A promise that nothing goes out without approval sounds reassuring. It needs an operational definition. If the client approves copy but not recipients, or signs off an audience before the suppression list is applied, the review has not covered the final send.
Approve the campaign as a package
The review packet should identify the objective, eligible audience, exclusions, source and suppression checks, offer, message version, sender identity, destination links, timing and person with final send authority. Record the version under review. A forwarded draft with no campaign identifier is hard to compare to what eventually leaves the system.
Separate factual review from commercial approval. A product owner may verify availability or technical claims; a client lead may approve the offer and tone; a campaign owner may check the audience and send configuration. State who can approve each part and who resolves a conflict.
Lock the final configuration
Before sending, compare the final audience count and exclusions with the approved segment, verify the message version and destinations, and check the planned time and sender. If any material element changes, return it to the appropriate approver. Retain the approved artefacts and the final campaign record.
After send, record what happened and any incident or correction. Approval does not guarantee a particular result; it proves that the responsible people reviewed the stated version and configuration.
A practical inspection
- Define objective, audience and exclusions.
- Keep a dated copy of the approved message and offer.
- Assign factual, commercial and final-send reviewers.
- Compare final configuration with the approved packet.
- Re-approve material changes and retain the send record.