What to do when a campaign underperforms
For people mid-campaign who can see results drifting away from the plan.
In short
Some things can be corrected mid-flight and some cannot - and that distinction matters most. Distribution, scheduling and subsequent creative can be adjusted. Creator selection, the format of already-published material and the community’s first impression cannot. The earlier a deviation is flagged, the more of the campaign falls into the first group.
- Published:
- Updated:
- Author and publisher:
- Rokmates
First: is this genuinely a deviation
Before corrective decisions are made, it is worth checking whether the result is drifting from the plan or only from expectations formed after the fact.
- Are we comparing against metrics agreed BEFORE the start, or against a number that feels reasonable now?
- Has the measurement window appropriate to this platform and format actually passed?
- Are we looking at the campaign average or at one weaker piece?
- Does the deviation concern the objective metric or a supporting one?
A YouTube piece judged after three days almost always looks like a failure. That is not a result - it is a premature measurement.
What can be corrected mid-flight
| Element | Can it be corrected | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Paid distribution | Yes | Audiences, budget and the material used in amplification can all change. |
| Publication schedule | Usually yes | Delaying later pieces is often cheaper than publishing them unchanged. |
| Creative for later pieces | Yes | Conclusions from the first wave feed the next brief. |
| Format of published material | No | Taking a publication down usually does more damage than leaving it up. |
| Creator selection | Not within this campaign | You can choose not to continue, but you cannot undo it. |
| The community’s first impression | No | Which is why the brief and approval matter before publication, not after. |
How the conversation with a supplier should go
- The deviation is flagged immediately, not in the final report.
- It arrives with a hypothesis for the cause, based on data rather than guesswork.
- The hypothesis comes with a proposed correction and its consequences - in cost and in time.
- What can no longer be fixed is stated plainly.
- The decision on the correction belongs to the brand and is not made quietly.
Missing the first point is a problem in itself. A deviation reported in the final summary means nobody could act on it for the whole campaign.
Conclusions for the next project
- Record which element drifted: selection, creative, format, distribution or measurement.
- Check whether the objective metric was realistic against the budget and horizon.
- Keep the pieces that landed above expectations - they are the reference for the next brief.
- Do not draw a conclusion about the channel from one campaign, least of all the first.
Frequently asked questions
Can a published piece be taken down if it underperformed?
Technically usually yes, but it is rarely worth it. Removing a publication tends to be noticed by the community and does more harm than a weaker result. Correcting the later pieces is the better move.
Who is responsible for the result?
The supplier is responsible for the process, the selection and the delivery. Nobody is responsible for how the algorithm and the audience behave - and saying so up front is more honest than explaining it afterwards.
How does Rokmates communicate problems mid-campaign?
We raise them immediately, not in the final report. You get the information together with a proposed correction and its consequences. Some things can be fixed mid-flight and some cannot - and we say that plainly too.
Related services
Related services
Campaign not going to plan?
Describe what was supposed to happen and what is happening. We will tell you what can still be corrected and what cannot.
Tell us about your goal