How do I add Campaigns, Programs, and Tactics?

Short Description Once you have a Plan, you populate it with Campaigns, Programs, and Tactics. This article walks through adding each level.

What this article answers

• The general "add child" pattern that works at every level.
• Where date ranges and Tactic Type matter.
• Common pitfalls when adding a Tactic.

The general pattern

Adding a Campaign, Program, or Tactic always follows the same shape:

1. Open the parent record's Inspection Window or row context.
2. Click Add (Campaign / Program / Tactic — labeled per the level).
3. Fill the required fields on the new child.
4. Save.

The child inherits some attributes from its parent (owning team, currency, year context) but you can override them.

[SCREENSHOT NEEDED — Plan Grid with Add Campaign action expanded on a Plan row]

Adding a Campaign

A Campaign is a coordinated push within a Plan.

1. Open the Plan or hover its row on the Plan Grid.
2. Click Add Campaign.
3. Enter:
   • Name — descriptive, e.g. "Q3 Product X Launch."
   • Start Date / End Date — the campaign's range, within the parent Plan's range.
   • Owner, Team, Currency — usually inherited; override if needed.
   • Required custom attributes.
4. Save.

Adding a Program

A Program is a specific initiative within a Campaign.

Same pattern — open the parent Campaign, click Add Program, fill fields, save.

Programs typically have a narrower date range than their parent Campaign.

Adding a Tactic

A Tactic is the individual activity. Its setup is more involved because Tactics have a Tactic Type that determines their cost defaults and approval routing.

1. Open the parent Program.
2. Click Add Tactic.
3. Pick a Tactic Type from the dropdown (e.g., Webinar, Sponsored Post, Email Campaign). Your admin configures the available types in the Model.
4. The form populates with the Tactic Type's defaults:
   • Planned Cost — initial value from the Model.
   • Stage — initial workflow stage.
   • Other Tactic Type defaults.
5. Edit the values as needed.
6. Fill required custom attributes.
7. Save.

[SCREENSHOT NEEDED — Add Tactic form with Tactic Type dropdown selected]

What happens after you save a Tactic

Saving a Tactic creates the record. It does not automatically:

• Submit for approval (you do that explicitly).
• Create Line Items (add them separately on the Tactic's Inspection Window).
• Push to integrated systems (Salesforce, Eloqua, Marketo — happens when the Tactic is approved if integrations are configured).

Common pitfalls

Changing Tactic Type after creation reverts cost and stage. If you change a Tactic's Tactic Type after creation, the Planned Cost and initial stage revert to the new Tactic Type's defaults. Any custom values you'd set are lost. Decide the Tactic Type before populating other fields.

Date ranges must nest. Children's dates must fall within the parent's range. If your instance has Auto-shrink date range to fit child activities enabled, parent dates auto-adjust to encompass children — useful but worth knowing.

Required attributes block submission, not creation. You can save a Tactic missing required (orange-asterisk) attributes. You just can't submit it for approval until they're filled.

Common questions

Can I add a Tactic directly under a Plan? No — Tactics live under Programs, which live under Campaigns. Some teams create placeholder "Default" Campaigns and Programs when they want a flatter structure.

Can I move a Tactic to a different Program? Yes, in most configurations. Open the Tactic, change the parent Program, save. Some instances restrict this to admins.

Can I copy a Tactic? Yes — use the Copy action on the Tactic's row or in the Inspection Window. The copy starts as a draft you can edit.

Related articles

• Understanding the Hive9 hierarchy
• How do Line Items work?
• How do I create a Plan?
• How do I use Templates and Snapshots?