This simple campaign naming convention will help you manage ads better

Campaign naming for your Amazon campaigns might seem like a trivial aspect of your marketing strategy, but it should not be taken lightly. A uniform campaign naming strategy not only helps you manage campaigns better but streamline your marketing operations. In this post, I will discuss

(a) why campaign naming convention is important,

(b) how to create a good campaign naming convention, and

(c) what to do if your campaign naming convention is not uniform. 

Why is a Amazon Campaign Naming convention important: 

Campaign naming is an important part of managing campaigns at scale. Here are some key reasons why campaign naming matters:

1. Efficient Management: A well structured campaign name provides a clear and seamless way to organize your marketing initiatives. For ex. If you include campaign objectives in your campaign name, you can monitor the results better. This is specifically important when you have more than 50 campaigns in a single account as well as for agencies which are managing multiple accounts at the same time. 

2. Quick Identification: A uniform and systematic naming convention allows marketers to quickly identify the purpose, contents and attributes of an advertising campaign. This can help you in making prompt decisions and adjustments based on campaign performance. For ex. If your ASIN advertised is a part of a campaign name, you can quickly filter out campaigns of a specific ASIN and take action.

3. Data Analysis: When campaigns are appropriately named, it becomes easier to extract meaningful insights from performance reports. For example, A simple export can enable you to pivot and analyze campaigns of different attributes. You can identify trends, optimize strategies, and make informed decisions.

4. Streamlined Communication: This is most important for large brands as well as agencies. These organizations work at such a large scale, that people management becomes an equally important part of their everyday operations. A uniform campaign naming convention makes it easy to deal with new joiners and shortens their onboarding time. 

5. Scalability: As your business grows and diversifies, a well-thought-out campaign naming convention ensures scalability. New products, services, or objectives can be seamlessly integrated into your existing campaign framework without disrupting the overall organizational structure.

What a good campaign naming convention does not impact: 

It is important to realize that a campaign naming convention is a productivity strategy, not an optimization strategy. A good (or bad, for that matter) campaign naming convention will not impact your: 

1. Reach 

2. ACOS

3. Conversion

4. Spend

5. Customer Acquisition Cost

However, a good campaign naming convention will definitely help you reach your targets better. It’s because a well managed advertising account can reduce in-effiencies in their operations. Hence reducing chances of missing out on actions to be taken. 

Recommended Campaign Naming Convention: 

Ideally, a campaign name should contain: 

1. ASIN number (for 1 ASIN campaigns) or Sub Cat Name (for multiple ASIN campaigns) 

2. Campaign objective ex. Catch All, Ranking, Brand Defense, Competitor Target

3. Advertised Product Type ex. SP, SB, SBv, SD

4. Targeting Type

For example:

Case 1: For 1 ASIN campaigns:

"ASIN number" | SP | Target Type | "Campaign Objective"

Case 2: For multiple ASIN campaigns

"Sub-cat" | 4 | SP| Target Type | "Campaign Objective"

Case 3: For Sponsored Brand campaigns

"Product Range" | SB | Target Type | "Campaign Objective"

Case 4: For Sponsored Display campaigns

"ASIN number" | SD | Target Type | "Campaign Objective"

Why are the above important: 

1. Adding ASIN Number to Campaign Name

Why? Taking ASIN level actions becomes a breeze. For instance, if an ASIN is low stock, pausing campaigns is simplified. When it's back in stock, unpausing campaigns is equally effortless.

Secondly a simple campaign data export can help you identify ASIN and Sub cat wise spends. 

2. Adding Campaign Objective to Campaign Name

Why? It facilitates determining target ACOS by campaign, offering insights into campaign goals. New launch campaigns may have a high target ACOS, while profitability campaigns typically aim for a lower one.

 3. Including Product Type in Campaign Name

Why? It makes identifying missing product types for an ASIN easier. For example, if an ASIN belongs to a specific product type (like a Band A ASIN), checking whether all product types are active becomes a straightforward task.

Note: What's a Band A ASIN? Check out a detailed description in this video.

How to update campaign name for multiple campaigns in bulk:

So, you have decided to update your campaign names in bulk, have you? The simplest way to do it is by using Bulk Files. Let me take you through a step by step process:

Step 1: Download latest bulk file:

Step 2: Build out new campaign names:

This is the heart of the process. In this step, you create a pivot table on Sponsored Product Campaigns.

Q: How to create the pivot:

A: Filters = Entity (Product Ad)

Rows = Campaign Name, ASINs

Now, you know all the campaign names and number of SKUs in each campaign.

Use that and other parameters like targeting and objective to concatenate the new campaign name (See #6).

Once, this is done, add other parameters like Campaign ID, Start Date, Campaign Status and Bidding Strategy (#5, 7, 8, 9) in different columns, as you will need this information in the final step.

Step 3: Download the Bulk File Upload sheet:

Step 4: Fill in the blanks in Bulk Sheet template and upload file:

Add all the information that is highlighted in blue.

In this way, you can change your campaign names in bulk in one go.

What if you can't change campaign naming convention for old campaigns:

I have often read posts recommending a good campaign naming convention. But large accounts can't just go and change their campaign naming convention in one day. It takes time and a lot of planning to do that.

And what if you are an agency? It not only takes time and planning, but renaming campaigns can end up taking weeks.

So what to do, if your campaign naming convention is not as per recommended norms:

1. Never too late: First things first, it is never too late. An average account makes 3-6 new campaigns in a month. Start by correcting the campaign naming convention for future campaigns.

2. Changes using Bulk sheets: Bulk sheets are a very easy way to change campaign names on the large account. Here is a step-by-step process to do the same:

3. Past campaigns: Let's assume that you do not have the bandwidth to make bulk changes to your campaigns. Even so, you can manage your ad campaigns effectively. use the following framework in case changing conventions is not a possibility:

   • Forgot to Add Product Names

   Solution: Group your product campaigns into sub-category level portfolios. This allows for quicker actions and better organization.

   • Forgot to Add Product Type

   Solution: You don't need this information daily. For fortnightly or monthly analysis, go to the product tab on the advertising console or the product dashboard on Atom11. Take an export of the data, and a simple pivot will reveal all the product types associated with a product.

   Having said that - actionability will still be a challenge. 

   • Forgot to Add Campaign Objective

   Solution: Eliminate unnecessary details. In performance marketing, most campaigns are ACOS-driven. No need to add "ACOS campaign" to every campaign—it's a given! Identify and rename new launch campaigns, and ranking campaigns, and categorize the rest as low target ACOS.

In the real world, perfection is a rare find. If your campaigns aren't named ideally, it's not the end of the world. You're still breathing, birds are still chirping, and your ads are still performing.

FAQs

Q1: What is a campaign naming convention, and why is it important?

A campaign naming convention is a systematic way of naming your ad campaigns, using a consistent format that typically includes key details like the campaign type, target audience, geographic location, and date range. This approach is crucial for organizing and managing campaigns more efficiently, making it easier to track performance, optimize strategies, and report on results.

Q2: What elements should be included in a campaign naming convention?

Essential elements in a campaign naming convention might include the campaign's objective (e.g., brand awareness, lead generation), target audience (e.g., age, gender, interests), geographic location (if applicable), campaign type (e.g., display, search, social), and the time frame (e.g., Q1 2024). Including these elements helps in quickly identifying the campaign's key components without needing to delve into its settings.

Q3: How does a simple naming convention improve ad management?

A simple naming convention streamlines ad management by making it easier to sort, filter, and analyze campaigns across different platforms or within a complex campaign structure. It aids in quickly identifying successful strategies, facilitates easier comparison between campaigns, and reduces the risk of errors or confusion, especially when multiple team members are involved in campaign management.

Q4: Can you provide an example of an effective campaign naming convention?

An effective campaign naming convention might look like this: [Objective]-[Target Audience]-[Location]-[Campaign Type]-[Date Range]. For example, "BrandAwareness-Adults25-45-USA-Display-Jan2024" clearly indicates the campaign's main objective, target demographic, geographic focus, type of campaign, and when it's running.

Q5: How can I implement a new naming convention for existing campaigns?

Implementing a new naming convention for existing campaigns involves a few steps. First, develop the convention based on your specific needs and what information is most important for your team. Next, review and categorize existing campaigns according to the new system. Finally, systematically rename each campaign, starting with active or recent campaigns to avoid confusion. It's also helpful to document the naming convention and share it with all team members involved in campaign management to ensure consistency moving forward.