Integrated Campaigns

GitLab Marketing Handbook: Integrated Campaigns

Integrated Campaigns Overview

The goal of a GitLab integrated campaign is to strategically land a cohesive message to a target audience across a variety of channels and offers, dependent on the goals of the campaign. Content types include a combination of blog posts, webinars, whitepapers, reports, videos, case studies, and more. Activation of the campaigns takes place in a number of marketing channels include digital ads, social, paid social, SEO, PR, email, and more.

Global Campaign Managers are responsible for the strategizing of integrated campaigns and organizing timelines and DRIs for deliverables to execute on the campaigns.

Questions? Please feel free to ask in the #marketing-campaigns slack channel or ask in the #marketing slack channel and tag @marketing-campaigns.

Below is a visual of the FY24 integrated campaigns and how they connect to activation in regions and across segments. See the full visual here - GitLab Team Members Only

To understand the thought process behind our FY24 integrated campaigns structure, please review these slides & recording - GitLab Team Members Only

What is involved in an Integrated Campaign?

An integrated campaign is aligned to key go-to-market motions, decided in collaboration between marketing and sales, and built out by a campaign core team. A global campaign manager will lead the effort, working closely with the campaign core team, to develop a campaign bundle that is then activated by the regional campaign managers across various channels and tactics in conjunction with ABM, Paid Digital, Lifecycle, Field Marketing, SDRs/BDRs, and Channel Partners.

What is in a campaign bundle?

Think of a campaign bundle as the foundational pieces of an integrated campaign. They are used by all teams in marketing and sales to maintain a cohesive message and branding across all tactics and activities aligned to the topical campaign.

_The list below includes recommended items included in a Campaign Bundle, which is developed by the Campaign Core Team consisting of Campaigns, Product Marketing, Developer Advocacy, Content, Analyst relations, and Design.

To see a visual of campaign bundles, which are then leveraged in activation plans, please see this figjam.

What is included in a Campaign Bundle?

  • Target personas
  • Persona-based positioning and messaging
  • Keyword research
  • Content journey (including awareness, consideration, and decision stages)
  • Supporting assets including Analyst relations content & Customer references (if available)
  • Emails for content in buyer journey
  • Creative for ads, emails, landing pages
  • Alliance partner joint GTM campaigns and activities (if applicable)
  • Channel partner “Instant Campaigns”
  • Outreach sequences/templates
  • Enablement sessions

How are campaign bundles activated?

Campaign bundles are leveraged by all teams in marketing and sales to drive a cohesive full-funnel approach with aligned personas, positioning, messaging, and branding across all touchpoints and conversations.

Activation activities include:

  • Webcasts
  • Tech Demos
  • Workshops
  • Regional events
  • Corporate events
  • Community events
  • Owned events (Commit)

Activation channels include:

  • Email nurture
  • Paid digital (paid social, GDN, etc.)
  • Social
  • Blogs
  • PR
  • Community

Campaign Core Teams

A Campaign Core Team is led by a Global Marketing Campaign Manager and is comprised of functional DRIs across marketing and revenue programs.

Campaign Core Team Members:

  • Campaigns (DRI)
  • Product Marketing (Primary)
  • Developer Advocacy (Primary)
  • Content Marketing (Primary)
  • Brand (Primary)
  • Alliance (Secondary)
  • Partner (Secondary)
  • Digital Marketing (Secondary)
  • Organic Social (Secondary)
  • Email Lifecycle (Secondary)
  • Account Based Marketing (ABM) (Secondary)
  • SDR Leadership (Secondary)
  • SDR Enablement (Secondary)
  • Corporate Marketing (Liaison for activation)
  • Field Marketing (Liaison for activation)

About Campaign Core Teams:

  • The Core Team’s purpose is to collaborate on the research, positioning, messaging, general strategy, and overall timeline of the campaign, and related value plays.
  • The Core Teams will determine a relevant and realistic timeline in line with overarching marketing themes, and including Campaigns and Value Plays.
  • Each team member should formally commit to due dates for their work.
  • Each team member is responsible for communicating as soon as possible when a due date is at risk.
  • The Core Teams are comprised of functional DRIs from teams aligned to product specializations (SMEs within their teams)
  • The Core Teams will kickoff together with the freedom to drive their campaigns as desired and with a strong team-oriented approach
  • The Core Teams will ensure nothing happens in a vacuum, by proactively integrating corresponding activities across marketing, and including those beyond the core team for input
  • The Core Teams are responsible for clearly communicating plans to all of Marketing (also see Core Team communication)

Roles & Responsibilities

  • Product Marketing: Responsible for the Solution GTM Strategy including narrative, messaging, and positioning. DRI for value plays. Marketing DRI for Sales and SDR enablement. DRI for buyer and influencer personas. Responsible for fostering participation of the entire team in the research, positioning, messaging, general strategy.
  • Marketing Campaigns: DRI for marketing campaigns. Responsible for the production of lead generation campaigns and rallying relevant teams and team members to deliver integrated marketing plans.
  • Developer Advocacy: Responsible for technical narrative and value proposition. DRI for practitioner personas. DRI for Customers Success enablement including SAs, CSMs, and Support. Responsible for technical content production such as demos, blogs, workshops, webinars, etc.
  • Content Marketing: Responsible for content strategy and production related to the GTM motions and campaigns, and collaborating with other teams on prescriptive buyer journeys.
  • Digital Marketing: Responsible for digital strategy and defining ideal marketing channels to reach goals.
  • Brand: Responsible for cohesive branded journey across all tactics and between GTM Motions and campaigns.
  • Field Enablement: Sales DRI for sales enablement and training, and collaborating with GTM core teams on launch timeline.
  • Sales Leadership: Responsible for providing insight into the prioritization of value plays.
DACI Chart for Public Sector
Item Driver Approver Contributor Informed Note
Messaging or Message house Product Marketing Federal CTO or Content PubSec sales or marketing
Personas Product Marketing Federal CTO PubSec sales or marketing
Awareness/Consideration/Purchase Content Product Marketing Federal CTO PubSec sales or marketing
Content Strategy Product Marketing Content PubSec sales or marketing
Page/Keyword Rank/Research, SEO Search PubSec marketing
Buyer’s Journey Product Marketing Federal CTO PubSec sales or marketing
Campaign epic/issue creation Campaigns Multiple teams/individuals
Internal content activation epic/issue creation Campaigns Various individuals/teams, Legal (if applicable) Product Marketing, Various Multiple teams/individuals Includes non-paid digital (organic/social), Paid digital
External content activation epic/issue creation Content Various individuals/teams, Legal (if applicable) Various individuals/teams Example: Analyst reports
Campaign Development Campaigns Product Marketing, Various individuals/teams Examples: Strategy. Tactics such as email, webcasts, paid digital, organic social, content syndication
Legal approval Product Marketing Campaigns team creates issue and assigns to legal/product marketing
Setting targets Campaigns or Digital PubSec Sales/PubSec Marketing Targets are set by campaigns for programs they drive end-to-end, such as webcasts. Digital team sets targets for programs driven primarily by their team, such as display.

Campaign Core Team Communication

  • Kickoff in Slack: Campaign Manager will create a Slack channel for async communication
  • DRI definition in Slack: Manager, Campaigns connects with leaders of functional teams to determine functional DRIs
  • Slack Kickoff Message: Campaign Manager communicates via the new Slack channel that they will schedule synchronous kickoff with designated DRIs
  • Kickoff Call: Campaign Manager hosts kickoff call with functional DRIs
    • Primary/Required Attendees: Campaigns, PMM, TMM, Content, Brand
    • Why? because they are key contributors to the initial deliverables that are dependencies for other teams
    • What will be covered?
      1. Share the need behind launching the campaign
      2. Spotlight team members involved
      3. Determine what success looks like
      4. Review workback timeline, identify any risks to timeline.
      5. Confirm launch date
  • Weekly Connect Call: Campaign Manager runs weekly synchronous meeting with core team, always recorded for review
  • Weekly Status/Reminder Update in Slack: Campaign Manager shares update including the following:
    • Takeaways
    • Progress
    • At Risk
  • Launch Announcement in Slack:
  • Announcement Amplification in Slack: Share announcement post in the following channel
    • marketing
    • TBD - issue to be opened to address
  • Post-Launch Connect Calls: Campaign Manager drives call focused on outcomes of tactics aligned to the campaign
    • What webinars/tech demos/workshops were run? Or are planned?
    • What new content was developed/launched?
    • Potential optimizations based on performance
  • Campaign Analysis: Campaign Manager provides analysis of campaign metrics 6 months in
    • Check quarter over quarter performance

Because of the global nature of the GitLab team, schedules can be difficult to manage to ensure everyone can attend. For the Kickoff Call, the following team members are to be prioritized for attendance (because they are key contributors to the initial deliverables that are dependencies for other teams).

How do we measure performance??

We leverage multi-touch attribution reporting in Sisense and Tableau to help us understand which campaigns, activities, and channels drive the best results, with a goal of SAO and Pipeline. We review these metrics at a segment/region breakout level, as well as reviewing overall campaign metrics with the campaign core teams to identify optimization opportunities to maximize results.

Our dashboards are owned and managed by the Marketing Strategy and Performance team. Learn more in the Bizible Handbook »

Campaign terminology

  • Campaign - When you hear this term used alone, please clarify what type they are referring to (see below). Please speak in specific terms to communicate more clearly.
  • Integrated Campaign - Organized by marketing campaigns team, collaborating across marketing teams toward a launch date. It incorporates multiple offers and multiple channels.
  • Digital Marketing Campaign - Online marketing efforts organized by the digital marketing programs team to drive engagement, conversions, traffic, or revenue
  • Brand Awareness Campaign - Higher-level print and digital marketing efforts organized by the corporate marketing team. These are focused on brand recognition.
  • Salesforce Campaign - An object within Salesforce that represents different types of offers. These are less-so theoretical and more to capture touchpoints of prospects and customers.

FY24 Active and WIP Integrated Campaigns

The below global integrated campaigns are continally optimized by the Marketing Campaigns team, in collaboration wit Digtial Marketing, Developer Advocacy, Product Marketing, and beyond. These campaign bundles are leveraged by all teams in Marketing to apply cohesive and consistent messaging and approach across all marketing channels and tactics.

🚀 DevSecOps Platform Campaign (Previously DevOps Platform Campaign)

Campaign Manager DRI: Eirini Pan

Refresh date:April 2023

Launch date: May 2021

🚀 Security & Compliance Campaign

Campaign Manager DRI: Eirini Pan

Refresh date:April 2023

Launch date:FY23Q3

🚀 Automated Software Delivery Campaign

Campaign Manager DRI: Shari Rances

Refresh date: April 2023

Launch date: August 2022

Past Integrated Campaigns

The below were campaigns run historically, and aligned to overall GTM. They have since been retired in order to run new global campaigns aigned to updated GTM strategies between Sales and Marketing.

🚀 CI/CD (Capability Campaign)

Campaign Manager DRI : Agnes Oetama (interim until Jenny T backfill hired)

Launched: 2020-04-27 and continually optimized

FigJam of FY23 campaign flow

🚀 DevOp Platform (Capability Campaign)

Campaign Manager DRI: Indre Kryzeviciene

Launched: 2020-04-28 and continually optimized

FigJam of FY23 campaign flow

🚀 DevSecOps (Capability Campaign)

Campaign Manager DRI: Eirini Pan

Launched: 2020-04-29 and continually optimized

FigJam of FY23 campaign flow

🚀 GitOps (Capability Campaign)

Campaign Manager DRI: Eirini Pan

Launched: 2020-06-22 and continually optimized

FigJam of FY23 campaign flow

🚀 GitHub - Light (Competitive Campaign)

Campaign Manager DRI: Agnes Oetama

Launched: 2021-10-28 and continually optimized

🚀 France CI Localized

Campaign Manager DRI: Eirini Pan

Launched: 2020-05-15

🚀 Germany CI Localized

Campaign Manager DRI: Indre Kryzeviciene

Launched: 2020-04-29

🌄 Version Control & Collaboration (VC&C)

Campaign Manager DRI: Jenny Tiemann

Launched: 2020-06-09 and continually optimized

🌄 Competitive campaign 3.0

Campaign Manager DRI: Agnes Oetama

Launched (Original): 2020-11-16 and continually optimized

🌄 Increase operational efficiencies

Campaign Manager: Jenny Tiemann

Launched: 2019-08-23

🌄 Deliver better products faster

Campaign Manager: Zac Badgley

Launched: 2019-08-23

🌄 Reduce security and compliance risk

Campaign Manager: Originally Jackie Gragnola, transitioned to Megan Mitchell

Launched: 2019-08-23

🚀 AWS Partner

Campaign Manager: Nout Boctor-Smith

Launched: 2019-09-22

🌄 Operation OctoCat

Campaign Manager: Jackie Gragnola

Launched: 2019-10-31

🌄 CI Build & Test Auto

Campaign Manager: Agnes Oetama

Launched: 2019-08-23

🚀 Competitive campaign

Campaign Manager: Agnes Oetama

Launched (Original): 2019-04-02

🌄 Just Commit

Campaign Manager: Jackie Gragnola

Launched: 2019-02-18

Campaign Planning

There will be an epic for every campaign - created by the Campaign Manager managing the campaign.

  • The campaign will have a clear launch date
  • All action items will have DRIs and a timeline, working back from the launch date
  • The campaign will be determined at least 45 days prior to launch to allow for a proactive, not reactive, timeline

Ideally, campaigns will be agreed at least a quarter in advance to allow for ample planning and execution, prep time with agencies, creative concepting, and communication internally. This is a collaborative effort to deliver a cohesive program.

Overall Campaign Steps

  • Campaign need/timing determined by Marketing Leadership and Revenue Programs
  • Assign: Campaign Manager is assigned
  • Assign: Marketing team leads assign DRIs from their teams
  • Organize: Campaign Manager creates Slack channel for ongoing async communication
  • Meeting: Campaign Manager organizes campaign kickoff call
  • Plan: Campaign Manager creates project plan (workback) with timelines and DRIs
  • Plan: Campaign Manager creates the epic and related issues, including the due dates and DRIs from project plan
  • Meeting: Campaign Manager organizes the core team connect call to cover milestones met and determine any blockers/at-risk action items
  • Meeting (optional): Campaign manager seeks budget from VP of Product Marketing if we need to engage external agencies to help build out additional content/design assets for the campaign
  • Async: DRIs are responsible for delivering by their due dates, with timeline adherence being critical due to dependencies for later tasks to be completed by other teams
  • Reporting: Campaign Manager organizes reporting issue with clear DRI to include overall metrics and more detailed drill-in by channel (one month post-launch)
  • Optimization: Campaign Manager creates issues for optimizing the landing page, channels, etc. and assigning to relevant DRIs

See more in Core Team Communication section »

Campaign Manager Epic Creation

The Campaign Manager of the integrated campaign will create the epic with the following structure - details and links to be added up on creation of documents and timeline defined.

Epic Code

<!-- Name this epic: Name of Campaign [Integrated Campaign] (i.e. Automated Software Delivery [Integrated Campaign]) -->

### :calendar: [Campaign Execution Timeline >>]() - `to be added once created by Campaign Manager`
### :mega: [Slack Channel >>]() `to be added once created by Campaign Manager`

## :busts_in_silhouette: Campaign Core Team
| Primary Stakeholder | Name | Contact |
| ------ | ------ | ------ |
| Campaigns (DRI) | ? | @? |
| Product Marketing | ? | @? |
| Developer Advocacy | ? | @? |
| Content Marketing | ? | @? |
| Revenue Programs | ? | @? |
| Brand | ? | @? |
| Partner Marketing (Partner) | ? | @? |
| Partner Marketing (Alliance) | ? | @? |

| Secondary Stakeholder | Name | Contact |
| ------ | ------ | ------ |
| Digital Marketing | ? | @? |
| SDR Leadership | ? | @?  |
| SDR Enablement | ? | @? |
| Corporate Marketing (Liaison) | ? | @? |
| Field Marketing (Liaison) | ? | @? |

## :memo: Campaign Brief
### Campaign Focus Reasoning
`to be added`

### Business Objectives
`to be added`

### KPIs & Goals
`to be added`

### Target audience and persona
* **Level:** `to be added`
* **Function:** `to be added`

Optional: [Link to detailed persona & positioning doc>>]() - `to be added once created by PMM`| Example: https://tinyurl.com/444k8524

### Marketing message
* Overall: `to be added`
* Key Messages:
- `to be added`
- `to be added`

### New Planned Content & Events
* `To be added`
* `To be added`

### Existing Content & Videos/Recordings
* Needs to be added

### Marketing Channel Mix
`to be added upon discussion with activation teams (digital marketing, lifecycle marketing, ABM, SDR, etc.)`

Note that regional and global activation can ebb and flow in these always-on campaigns. The campaigns team and digital marketing continually review campaign performance to invest $$ (aligned to regional pipeline goals) based on campaigns and channels that are performing.

Organic:
* [ ] Email
* [ ] Organic Social (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter)
* [ ] Site Merchandising
* [ ] Podcast (audio)
* [ ] YouTube (video)
* [ ] Outreach Emails

Paid Media:
* [ ] Paid Social (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) _any other channels to consider? where is our audience hanging out?_
* [ ] Paid Search (Google Ads)
* [ ] Demandbase (Key Accounts)

/label ~"dg-campaigns" ~"mktg-demandgen" ~"Content Marketing" ~"Digital Marketing Programs" ~"Product Marketing" ~mktg-website ~design ~"Social Media" ~"Portfolio Marketing" ~"mktg-status::wip"

Sales Lead Funnel Cross-Over with All-Remote

Diagram of sales lead funnel cross-over with all-remote

Below is a V1 visual in Mural of the sales lead funnel (pre-opportunity) on the left and the all-remote funnel on the right. Discussion of how and when to “bridge the gap” between the funnels - potentially sharing GitLab audience-targeted offers within All-Remote communications - is included in this issue.

Lead Generation Funnel + All-Remote Breakout by Jackie Gragnola

You will be able to edit this mural.

[NAME] Campaign
Everything you need to know about the [NAME] campaign.
CI/CD Campaign
Everything you need to know about the CI/CD campaign.
DevSecOps 2.0 Campaign
Everything you need to know about the DevSecOps Capability campaign.
Last modified August 8, 2024: Add HeadingLink rule and fix errors (424f73d2)
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