Marketing Campaign Timeline: The Making of "The Gurus We Deserve"

On August 2, I launched a 90-second campaign film as part of my first brand campaign for Campaign Del Mar. The video has now gone viral.

I teach switched-on business owners how to create marketing campaigns that make an impact - but make no mistake, creating a standout launch is not something that happens in a day, in your sleep or on auto-pilot.

The minimum time it takes to properly plan a multi-channel marketing campaign that's right for your business is 6 weeks. Here's how I went about creating mine:

April 2021

I came up with the campaign idea after being bombarded with false promises and outrageous claims by the celebrity CEOs and online marketing "gurus." I wrote the first script for the campaign video, and because we can't be objective about our marketing, I booked a strategy session with a Brand Strategist to sense-check that this was the right approach for my brand.

May 2021 

I reached out to an ex-colleague from my Brand Management days who has worked for some of the best advertising agencies in Melbourne and engaged her to project manage the campaign while I continued delivering my signature program and 1-on-1 consults. Since I work in my business, I needed someone to work on my business. The new project lead, MJ, got busy briefing production companies on the campaign concept and requesting quotes based on my small business budget.

I researched and appointed a Performance Ads Manager to run the campaign's paid social media ad component. 

June 2021

A "treatment" is how a production company plans to bring the idea or concept to life. While I had included a storyboard in my brief, I'm a marketer, not a Director and was open to new ideas on each scene and location. As soon I received the treatment from The Tropics, I knew I had found the best partner for the job. A money gun spray painted pink? Yes, please.

I re-wrote the script for the film for the hundredth time and was finally happy with it. I started working with an acting coach here in Newcastle to ensure I pulled off the delivery. I don't do things by halves, and neither should you.

The production company got busy assembling the crew, sourcing locations, props and creating run sheets. We cast my dad as the only other "actor" in the film because I'm a scrappy bootstrapped business owner just like you.

The campaign shoot was rescheduled due to Melbourne lockdowns.

July 2021

The campaign film was shot over two days in Melbourne, and it was just in time because Victoria entered into lockdown just a few days later.

Editing two days worth of footage into 90 seconds and again into 2 x 30-second edits and 1 x 15-second edit takes several weeks. While that was underway, my team and I got busy creating the campaign landing page, planning the launch announcement, drafting social media and email marketing content, writing the press release and ad captions, pitching podcast hosts for interviews and teasing the campaign to build suspense.            

August 2 2021

The campaign launched. From start to finish, it took 4 months because as well as planning the campaign, I was running my business and behind my children.

Final word

Planning a launch takes much longer than most small businesses anticipate - many moving parts go into an integrated marketing campaign. The investment in time and careful planning is what makes the difference between a launch that goes unnoticed and one that builds your brand.