Guide to Brand Awareness Campaigns for PR Specialists

Struggling to get attention from your target audience? (Painfully) seeing they don't distinguish your offer from competitors?

We get it. With competition that's faster than ever and strong brands just getting stronger, you need to fight for consumer awareness.

Targeted brand awareness campaigns are the answer.

Let us walk you through crafting campaigns that align with your brand awareness strategies:

• What is a brand awareness campaign?
• Common brand awareness campaign tactics
• Why brand awareness campaigns are essential
• A step-by-step guide to run a brand awareness campaign
• Brand awareness campaign examples
• Metrics & tools to measure the success of brand awareness campaigns
• Seven ways to measure brand awareness campaigns
• Three common mistakes to avoid

A key element of a brand awareness campaign strategy is measuring the right data. Prowly supports media monitoring and measurement, offering a 7-day free trial.

Key takeaways

• Consistency and a long-term perspective: brand awareness campaigns are a slow burn. Patience and consistent messaging are key for raising trust and recognition.
• Eye on the data: use it both when starting new activities and assessing on-going ones. Look for emerging trends and potential threats.
• Multi-channel approach: opt for delivering a consistent message across multiple touchpoints. Leverage tools like online and print media and foster relationships with influencers.

👉 Stay on top of what people are saying about your brand.

What is a brand awareness campaign?

A brand awareness campaign is a strategic marketing effort designed to increase the recognition and familiarity of a brand with its target audience. These campaigns aim to make a brand more visible, memorable, and distinguishable from competitors in the marketplace.

These campaigns should keep in line with your brand awareness strategy – check out our handy guide on the topic!

Key components of a brand awareness campaign

👉 Target audience: Clearly defined demographic and psychographic profiles of the intended recipients of your message.
👉 Messaging: Core ideas and values you want to communicate about your brand.
👉 Channels: Various platforms and mediums used to disseminate your brand message.
👉 Goals: Specific, measurable objectives that define what success looks like for your campaign.

Why is brand awareness important?

Brand awareness is crucial for businesses for several reasons:

• Customer recognition: When consumers are familiar with your brand, they're more likely to choose your products or services over the alternatives.
• Building trust: Familiarity breeds trust. As people become more aware of your brand, they're more likely to view it as reliable and credible.
• Competitive edge: Strong brand awareness can set you apart in a crowded market, giving you an advantage over less recognizable competitors.

Common brand awareness campaign tactics

Increasing social media engagement

It's not only about crafting viral campaigns! Use social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X (Twitter) to get closer to your audience. Through posts, contests, sharing user-generated content, and interacting with comments, you can test how your message resonates with your audience and fine-tune it with key insights.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Optimize your website and content to rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find your brand when searching for related topics. This involves keyword research, content creation, and technical website optimization.

Remarketing campaigns

Target ads for people who have previously interacted with your brand online. Here you can build on brand recognition and add associations with your offer or service. The final result should be increased brand awareness and reaching conversion targets.

Cross-channel advertising

Utilize a mix of advertising channels, such as TV, radio, print, and digital platforms, to reach your audience through multiple touchpoints. This approach helps reinforce your message and increases the chances of brand recall.

Content marketing

Create and distribute valuable, relevant content to attract and engage a target audience. This can include blog posts, videos, podcasts, and infographics that showcase your brand's expertise and values.

Influencer partnerships

Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand values to reach new audiences and gain credibility. This can involve sponsored posts, product reviews, or co-created content.

Why brand awareness campaigns are essential

For PR managers, brand awareness campaigns are not just a marketing tool – they're a fundamental aspect of an effective public relations strategy. They tackle the core elements of the PR arena and help shape public perception of a brand, build trust, and establish meaningful connections with the target audience.

PR plays key role in brand awareness campaigns

Shaping public perception makes up the most essential role that PR teams play in brand awareness. After all, what the stakeholders think about your company or client is on your side.

Brand awareness campaigns are strongly related with brand reputation PR. They let you proactively manage and enhance a brand's reputation.

Benefits of brand awareness campaigns for PR agencies

The benefits of brand awareness campaign are a win-win: as you also build your own brand recognition. That's how you:

1. Attract clients: By demonstrating expertise in brand awareness, you attract new clients looking to enhance their market presence. Your portfolio is key!
2. Strengthen client relationships: Keeping your client happy is as important (and profitable) as getting new customers. With successful campaigns, you build long-term, satisfying relationships.
3. Enhance general campaign effectiveness: All your PR efforts get more impactful when they have a strong foundation. And brand awareness is key for any other brand activities.

How to run a brand awareness campaign: a step-by-step guide

Creating and executing a successful campaign requires careful planning and strategic implementation. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you get started:

#1 Identify your target audience and market

Before launching any campaign, it's crucial to understand who you're trying to reach and where they are. That's why you need to:

• Conduct market research: Gather data on your industry, competitors, and potential customers.
• Create buyer personas: Develop detailed profiles of your ideal customers, including demographics, interests, pain points, and behaviors.

💡 Pro tip: Be specific. Look for detailed descriptions of your target audience: it'll help you in crafting the right message.

#2 Set clear and measurable goals

To measure effectiveness, you need to define what success looks like for your campaign. For example, you can set a goal of achieving a 15% increase in brand recall among target demographics in one year, or in boosting social media followers by 10,000 within six months.

💡 Pro tip: use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Another good practice is to ensure they can be marked as done or not done.

#3 Choose the right channels and platforms

Select the most effective mediums to reach your target audience based on your research. Here's some inspirations:

• Social media: Utilize platforms where your audience is most active (e.g., Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc.)
• Content marketing: Develop valuable, relevant content that resonates with your target audience.
• Influencer partnerships: Collaborate with influencers who align with your brand values and have a following that matches your target audience.
• Traditional media: Don't overlook the power of TV, radio, and print if they're relevant to your audience.

💡 Pro tip: Media databases make a good ally. In Prowly, you'll find contact details and profiles of over 1M journalists and influencers: definitely enough to find someone for your story.

#4 Create engaging and consistent messaging

Develop a strong brand voice and ensure your message is consistent across all channels.

• Develop a Brand Voice: Create guidelines for tone, style, and personality that reflect your brand's values.
• Craft compelling stories: Use storytelling techniques to make your brand more relatable and memorable.
• Maintain consistency: Ensure all team members and partners understand and adhere to your brand guidelines.

💡 Pro tip: use these guidelines when crafting your press releases! With Prowly's Press Release Creator you can add your own checklists and templates to facilitate the creation step. Then, share it with the right journalists in no time!

#5 Launch and monitor your campaign

Once your campaign is live, closely track its performance and be prepared to make adjustments.

• Track key metrics: Monitor relevant KPIs such as reach, engagement, website traffic, and brand mentions.
• Use analytics tools: Leverage platforms like Google Analytics, social media insights, and PR-specific tools to gather key data.
• Regularly review performance: Set up weekly or monthly review sessions to analyze campaign progress and identify areas for improvement.

#6 Analyze and optimize

Use the insights gained from monitoring to refine and improve your brand awareness activities.

• Identify what's working: Double down on successful tactics and channels.
• Address underperforming areas: Adjust or eliminate elements that aren't meeting expectations.
• Stay agile: Be prepared to pivot your strategy based on real-time data and changing market conditions.

For example, you might notice a spike in positive brand mentions in a notification from Prowly's social media listening tool. This feedback can inform your further steps and content.

Remember that any brand campaign can quickly become a PR crisis. Prowly can help you avoid these thanks to notifications about negative mentions spike.

💡 Check out our guide on PR crises management and have a plan B in place.

#7 Measure long-term impact

While short-term metrics are important, also consider the long-term effects of your campaign on brand perception and loyalty.

• Conduct Brand Surveys: Regularly assess changes in brand awareness, perception, and preference among your target audience.
• Monitor Customer Lifetime Value: Track how increased brand awareness translates to customer retention and overall value.

#8 Document and share learnings

After the campaign, compile key insights and share them with your team and stakeholders.

• Create a Campaign Report: Summarize the campaign's performance, key learnings, and recommendations for future initiatives.
• Hold a Debrief Session: Gather input from all team members involved to capture diverse perspectives and insights.

💡 Pro tip: PR reports are what you need. With Prowly, you can generate clear, visually appealing reports to present your campaign success.

Best brand awareness campaigns

Examining successful brand awareness campaigns can provide valuable insights and inspiration for your own efforts. Let's look at two notable brand awareness campaign examples:

Nike's "Dream Crazy" Campaign

Nike's "Dream Crazy" campaign by Wieden+Kennedy, launched in 2018, was a bold and controversial move that significantly boosted the brand's awareness and affinity among its target audience.

The campaign centered around former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had become a polarizing figure due to his kneeling protests during the national anthem in order to raise awareness about racial injustice and police brutality.

1️⃣ Objectives

Nike aimed to increase brand affinity among younger consumers, generate buzz and media coverage, and reinforce its brand values of inspiration and empowerment. By aligning with Kaepernick's cause, Nike sought to position itself as a brand that stands for social justice and supports athletes who use their platform for change.

2️⃣ Strategy

The campaign featured a provocative ad with Kaepernick's face and the tagline "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

Nike leveraged the controversy surrounding Kaepernick to spark conversations and media coverage. They extended the campaign across multiple channels, including TV, social media, and outdoor advertising, ensuring maximum visibility and impact.

The controversy stemmed from divided public opinion on Kaepernick's protests. While many praised him for raising awareness about important social issues, others criticized him for what they perceived as disrespect to the flag and military. Nike's decision to feature Kaepernick was seen as a clear stance on this divisive issue.

3️⃣ Results

The campaign's impact was profound, demonstrating the power of taking a stand on social issues.

Nike saw a 31% increase in online sales, a $6 billion increase in brand value, and massive social media engagement and earned media coverage (check the full story here).

Most importantly, it strengthened brand loyalty among Nike's core demographic of younger, socially conscious consumers.

BTW, it also won an Emmy award, as well as the Grand Prix in the Creative Effectiveness category at Cannes.

💡 Key Takeaways:
– Nike's campaign showed that taking a stand on social issues can be powerful for brand awareness, especially when aligned with brand values.
– The controversy, while risky, drove engagement and reinforced Nike's image as a bold, progressive brand.
– The multi-channel approach amplified the campaign's reach and impact, making it a landmark example of modern brand awareness campaigns.

Spotify Wrapped Campaign

Spotify's annual "Wrapped" campaign has become a much-anticipated event in the digital world, showcasing the power of personalization and user-generated content in driving brand awareness.

1️⃣ Objectives

Spotify aimed to increase user engagement and app usage, generate social media buzz, and reinforce its position as a leader in music streaming. The campaign was designed to capitalize on the year-end reflection trend while highlighting the platform's data capabilities.

2️⃣ Strategy

Spotify created personalized year-end summaries for each user, showcasing their listening habits in a fun, shareable format. They designed visually appealing graphics optimized for social media sharing and timed the campaign for maximum impact during the holiday season.

The campaign mixed digital and outdoor formats, increasing momentum.

By encouraging users to share their "Wrapped" results on social media, Spotify turned its users into brand ambassadors.

3️⃣ Results

The campaign's success has been phenomenal, driving a massive increase in app downloads and user engagement. Millions of social media shares created organic reach far beyond Spotify's direct advertising efforts while also generating significant earned media coverage.

💡 Key Takeaways:
– The "Wrapped" campaign's success demonstrates the power of personalization in driving engagement and sharing.
– By timing the campaign to align with the cultural moment of year-end reflections, Spotify maximized its impact.
– The user-generated content aspect significantly amplified the campaign's reach, turning it into an annual cultural phenomenon.

👉 An Extra: Spotify Wrapped actually make one of the best B2B brand awareness campaign examples. They took the format to provide insights about people's music taste for advertisers: and believe me, there's ton of interesting points!

We've talked about a similar approach in our Brand Awareness Strategies Overview, where Salesforce promoted its tech through F1 events. It's all about playing to your strengths!

How to measure the success of brand awareness campaigns

Measuring the impact of brand awareness campaigns can be challenging, but it's crucial for understanding ROI and improving future efforts. Here are some key metrics to track:

1. Impressions: The number of times your content is displayed.
2. Reach: The number of unique users who see your content.
3. Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and other interactions with your content.
4. Website traffic: Increases in visitors, especially new visitors, to your website.
5. Search Volume: Growth in branded search queries.
6. Share of Voice (SOV): Your brand's visibility compared to competitors in your industry.
7. Brand recall and recognition: Surveys to measure how well people remember and recognize your brand.
8. Sentiment: The tone and feeling of mentions and conversations about your brand.

Tools for measuring brand awareness

When your campaign focuses on bringing people to a specific site, Google Analytics is your ally.

With appropriate links using UTM tags, you can understand what channels bring the best results, how much time people spend on your site, and what they do next (for example, if they read about your offer).

Prowly, on the other hand, can tell you this and everything else about your brand. From positive and negative mentions across digital and print media to Share of Voice, you will get insights into how people perceive your brand.

Three common mistakes to avoid

When running a brand awareness campaign, it's crucial to steer clear of common pitfalls that can undermine your efforts. Here are some key mistakes to avoid:

Mistake No. 1: Inconsistent messaging

For campaign success, you need a consistent message across all touchpoints. When your message varies significantly, you dilute meaning and diminish credibility.

💡 How to avoid it?
Create comprehensive campaign guidelines and a system to approve messaging and assets.

Mistake No. 2: Ignoring analytics

Make sure to keep an eye on your data. You might miss emerging opportunities (like new trends to hop on) or waste resources on ineffective channels.

💡 How to avoid it?
Review data on a regular basis: especially when you're about to make decisions on where to allocate resources.

Mistake No. 3: Overlooking long-term impact

Brand awareness campaigns impact long-term PR goals. They rarely bring you quick wins, yet it is how you make a lasting impact. Looking at only the short-term (like the click-through rates of a singular creation) won't take you far.

💡 How to avoid it?
Set both short-term and long-term goals. Use both metrics that give you immediate feedback, like click-through rates, and those focused on general brand well-being like brand recall, customer lifetime value, and market share.

Tools for working on brand awareness

• Social media management tools: Use Meta Business Suite or LinkedIn to plan your social media content in advance and observe trends in your followers' behaviour.
• Analytics tools: Google Analytics or SEMrush tolls can give you intel into your SEO. Observe search volume and website traffic to assess your awareness activities: both those planned and running.
• Brand monitoring tools: What do people say about you? What are the hot topics? Here, brand monitoring and social listening tools can provide the answers.
• Content creation tools: Canva, CapCut or maybe a professional content creator? The visuals you use make up a huge part of your stories.
• All-in-one PR tools: The last, but the best, option is to use a platform tailored to your needs. Prowly can help you lead a brand awareness campaign from A to Z – and take care of all the other PR activities.

7 best practices for running a brand awareness campaign

To maximize the effectiveness of your brand awareness efforts, consider these best practices:

Leverage storytelling

People remember stories better than facts and figures. Craft compelling narratives that resonate with your audience and embody your brand values.

Use high-quality visuals

In a world dominated by visual content, ensure your campaign includes eye-catching graphics, videos and images that align with your brand identity.

Engage with your audience

Don't just broadcast your message – create opportunities for two-way communication. Respond to comments, host Q&A sessions, and encourage user-generated content.

Be consistent across channels

While your message may need to be adapted for different platforms, ensure core brand identity and values remain consistent across all touchpoints.

Collaborate with influencers and partners

Partnering with influencers or complementary brands can help you reach new audiences and add credibility to your message.

Optimize for mobile

With most digital consumption taking place on mobile devices, ensure your campaign elements are mobile-friendly and easy to share.

Integrate online and offline efforts

For maximum impact, consider how your digital campaigns can be supported by offline activities like events, guerrilla marketing, or traditional advertising.

What will your campaign look like?

Brand awareness campaigns are a must-have for PR teams, as they impact the core PR areas. And they're often fun to make: you can really let your creativity shine when looking for ways to showcase your brand qualities.

Take care of brand awareness today and become the first-to-mind option for your customers!