vSente's Campaign Manual

The campaign engine replaces the sticks and boxes of a traditional rigid decision making process with circles, cycles and rapid adaptation competencies required to drive fluid, exploitative campaigning. In order to accomplish this we will use the O-O-D-A loop to map a C3i competency on to a traditional sales and marketing organization as visualized in Exhibit 12.

1. Mapping C3i/O-OD-A to Sales and Marketing Practices. The O-O-D-A Loop functions at different levels within an organization and can drive various processes. As examples; the sales rep can use O-O-D-A to drive his individual selling methodology, a purchasing manager can use O-O-D-A to accelerate his department processes, a VP can use O-O-D-A to grow his division revenues and the CEO can use O-O-D-A to grow the enterprise market share. O-O-D-A can drive individual and group activity.

Let us again look at how the military defines C3i and then use this definition as the foundation for our building our campaign engine:

“An integrated system of doctrine, procedures, organizational structure, personnel, equipment, facilities, communications, and supporting intelligence activities that provides authorities at all levels with timely and adequate data to plan, direct, and control their activities.”

Starting with this definition we begin constructing a functional campaign engine by mapping the conceptual aspects of C3i and the O-OD-A Loop (see Exhibit 12) to specific and measurable sales and marketing processes. This mapping exercise converts each of the four elements of C3i - command, control, communications and intelligence - into unique cycles, where the various discrete processes that comprise these cycles correlate to the O-O-D-A Loop model itself.

2. C3i/O-O-D-A Are Decision Processes. O-O-D-A Loop and C3i are decision processes. As such they are not organizational schemes (you would not designate a “manager of control” or a “VP of orientation”) but they are means to categorize enterprise activities. The campaign engine combines these processes which are then “owned” and facilitated by managers and executives in a traditional sales and marketing organization.

While we are basing the campaign engine on C3i it is necessary to change two of the labels to better reflect their application in the business world. The first label is Control. For purposes of the campaign engine we will relabel Control, Execution. Second is Intelligence. Reflecting the importance of Boyd’s orientation theory on the O-O-D-A loop Intelligence becomes Orientation. So rather than Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence, we now have Command, Execution, Communication and Orientation.

3. Timing the campaign engine. An important feature of the campaign engine is how the command, execution, communication and orientation functions are timed. Each function cycles differently. For example the command cycle may fire every 30 days. The control cycle every 7 days, the communication cycle every day and the intelligence cycle hourly. The monthly/weekly/daily/hourly cycle timing works as a starting point for many campaigns. As the campaign progresses you may advance this timing or slow it down in order to always be inside your competitors O-O-D-A loop.

4. Orientation Cycle Orchestrates the Campaign. The campaign engine orchestrates sales and marketing assets in a coordinated fashion. Coordination is generated by the introduction of a new competency called Orientation which integrates and cycles sales and marketing functions based upon threat and opportunity. The campaign engine is a virtual formation organized for a specific campaign and then disbanded. The campaign engine utilizes existing sales and marketing personnel, agencies and consultants. The campaign engine eliminates traditional organizational hierarchy and replaces them with functional cycles. All Sales related activities are part of the Execution Cycle; Marketing activities part of the Communication Cycle; and, Executive activities part of the Command Cycle.

The campaign engine has cycles which correspond to the primary activities of a marketing campaign. Each cycle encompasses a specific set of activities, has an “owner” who is responsible for these activities, has a cycle time over which a specific activity or set of activities occurs and culminates with and event or a deliverable. The cycles are iterative and designed to provide inflexion points at which strategy and tactics evolve. The timing of each cycle is set in advance of the campaign launch and then will change in response to competitive moves and campaign progress. One of the key requirements in timing the engine is understanding the timing of your competition for similar activities. If it takes you longer to perform these functions than your competition then you will lose competitive advantage.

5. The campaign engine is Driven By The Campaign Manager. The campaign engine is driven by a campaign manager (marketing manager, sales manager, account planner, CEO, EVP, CMO). He is responsible for coordinating all campaign assets. The campaign manager is the ultimate decision-making authority for all campaign related decisions that fall within the context and boundaries of the campaign strategy and objectives including:

1. Creative approvals.
2. Copy approvals.
3. Pricing decisions.
4. Allocation of resources.
5. Opportunity prioritization.
6. Hiring and firing of employees, agencies, consultants, vendors, etc.

The campaign manager owns the Orientation cycle. He is responsible for converting campaign intelligence into actionable strategy and tactics.




		04.04.00 Components of the campaign engine.
			The campaign engine replaces the sticks and boxes of a traditional rigid decision making process with circles, cycles and rapid adaptation competencies required to drive fluid, exploitative campaigning. In order to accomplish this we will use the O-O-D-A loop to map a C3i competency on to a traditional sales and marketing organization as visualized in Exhibit 12. 1. Mapping C3i/O-OD-A to Sales and Marketing Practices. The O-O-D-A Loop functions at different levels within an organization and can drive various processes. As examples; the sales rep can use O-O-D-A to drive his individual selling methodology, a purchasing manager can use O-O-D-A to accelerate his department processes, a VP can use O-O-D-A to grow his division revenues and the CEO can use O-O-D-A to grow the enterprise market share. O-O-D-A can drive individual and group activity. Let us again look at how the military defines C3i and then use this definition as the foundation for our building our campaign engine: “An integrated system of doctrine, procedures, organizational structure, personnel, equipment, facilities, communications, and supporting intelligence activities that provides authorities at all levels with timely and adequate data to plan, direct, and control their activities.” Starting with this definition we begin constructing a functional campaign engine by mapping the conceptual aspects of C3i and the O-OD-A Loop (see Exhibit 12) to specific and measurable sales and marketing processes. This mapping exercise converts each of the four elements of C3i - command, control, communications and intelligence - into unique cycles, where the various discrete processes that comprise these cycles correlate to the O-O-D-A Loop model itself. 2. C3i/O-O-D-A Are Decision Processes. O-O-D-A Loop and C3i are decision processes. As such they are not organizational schemes (you would not designate a “manager of control” or a “VP of orientation”) but they are means to categorize enterprise activities. The campaign engine combines these processes which are then “owned” and facilitated by managers and executives in a traditional sales and marketing organization. While we are basing the campaign engine on C3i it is necessary to change two of the labels to better reflect their application in the business world. The first label is Control. For purposes of the campaign engine we will relabel Control, Execution. Second is Intelligence. Reflecting the importance of Boyd’s orientation theory on the O-O-D-A loop Intelligence becomes Orientation. So rather than Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence, we now have Command, Execution, Communication and Orientation. 3. Timing the campaign engine. An important feature of the campaign engine is how the command, execution, communication and orientation functions are timed. Each function cycles differently. For example the command cycle may fire every 30 days. The control cycle every 7 days, the communication cycle every day and the intelligence cycle hourly. The monthly/weekly/daily/hourly cycle timing works as a starting point for many campaigns. As the campaign progresses you may advance this timing or slow it down in order to always be inside your competitors O-O-D-A loop. 4. Orientation Cycle Orchestrates the Campaign. The campaign engine orchestrates sales and marketing assets in a coordinated fashion. Coordination is generated by the introduction of a new competency called Orientation which integrates and cycles sales and marketing functions based upon threat and opportunity. The campaign engine is a virtual formation organized for a specific campaign and then disbanded. The campaign engine utilizes existing sales and marketing personnel, agencies and consultants. The campaign engine eliminates traditional organizational hierarchy and replaces them with functional cycles. All Sales related activities are part of the Execution Cycle; Marketing activities part of the Communication Cycle; and, Executive activities part of the Command Cycle. The campaign engine has cycles which correspond to the primary activities of a marketing campaign. Each cycle encompasses a specific set of activities, has an “owner” who is responsible for these activities, has a cycle time over which a specific activity or set of activities occurs and culminates with and event or a deliverable. The cycles are iterative and designed to provide inflexion points at which strategy and tactics evolve. The timing of each cycle is set in advance of the campaign launch and then will change in response to competitive moves and campaign progress. One of the key requirements in timing the engine is understanding the timing of your competition for similar activities. If it takes you longer to perform these functions than your competition then you will lose competitive advantage. 5. The campaign engine is Driven By The Campaign Manager. The campaign engine is driven by a campaign manager (marketing manager, sales manager, account planner, CEO, EVP, CMO). He is responsible for coordinating all campaign assets. The campaign manager is the ultimate decision-making authority for all campaign related decisions that fall within the context and boundaries of the campaign strategy and objectives including: 1. Creative approvals. 2. Copy approvals. 3. Pricing decisions. 4. Allocation of resources. 5. Opportunity prioritization. 6. Hiring and firing of employees, agencies, consultants, vendors, etc. The campaign manager owns the Orientation cycle. He is responsible for converting campaign intelligence into actionable strategy and tactics.