General FAQs Questions about usage (How to) Selections vs. Target Audience & Campaign Manager

Selections vs. Target Audience & Campaign Manager

Within Ternair, you can set up campaigns in two ways: using the new method with the Target Audience Manager and the Campaign Manager, or using Selections (the classic method). Both methods achieve the same result: delivering the right message to the right target audience. However, they differ in structure, reusability, and overview. This article provides an overview of the key differences and helps you determine which method is most suitable for each situation.

What are the Audience Manager and Campaign Manager?

In the new workflow, building your target audience (data) is separated from setting up your campaign (channels & content). Two separate, interconnected tools are available for this: the Audience Manager and the Campaign Manager.

Target Audience: (Data) Manager

The Target Audience Manager is all about data: this is where you create and manage your target audiences. The Target Audience Manager includes the same data editing features available in Selections (Classic), organized into three steps:

Select & Segment – Select and segment contacts based on criteria (Select, Split, Sample, Switch, Deduplicate, Communication Load).
Combine & Exclude – combine multiple selections or subtract one from another.
Enrich & Edit – Add or update information.

A target audience is a standalone entity and can be reused independently. You set up the target audience once and can then use it in multiple campaigns.

Campaign Manager (Channels & Content)

In the Campaign Manager, you set up the actual campaign. You start by selecting a target audience from the Target Audience Manager and then focus on the channels, the content, and the execution:

Channels – the channel you use to communicate, such as email.
Content – the structure and content of your message.
Keypad – the path that contacts take through the campaign.
Automate & Execute – Plan and automate the execution using Schedule and Webhook.

What is "Selections (Classic)"?

Selections (Classic) is the original workflow in Ternair Campaign. You build a campaign on a single worksheet (flowchart) by dragging blocks onto the worksheet and connecting them to one another. That same worksheet contains both the data steps (select, segment, combine, exclude, enrich, and edit) and the channel and content steps (such as an email block), as well as the execution steps (schedule, run).

Characteristic of the traditional method:

Everything is grouped together on a single selection/worksheet.
Target audience logic and the campaign are inextricably linked.
Highly flexible and powerful for one-time or complex, standalone selections.
The target audience you've created cannot be reused as-is in other campaigns; if you want to use the same target audience again, you'll need to rebuild the logic or copy the selection.

The Main Differences

The table below compares the two methods.

Subject	Target Audience: Manager & Campaign Manager	Selections (classical)
Structure	Data and campaigns are separate: data is in the Audience Manager, and campaigns are in the Campaign Manager.	The data and the campaign are both shown on a single worksheet (flowchart).
Target audience	Stands on its own and can be reused separately.	Part of the set; not reusable separately.
Reusability	Using a single target audience across multiple campaigns.	Rebuild or copy the target audience logic for each campaign.
Overview	Target audiences and campaigns are managed separately.	Everything in a single selection.
Focus	Clear separation between data and channels/content.	The entire process in a single image.
Data Processing	The same operations, grouped in the Target Audience Manager.	Select, segment, combine, exclude, enrich, and edit.
Implementation	Execute via the Campaign Manager (Schedule, Webhook).	Schedule and run on the same worksheet.
Suitable for	Reusable target audiences and structured campaign management.	One-time or complex, standalone selections.

When should you use which one?

For new campaigns, we recommend using the Audience Manager and the Campaign Manager. This is the new, recommended workflow within Ternair: you create audiences once and reuse them, keep data and content clearly separated, and thus work in a more structured and future-proof way. This approach also serves as the foundation for the platform’s future development. Continue to use Selections (classic) primarily for existing selections that have already been created in the classic environment. For new campaigns, the new approach is the standard.

Tip: From now on, launch new campaigns in the Audience Manager and Campaign Manager. The classic interface will remain available for your existing selections, so you can transition step by step without interrupting ongoing campaigns.