Advertising Campaign Decision Log
This is a practical guide to building a decision log for an advertising campaign project — a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why, adapted to the realities of delivering an advertising campaign.
What a Decision Log is
A decision log is a record of the key decisions made, by whom and why. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Decision Log. On an advertising campaign project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for an Advertising Campaign project
Advertising Campaign projects live or die on delivering an advertising campaign. A well-built decision log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how advertising campaign projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Decision
- Date and owner
- Rationale
- Alternatives considered
- Impact
Advertising Campaign-specific considerations
Tailor the decision log to the risks that most often derail advertising campaign projects:
- Creative approvals
- Media buying and timing
- Performance tracking
Example
On a real advertising campaign project, the decision log would be shaped by delivering an advertising campaign. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — creative approvals, media buying and timing, performance tracking — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.