# I didn’t need more coffee: I needed better campaign management ☕ **URL:** \ **Category:** Beyond the task\ **Tags:** certifications, marketing\ **Created:** [27 January 2026 10:30 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901 "2026-01-27T10:30:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Brian\_Lien](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/brian_lien/32/229479_2.png) [@Brian\_Lien](https://forum.asana.com/u/Brian_Lien)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 10:30 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/1 "2026-01-27T10:30:25Z")
Hi everyone! I’m Brian, a Global Campaigns marketer at Asana. I’ve spent my career in demand gen and integrated marketing across companies like Pendo, VMware, and Ingram Micro. I’ve launched a lot of campaigns, and I’ve used a lot of work management tools to manage them. Honestly…. probably too many to count. And for most of my marketing career, my campaigns ran on two things: - ☕ Coffee (I’m a big coffee nerd and need 4 cups to function) - 🌀 Controlled chaos (As a former breakdancer, I thrive on intensity) ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/asana/original/4X/8/c/6/8c6f7c1b27e85730b78cd499296cc5f0343eafa8.jpeg) I constantly felt busy, and although I had a good grasp of planning, building, & delivering high-impact campaigns, I rarely ever felt truly in control. That changed after joining Asana, and even more after earning my [Campaign Management Skill badge](https://academy.asana.com/path/campaign-management-skill-badge?utm_source=forum&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=cwmcertweek). Not because of the tool itself (that was a bonus), but because it enabled me to rethink how campaigns actually move from planning & execution to reporting & optimization. ## **Before I get into what shifted for me, I want to hear from you.** ### ☕ **What coffee hot take matches your campaign style?** _Poll ([view on site](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/1))_ ### 📖 **What’s the hardest part of coordinating integrated campaigns?** _Poll ([view on site](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/1))_ ## **If you picked “all of the above” you’re not alone. That used to be me. Here’s what shifted.** ### **Lesson #1: ☕ Planning campaigns starts with strategy, not just caffeine** For a long time, my “planning” looked like saying yes to everything and hoping caffeine would carry me through the quarter. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/asana/original/4X/4/5/d/45d6df78c1aba2b9ff0b530a7691feff45485eb0.jpeg) What changed was thinking about planning as more than just timelines and tasks. It’s about strategy, alignment, and structure before execution even starts. Here’s how I approach it now: - **Start with goals and capacity**. Not all work is created equal. I categorize requests into the below categories which helps ease decision-making in what to say yes to, what to defer, or what doesn’t fit this quarter. - **Document everything with a campaign brief** : Before any work gets built, we create a campaign brief that includes goals, target audience, proposed channels, tactics, and roles/responsibilities. At Asana, this doc lives in the project overview tab, so anyone can reference it at any time. - **Align with key stakeholders** : We make sure everyone, from leadership to cross-functional teams, is bought in and clear on priorities before execution begins. - **Use templates and classification**. Asana project templates make launching campaigns predictable, consistent, and way less work. We have custom fields to tag campaigns by type and tier, which helps set expectations and makes filtering and reporting a breeze. - **Learn from the past** : Before committing to a campaign plan, I use Asana AI to compile past campaigns and look at what’s worked, what didn’t, and where the gaps were. This step is quick, but it prevents repeating mistakes. Once planning is done this way, execution stops feeling reactive. And as a bonus, I noticed I wasn’t reaching for coffee first thing in the morning anymore. ### **Lesson #2: 🕺 Executing campaigns is about rhythm, not chaos** As a former breakdancer, I’d like to think I know the difference between chaos and rhythm. One looks exciting, and the other actually works. **Campaign execution is the same** (without the headspins). ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/asana/original/4X/5/e/b/5eb9f7b5216700ee13dd5c54cb835daa507f4a53.jpeg) Once a campaign is planned, the real challenge becomes coordinating timelines and dependencies across teams like creative, regional, web, lifecycle, ops, sales. Without a shared source of truth, things slip. Or worse, they block each other. With Asana, execution clicked for me when I started: - **Mapping end-to-end timelines** , so everyone knows what comes next. - **Using dependencies** , so there’s no more “who’s waiting on what?” confusion. - **Structuring work into phases** , so instead of one massive to-do list, each phase has clear milestones. - **Multi-homing tasks** , so it can live in multiple projects, meaning no duplicate work and no conflicting updates. The result? Execution stopped feeling like I’m just rolling on the floor hoping for the best and started feeling more choreographed and structured. ### **Lesson #3: 👀 Reporting & tracking turns activity into insight** The biggest shift for me was seeing reporting as visibility, not busywork. Visibility for leadership, for stakeholders, and for the teams actually doing the work. When campaign work lives in Asana, reporting is automatic. Dashboards, custom fields, and reporting tools give me all the details I need without chasing updates. I can: - Give leadership a clear view of campaign progress without one-off decks - Help teams see how their work connects to the bigger picture - Track what’s on track, what’s at risk, and where to focus next Instead of asking “Are we done yet?” we ask, “How is this performing, and what should we optimize?” That’s when tracking stops being reactive and starts driving smarter decisions. ## **What clicked for me** This is what being “in control” of campaigns actually feels like: - Starting the day knowing exactly where things stand - Spending less time coordinating and more time thinking strategically - Making decisions based on visibility, not guesswork ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/asana/original/4X/3/c/1/3c123759def996ec6cf96fb8e1503273cfb6ea60.jpeg) That’s what the **[Campaign Management Skill badge](https://academy.asana.com/path/campaign-management-skill-badge?utm_source=forum&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=cwmcertweek)** unlocked for me. It helped me plan campaigns with intention, execute them with rhythm, and track them with clarity. Not living in 80+ slack or email threads. And yes… I’m a calmer, clearer, better marketer because of it. _(P.S: I still love coffee, I just don’t need it to manage my campaigns anymore.)_ ---
**Author:** ![Simon\_Koekkoek](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/simon_koekkoek/32/192172_2.png) [@Simon\_Koekkoek](https://forum.asana.com/u/Simon_Koekkoek)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 11:14 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/2 "2026-01-27T11:14:36Z")
Thank you for spreading hope out there! And not shaming people for their coffee habits 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Kathryn\_Hearn](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Kathryn\_Hearn](https://forum.asana.com/u/Kathryn_Hearn)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 13:30 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/3 "2026-01-27T13:30:58Z")
Thanks for sharing, Brian! I really appreciated the honest perspective (and the coffee humor 😄). Your shift from reactive firefighting to strategic campaign management really resonates, especially in teams where demand outpaces process. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Hopewell1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/tracy_hopewell1/32/279383_2.png) [@Tracy\_Hopewell1](https://forum.asana.com/u/Tracy_Hopewell1)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 14:26 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/4 "2026-01-27T14:26:35Z")
Staring at my second cup of coffee and reading this really put things into perspective 😅 Great topic - thanks for sharing! ---
**Author:** ![Katherine\_Pierce](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/katherine_pierce/32/286487_2.png) [@Katherine\_Pierce](https://forum.asana.com/u/Katherine_Pierce)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 14:31 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/5 "2026-01-27T14:31:27Z")
The automated dashboard reporting is one of the reasons that I’ve highlighted for our team to truly commit to using Asana. No more “weekly reports” - everything is live at any point in time for leadership. It’s worked wonders! ---
**Author:** ![Melissa\_Pickert](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/melissa_pickert/32/269759_2.png) [@Melissa\_Pickert](https://forum.asana.com/u/Melissa_Pickert)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:22 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/6 "2026-01-27T15:22:31Z")
I think this helps you be proactive rather then reactive. ---
**Author:** ![Hannah\_Grant1](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Hannah\_Grant1](https://forum.asana.com/u/Hannah_Grant1)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:26 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/7 "2026-01-27T15:26:58Z")
Not in marketing, but I think these tips are also helpful from an ops perspective when we’re rolling out new systems or processes! ---
**Author:** ![Katy\_Movaghar](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/katy_movaghar/32/284344_2.png) [@Katy\_Movaghar](https://forum.asana.com/u/Katy_Movaghar)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:30 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/8 "2026-01-27T15:30:38Z")
Being able to utilize Asana to help plan out a campaign/project has been great! I’ve worked with all of our teams to reduce emails that include campaign requests or project requests and have been able to shift to using Asana if something is needed. From there we’ve been able to create processes that work for all of us and it also reduces any anxiety that we would’ve had previously! Also, I feel you on needing coffee. Although, I am a tea drinker! lol ---
**Author:** ![Lauren\_Aiello](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/lauren_aiello/32/286256_2.png) [@Lauren\_Aiello](https://forum.asana.com/u/Lauren_Aiello)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:33 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/9 "2026-01-27T15:33:59Z")
I really enjoyed this post! Seriously Brian, this is well written and kept me engaged! ---
**Author:** ![Tami\_Johnson](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Tami\_Johnson](https://forum.asana.com/u/Tami_Johnson)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:35 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/10 "2026-01-27T15:35:46Z")
> [@Brian\_Lien](#): > > Once a campaign is planned, the real challenge becomes coordinating timelines and dependencies across teams like creative, regional, web, lifecycle, ops, sales. Without a shared source of truth, things slip. Or worse, they block each other. > > With Asana, execution clicked for me when I started: > > - **Mapping end-to-end timelines** , so everyone knows what comes next. > - **Using dependencies** , so there’s no more “who’s waiting on what?” confusion. > - **Structuring work into phases** , so instead of one massive to-do list, each phase has clear milestones. > - **Multi-homing tasks** , so it can live in multiple projects, meaning no duplicate work and no conflicting updates. > > The result? Execution stopped feeling like I’m just rolling on the floor hoping for the best and started feeling more choreographed and structured. > > ### **Lesson** #3: **👀 Reporting & tracking turns activity into insight** > > The biggest shift for me was seeing reporting as visibility, not busywork. Visibility for leadership, for stakeholders, and for the teams actually doing the work. > > When campaign work lives in Asana, reporting is automatic. Dashboards, custom fields, and reporting tools give me all the details I need without chasing updates. I can: > > - Give leadership a clear view of campaign progress without one-off decks > - Help teams see how their work connects to the bigger picture > - Track what’s on track, what’s at risk, and where to focus next > > Instead of asking “Are we done yet?” we ask, “How is this performing, and what should we optimize?” That’s when tracking stops being reactive and starts driving smarter decisions. > > ## **What clicked for me** > > This is what being “in control” of campaigns actually feels like: > > - Starting the day knowing exactly where things stand > - Spending less time coordinating and more time thinking strategically > - Making decisions based on visibility, not guesswork > > ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/asana/original/4X/3/c/1/3c123759def996ec6cf96fb8e1503273cfb6ea60.jpeg) > > That’s what the **[Campaign Management Skill badge](https://academy.asana.com/path/campaign-management-skill-badge?utm_source=forum&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=cwmcertweek)** unlocked for me. It helped me plan campaigns with intention, execute them with rhythm, and track them with clarity. Not living in 80+ slack or email threads. Thank you. That is very helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz\_Boyle\_PDX](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/fritz_boyle_pdx/32/280829_2.png) [@Fritz\_Boyle\_PDX](https://forum.asana.com/u/Fritz_Boyle_PDX)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:43 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/11 "2026-01-27T15:43:42Z")
great, usable, outline of how to work. thank you. i was especially motivated by your ASIP screenshot! ---
**Author:** ![anon29171488](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@anon29171488](https://forum.asana.com/u/anon29171488)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:52 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/12 "2026-01-27T15:52:59Z")
Amazing, great post, thank you for this positive energy ---
**Author:** ![Huiping](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Huiping](https://forum.asana.com/u/Huiping)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:55 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/13 "2026-01-27T15:55:16Z")
I don’t have marketing campaign to run but this the learnings are the same for me when I roll out a process! You have to have a plan, not just in your head (no one can see it, right?). Sell your plan to the partners/stakeholders (this is the “why”). Only when other people can see why (either convinced or scared), the execution would follow! Asana helped to connect all the dots and also hold accountability (yes, in your face way - your task is overdue in RED!) ---
**Author:** ![Lauren\_Boegen](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Lauren\_Boegen](https://forum.asana.com/u/Lauren_Boegen)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 15:55 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/14 "2026-01-27T15:55:41Z")
Moving away from 80 different email threads into Asana sounds like an amazing goal. Although then I’d have to stop using my email as a to-do list… but I can use Asana for that too! ---
**Author:** ![Hope\_Muna](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/hope_muna/32/205769_2.png) [@Hope\_Muna](https://forum.asana.com/u/Hope_Muna)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 16:24 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/15 "2026-01-27T16:24:29Z")
Great post! The humor kept me engaged to the end. I even shared some of the included memes with my company’s Marketing Manager. I’m not in marketing, but I did still find this post applicable to my project management and coordination responsibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Guerra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/emily_guerra/32/281995_2.png) [@Emily\_Guerra](https://forum.asana.com/u/Emily_Guerra)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 16:49 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/16 "2026-01-27T16:49:49Z")
Lesson 2 about rhythm, not chaos, really resonated with me! I feel like too often I get caught up in the actual work that I forget that Asana should be a shared source of truth for the project. Taking the time at the beginning of a project to map out timelines and phases is something I’m going to incorporate into my next project coming up. ---
**Author:** ![Amy\_Nackley](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Amy\_Nackley](https://forum.asana.com/u/Amy_Nackley)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 16:50 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/17 "2026-01-27T16:50:32Z")
Thank you so much for sharing these insights. As someone new to Asana and Marketing these forums help me tailor my processes to best match my teams needs and I’m so appreciative of everyones shared knowledge. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rochella\_Fallon](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/rochella_fallon/32/286300_2.png) [@Rochella\_Fallon](https://forum.asana.com/u/Rochella_Fallon)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 16:59 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/18 "2026-01-27T16:59:55Z")
Thank you for sharing! Lots of good insight! ☕ ---
**Author:** ![Christy\_Foster](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Christy\_Foster](https://forum.asana.com/u/Christy_Foster)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 17:14 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/19 "2026-01-27T17:14:03Z")
It’s awesome to see all of the capabilities of Asana. I cannot wait to learn everything! ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Zucca](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@Sarah\_Zucca](https://forum.asana.com/u/Sarah_Zucca)\ **Post date:** [27 January 2026 19:28 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901/20 "2026-01-27T19:28:47Z")
Planning to take the Campaign badge after I complete the Foundations! AI also on the list. [Next page](https://forum.asana.com/t/i-didn-t-need-more-coffee-i-needed-better-campaign-management/1119901.md?page=2)