Top tips for campaign planning: From strategy to success

By Lucy McCormick
23 Jul 2025

7 min read

In 2025, campaign planning isn't what it used to be. Marketers need to rethink how they plan, execute, and refine campaigns to make sure they get the most from their budget, get ads in front of the right people, at the right time, and on the right channels. Whether you're mapping out media spend or shaping the perfect message, every decision counts.

Our recent webinar, hosted by our Director of Marketing, Matt and PHD Media’s Digital Integration Director, Dev, unpacked the essentials for smarter campaign planning. From identifying the right channels to measuring impact in real-time, here are a few takeaways to get you started. (And if you want the full story, the on-demand version is a must-watch.)

Free webinar

Top tips for campaign planning

From strategy to success

Campaign planning in 2025: Trends to watch

Today’s marketing landscape is changing at speed. AI is no longer optional, it's embedded across everything from creative to media buying. According to Dev, "65% of global media spend is now managed by AI-powered systems. But as with any automation, it’s only as good as the data it’s fed."

Meanwhile, the end of third-party cookies has forced a shift to first-party data strategies. Campaign planning now requires marketers to connect every touchpoint – from micro-moments to offline calls – into a unified customer journey. That means call tracking, CRM insights, and real-time data should all be top priorities.

Set clear objectives before you think about channels

It’s tempting to dive into creative ideas or channel tactics. But, successful campaign planning starts with realistic objectives and measurable KPIs. As Matt noted, "Be mindful of your sales cycles and make sure you define both leading and lagging indicators."

Dev added, "If there isn’t a clear end-to-end measurement framework in place, I would freak out." Your goals should be grounded in business impact, not vanity metrics. And, if you get leads over the phone, make sure you’re tracking them.

5-Tips-Getting-Started-with-Call-Tracking-Cheat-Sheet

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5 tips for getting started with call tracking

Choose the right marketing channels

With endless options available, not all platforms will move the needle. Dev stressed the need for informed media planning: "A good agency will show you where your spend works hardest. And tell you if your budget just isn't big enough to make an impact."

Use past performance data to forecast results. Understand which personas engage on which platforms. And don’t underestimate offline conversions like calls. They may very well be your highest-intent touchpoints, given they have higher conversion rates than web leads! We’re talking 2% for web leads vs 25%-40% for phone leads.

Get your budget working smarter, not just harder

Media investment must be tied to outcomes, not just reach. Dev warned that many marketers overcommit to top-of-funnel channels and ignore conversion blind spots. "If you’re not factoring in call data, you could be missing a huge chunk of high-quality leads."

Infinity and PHD agree: plug attribution gaps before allocating spend. That way, your optimisations are based on the full picture, not just the final click.

Build a Martech stack that measures what matters

Before hitting 'go' on any campaign, make sure your Martech tools are aligned. The priority? Measurement. From CRM systems to call intelligence, you need tools that tell you what's working.

"If you can’t measure it, you can’t justify it," said Dev. And in today’s environment, real-time analytics aren’t a luxury. They’re expected.

How AI can improve campaign planning

AI can do more than write ad copy. It streamlines workflows, automates bidding, and analyses call outcomes to predict lead quality. At PHD, Dev’s team uses AI-powered tools to scale campaigns fast without sacrificing human oversight.

"AI is great at scaling," he said, "but it can’t invent what’s never been done. You still need human input for creative strategy."

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AI: Your competitive advantage

Align your teams to maximise customer experience

Marketing doesn’t operate in a vacuum. If you want a campaign to be successful, you need alignment across sales, CRM, and support teams. Dev put it plainly: "Rarely do we see true integration across departments. But it's essential for any successful campaign."

Share campaign goals. Brief your sales team. Use call transcripts to spot message friction. And above all, make sure your frontline teams are ready to act on campaign insights.

Track live performance and adapt in real time

Once a campaign goes live, monitoring matters. Set performance alerts. Listen to calls for signs of confusion or friction. Move budget to high-intent channels when needed. "Live data should be the standard," said Dev. "And today, it pretty much is."

Turn insights into your next campaign advantage

The final step? Wrap up with purpose. Go beyond dashboards. Listen to calls. Dig into funnel drop-offs. Feed those insights back into your messaging, targeting, and media mix.

Dev summed it up well: "If I could run a PCA where we connect call data to media performance, that’s gold dust. It helps us shape smarter decisions going forward."

Want to hear it all firsthand? These highlights barely scratch the surface. For the full deep dive, including real-world examples and expert insights, watch the full on-demand webinar.

Free webinar