strategy
You’ve got a great product, a killer brand, and big goals—so, what’s next? You need a full-blown campaign. But how do you take a vague idea and turn it into something that gets people talking and clicking? We’ve got the blueprint.
Step 1: Start with Strategy, Not a Slogan 💭
Every campaign begins with a question: What’s the goal? Are you driving sales, increasing brand awareness, or sparking conversation? For our client, Hawthorne Plaza, the goal was to create a sense of excitement and exclusivity around holiday shopping, enticing customers to choose their stores over the usual suspects. We focused on crafting a strategy that felt hyper-local, yet high-end—just like Hawthorne Plaza itself.
In the Hawthorne Plaza branding, we used a masking technique where by cropping the HP mark in various ways, we can create different shapes. We applied that same idea to holiday-inspired icons for our campaign visuals. You can see below how we started with simple lines and shapes and eventually can covert it into subtle, festive imagery.
Step 2: Know Your Audience (Like, Really Know Them) 🙋♀️
To build a campaign that resonates, you need to know your audience better than they know themselves. For Hawthorne Plaza, this meant targeting shoppers who value unique, boutique finds but want the convenience of a one-stop shopping experience. We got into their heads, learning what excited them about the holidays (think: finding the perfect gift, holiday events, and making memories) and translated that into our campaign messaging.
Step 3: Creative That Converts 🎨
Here’s where the magic happens—taking that strategy and audience insight and turning it into something visual and shareable. The creative for Hawthorne Plaza was all about delivering a cozy yet sophisticated holiday vibe. We leaned into rich colors, elegant fonts, and visuals that sparked a sense of holiday nostalgia, mixed with the modern flair of boutique shopping. Every element, from the emails to the social posts, felt like an invitation to step into a festive, luxury experience.
Step 4: Make It Engaging (Not Just Pretty) 🎄
What’s a campaign if no one engages with it? For Hawthorne Plaza’s holiday tree-lighting event, we transformed the entire shopping experience into something magical. Think elegant wayfinding signs, festive in-store displays, and even branded cocoa cups. The goal was to make the audience feel like they were part of something special, not just observers of a marketing event.
Step 5: Track and Tweak 📊
Campaigns aren’t set-it-and-forget-it. Once the Hawthorne Plaza holiday campaign launched, we kept a close eye on what was working and what wasn’t. Tracking engagement, monitoring traffic, and adjusting tactics in real-time allowed us to optimize the campaign and deliver results that exceeded expectations.
Final Thoughts
A well-built campaign doesn’t just promote a product—it creates an experience that connects with your audience on a deeper level. Whether you’re looking to launch a holiday campaign like Hawthorne Plaza’s or need help crafting a year-round strategy, we’re here to help. We take brands from ordinary to unforgettable by building campaigns that speak to your audience, align with your goals, and drive results.
