Field notes / Campaign planning
A useful campaign
starts with a clear brief.
Before choosing a flyer size or writing a headline, decide who needs to do what next. That decision makes the rest of the project easier to review.
By CivicRill · October 30, 2026
1. Write the action in one sentence
“Raise awareness” leaves too much open. “Help new residents find the correct yard-waste drop-off location” tells you what the material needs to accomplish. Keep one primary action per piece. Supporting information should help someone take it.
2. Name the audience and the moment
“Everyone in town” rarely tells you where the message belongs. New utility customers, park visitors and apartment managers encounter information in different places. Identify what your audience already knows, what might stop them and where they can realistically see the message.
3. Gather the facts before designing
Collect the current program page, approved guidance, local contact details, brand files and any required wording. Give each fact a source and an owner. If a date, location or eligibility rule is uncertain, resolve it before it becomes part of a polished layout.
4. Give each channel a specific job
A poster may get attention at an event. A handout can explain the steps. A social graphic can point to a webpage with the full details. Keep the core message consistent, but do not shrink a full brochure into a tiny social post. Write and arrange each format for its reading conditions.
5. Plan the review before the deadline
Name one person who gathers comments and one person who gives final approval. Confirm whether technical, communications, accessibility or procurement staff must review. Work backward from the distribution date to allow time for production and corrections. An event date is not a design deadline.
6. Decide what you can actually measure
Record what was distributed, when and through which channel. Where appropriate, use aggregate attendance, inquiries or program participation to understand response. Printing 500 flyers does not establish that 500 people read them or changed their behavior. Record limitations alongside the numbers.
A brief you can copy
- Our audience
- Who needs this information, and where will they find it?
- The action
- What single next step should the reader take?
- Approved information
- Which sources, local details and contact information can we use?
- Deliverables
- Which sizes, channels, languages and access needs are in scope?
- Review and timing
- Who consolidates comments, who approves, and when must distribution begin?
- Handoff
- Which final files, editable formats and production instructions are needed?