Contents
- What is a flight?
- Goals and benefits of flights
- Differences between flights and channel testing
- Rules for using flights
What is a flight?
A flight is a period of an advertising campaign with a predefined duration, typically ranging from three to six weeks. This approach allows for breaking down a large advertising campaign into smaller manageable parts, making it easier to track results and adjust strategy. If we imagine an advertising campaign as a book, each flight can be considered a separate chapter: each may differ in length and content, but all relate to a common theme and follow one another.
Dividing the campaign into flights allows businesses to flexibly adapt their strategy. At the end of each flight, the company analyzes interim results, which helps identify successful and less successful elements. Based on the data obtained, the next flight is launched, taking into account successful practices and identified mistakes, thus optimizing advertising efforts.
Goals and benefits of flights
Dividing an advertising campaign into flights provides businesses with the opportunity to gather information about advertising effectiveness at the end of each stage. This approach eliminates the need to operate "blindly," as the effectiveness of the flight can be analyzed after its completion, allowing for relevant conclusions to be drawn. Flights help:
- Assess advertising effectiveness more accurately — thanks to information about each flight, interim results can be compared.
- Adjust strategy in the process — there is no need to wait until the entire campaign is over; changes can be made immediately after analyzing the previous flight.
- Structure the advertising strategy — breaking it down into stages makes managing and planning activities easier.
For example, a cosmetics brand may launch a campaign consisting of two flights. In the first flight, it focuses on increasing reach and familiarizing the audience with the product through various social networks. After analyzing the results of the first flight, the brand chooses the most effective channels, such as VK and Yandex search ads, and aims to stimulate sales in the second flight.
Differences between flights and channel testing
While a company may conduct several stages during testing of various advertising channels, the aim and approach to this process differ. Unlike flights, testing can occur without a clear division into separate segments, and multiple flights can be dedicated to one channel or different ones. The main difference lies in the objective: flights help structure strategy and summarize interim results, while channel testing serves for preliminary audience assessment and selecting the most suitable platforms for promotion.
Rules for using flights
For effective use of flights, it is necessary to develop a strategy in advance that outlines the duration of each flight and its content. It is important to determine the number of advertising activities in each flight and the duration of breaks between them. Additionally, it should be noted that:
- The duration of the flight should be chosen based on the set goals. For creating a wow effect, shorter flights are preferable, while for product familiarization, longer ones are better.
- The duration of the flight should correspond to the amount of advertising. In longer flights, ads are shown less frequently, helping to avoid audience fatigue from repetitive advertising.
- A new flight should not be launched without analyzing the results of the previous one. Analyzing interim results allows for informed decisions for the next stage.
Thus, the proper use of flights significantly enhances the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, enabling businesses to adapt to changes and better understand their audience.