Smart Spending: Maximizing Market Share With Effective Campaigns

In this blog, we’ll explore why campaigns sometimes fall short and how you can refine your approach to drive meaningful market share growth. 

Most Campaigns Won’t Shift Market Share 

Here’s a hard truth: only 1 in 14 campaigns (7%) in 2025 will be compelling enough to ‘drive significant volume/share gain’ without the use of price /TPR. 3 in 14 will keep you competitive and may drive share if you spend properly. Many campaigns miss the mark due to creative, targeting, or messaging, or a mix of both. 

The solution lies in preparation and media strategy: 

• Understand your audience to inform your approach. 

• Pre-test campaigns to identify what works, what doesn’t, and optimize before launch. 

• Benchmark your strategy against high-performing campaigns in your category. 

• Learn what worked, what didn’t work and optimize to fuel growth 

Below are some considerations as you chart your way forward: 

1. Price Alone is Not a Strategy Slashing prices may boost short-term sales, but it does not build long-term profitability or market share. Price is a tactic, not a strategy, and overuse can erode brand value. Instead, focus on creating value that resonates with your audience. Build campaigns that are relevant, compelling, and superior to the competition, ensuring they appeal to your target consumer. 

💡 Pro Tip: Price promotions should supplement—not replace—a strategic campaign designed to build awareness and familiarity for long-term market growth.  

2. Know Your High-Value Targets (HVTs) Your high-value target (HVT) audience consists of the 20% of customers who drive 70% of your sales, depending on the industry. If your campaigns don’t connect with this critical group, their effectiveness will be limited. 

To succeed, deeply understand your HVTs—what they value, what motivates them, and how they consume content. With these insights, you can craft campaigns that truly resonate and drive action. 

🚩 Common Mistake: Spreading your message too thin to appeal to everyone, which dilutes your impact and wastes resources. 

✅ What Works: Focused, personalized messaging that speaks directly to your HVTs.  

3. Digital-Only Campaigns Are Not Enough While digital channels are cost-effective and measurable, they fall short when used in isolation. This is especially true when targeting older demographics, who still engage heavily with traditional media. For example, campaigns targeting consumers 45+ rarely succeed with digital alone. This audience often requires the reach and credibility of TV, print, and OOH to be effectively engaged. 

💡 Balanced Strategy: Integrate digital with traditional platforms to maximize reach and impact, particularly for audiences outside the digital-first bubble.  

4. Awareness Levels Must Meet IMI’s Action Standards A staggering only 1 in 5 campaigns meet IMI’s Action Standards of 35-40%+ awareness, which is a key reason they struggle to drive growth. Without sufficient awareness, even the best messaging or offers will fall flat. When it comes to digital-only campaigns, the numbers are even more concerning: 

• Fewer than 10% of digital-only campaigns achieve the 35-40%+ awareness threshold. 

• Fewer than 1 in 20 campaigns targeting consumers 45+ achieve 30%+ awareness in this demographic. 

To overcome this, adopt a balanced media mix that includes both traditional and digital channels. Channels like TV, out-of-home (OOH), and print remain highly effective for building broad awareness, especially among older audiences. 

💡 Takeaway: Ensure that your campaign reaches the minimum awareness standard. If it isn’t, re-evaluate your media mix. Digital is powerful but not a standalone solution—pair it with traditional media for maximum impact.  

Actionable Steps to Drive Market Share Growth 

Want to ensure your campaigns are effective and not wasting valuable resources? Follow these five proven steps: 

1. Identify Your Audience: Understand who you are targeting and focus on high-value customers to drive recruitment and retention. 

2. Pre-Test Campaigns: Determine what works (and what doesn’t) before launch using testing tools to optimize messaging and creative. 

3. Diversify Your Media Mix: Balance digital and traditional channels to ensure maximum reach and awareness. Go where your audience is with the right weight and cadence. 

4. Measure Impact and Optimize: Track performance metrics tied to market share growth—not just impressions or clicks. Learn from results and optimize continuously. 

Ready to Fuel Growth? At IMI, we’ve analyzed 20,000+ campaigns and pre-tested 50,000+ across 250+ categories and 1,000+ brands globally. For over five decades, we’ve helped marketers unlock potential, drive performance, and shape the future of their brands with confidence. 

📥 Download Our Report to Learn More

📞 Talk to Our Experts: Connect with dhudson@consultimi.com or vtoperczer@consultimi.com to craft, measure or optimize campaigns that fuel market share growth in 2025.